A Family Outing Gone Wrong: The Debate Over Pompi’s Visit to Livingstone Crocodile Park

A family trip to the Livingstone Crocodile Park took an unexpected turn for Zambian gospel star Pompi, sparking a massive debate online about where to draw the line between business hours and customer service.

What was supposed to be a highlight of the holiday for Pompi, his wife Esther Chungu, and their kids ended in a standoff at the gate. Even though the group pulled up at 16:40—twenty minutes before the park’s scheduled 17:00 close—they were flatly denied entry.

According to Pompi, the staff told them they were too late because the tours take quite a bit of time. The artist didn’t hold back his frustration, noting that the kids were crushed after looking forward to seeing the animals all day. What really stung, though, wasn’t just the closed door—it was the way it was handled.

“While I empathize with hardworking staff, how is that the customer’s burden to bear?”

When he tried to talk to management, he was told the staff was simply burnt out from the Easter rush and hadn’t even had a chance to eat. Pompi’s take? He gets that the workers are tired, but that shouldn’t be the customer’s problem to solve. He was especially bothered by the lack of a simple apology or any sense of accountability.

The story has since gone viral, turning into a bigger conversation about the state of tourism in Livingstone. While some people are firmly on Pompi’s side—arguing that if a business says they are open until five, they should honor that—others think arriving shortly before closing is pushing it, especially for guided tours.

At the end of the day, it’s a classic scenario that has Zambians talking: Is the customer always right, or do we need to give overworked staff a break?