Kitwe

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KITWE

Province : Copperbelt

Origin/meaning

The arms are based on the colonial arms, see below, with a new crest, supporters and a translation of the motto.

Colonial arms

Official blazon

Arms: Azure six pallets wavy Argent a fish-eagle reguardant wings extended Or grasping in the talons a fish Silver on a chief Gules three alchemical signs for copper also Or.
Crest: Out of a mural crown Gules a demi sable ante lope proper gorged with a collar Argent there on a bar wavy Azure pendent therefrom a bezant charged with a pick erect Gules supporting a beacon Sable enflamed Vert.
Supporters: On either side a sable antelope proper each collared as the crest.
Motto: Venite urbem nobis ædificemus

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on July 20, 1954.

The wavy pallets are taken from the coat-of-arms of Zambia/Northern Rhodesia with the tinctures changed from black and silver to blue and silver; and the fish-eagle with the fish in its talons is also derived from the national coat-of-arms. The tinctures represent the gold, silver and cobalt elements of the copper ore. The latter is represented not only by the three ancient signs for copper but by the red field on which they are placed, red being used as an approximation to the colour of copper.

The red mural crown out of which the crest arises also symbolises a copper mining town. There is no particular significance attached to the sable antelope in the crest beyond the fact that it is commonly found in the country and is one of the largest and most noble members of the antelope.
The blue wavy bar on the silver collar represents the Kitwe stream, while the red pick on the gold roundel is a further reference to copper mining.

The beacon stands for industrial progress and it burns with the green flame characteristic of copper.

The supporters are sable antelopes, collared as the crest, and the reason for their being chosen and for the type of differencing employed has been given above.

The motto can be translated as : Let us built a city.