Across the Zambezi you can see the dilapidated Zimbabwe hotels, ruined by Robert Mugabe’s nonsensical economic policies. Tourists are few and far between. At the border, wretched children run at you selling old Z$3trillion notes as souvenirs. Their value: US$2. The tragedy is complete. Even the children know their money is a joke.

That’s Zim for you. And guess what our dear ANC comrade, Gwede Mantashe, said at the conference of the ruling Zanu-PF this weekend past?

Mantashe, who was previously barred from Zimbabwe for daring to state the obvious — that Mugabe is a bit of a dictator — stood up at the Zanu-PF shindig and said: “We are willing to assist in coming up with election messages and strategies that would deliver victory. You should now start sending the materials to us so that we could work on them.”

So now we know where the ANC stands.

Zambia, on the other hand, is reaping the fruits of good political and economic management. The country abandoned discredited flirtations with nationalisation and has held regular, free and fair elections. It has all paid off. The economy has grown steadily, inward investment continues to flow and there is a general contentment with the way things have been going these past few decades.

Zambians have a new president, the energetic Michael Sata, whose tough statements convey one message: politicians must work, civil servants must work and business must not just reap the fruits and do a runner. Sounds fair to me.

So if I am going to take a break in the SADC region, I am not about to go to Zimbabwe or Swaziland. In Zimbabwe attacks on media workers have increased. In Swaziland the king habitually locks up his wives and concubines.

Plus, there is the little matter of economic mismanagement. Like Zimbabwe, Swaziland is bankrupt. We know why. They are dictatorships.

So off I went with my lovely wife and children to Zambia to check out the Victoria Falls and the Royal Livingstone Hotel.

I would like to wax lyrical about the hotel but I will leave that for another day, save to say it is excellent — but not very child- friendly. It is more honeymoon destination than family resort.

No matter. It is the food I wanted to rave about. You know how it is: you are off to a hotel for a short break and your expectations of the food aren’t great. We all tend to turn up our noses at the culinary attractions of Sun International hotels and Sun City. We expect a buffet.

Have no fear. The Royal Livingstone’s restaurant is top class, with a slim though nicely varied menu and an extensive wine list.

My children love fish, and the Zambezi bream was a major hit. You can have the fillet, which we all agreed is the tastier product, or the whole fish straight from the river. It is quite a bony fish, so prepare to work hard. But it is delicious.

They make a mean steak, too, and the French fries are among the best I have tasted anywhere in the world. Even better than McDonald’s.

Back to the steaks. Over three evenings we turned that menu upside down, and virtually every one of our party of five went back to the rump. It was succulent, done just right and tasty. The thought of it still makes my mouth water.

Then there are the staff. Five-star hotels are supposed to have good employees, but these guys were not shy of going the extra mile. They bent over backwards to accommodate. If they could not get something, they went and asked someone who might be able to help.

They were also optimistic about their country and their future. “If the new president does not work hard, he knows he will be voted out just like the last one,” said one of the waiters.

I also voted for Zambia’s success: I ordered another bottle of wine. What a fabulous country, what a fabulous people, and what a fabulous hotel and restaurant.

Royal Livingstone Hotel

Mosi-oa-Tunya Road, Livingstone, Zambia

Tel: (260) 21-332-1122

By Special correspondent