ZAMBIA
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THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA
The TONGA are among the most numerous of the Zambian people and archaeological evidence has been unearthed to prove their existence for at least 900 years. They and the Ila group constitute the main tribes of the Southern Province. The past century has been rough on the Tonga-Ila. They were the butt of so many cattle raids by the Matebele (now mostly in Zimbabwe), the Makololo and later the Lozi. These days the Tonga-Ila have recovered sufficiently for the Southern Province to be one of the major cattle areas of Zambia.
Some 500 to 600 years ago, one of the areas where the Tonga now live, the middle Zambezi Valley, was a flourishing trade centre. At a site known as Ing'ombe Illede, fragments of pots and other goods have been excavated that show there was a fairly brisk trade between the valley people and Arabs on the east coast of Africa, as well as India and China. One form of currency used then was a copper ingot cast in the form of a cross about 30 centimetres long. The copper for these crosses came from mines further south.
The LOZI: It is believed that the Lose dynasty migrated into the western area of Zambia from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from the Luba-Lunda Kingdom of Mwata Yamvwa, which was one of the greatest central African chieftainships in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They had been settled in their new home for perhaps two centuries when invaders from what is now the Republic of South Africa swept in and conquered them about 1830. These invaders, the Makololo, were part of a mass migration of people fleeing from the great Zulu conqueror, Shaka.
The Makololo changed the whole face of the then Barotseland. Although they ruled only some of the people for about 35 years, they left their language, Sikololo, as the lingua franca of the Barotse plains, and imposed much of their cultural tradition on the area. The Lozi rose against them in 1864 and all but annihilated them. People who visit Western Province will probably stay in modern hotels in Mongu, the Provincial administrative capital. The Lozi craftsmen are famous for their hand woven products such as trays, baskets and mats.
The KUOMBOKA PAGEANT takes place at Lealui and Limulunga near Mongu in the Western Province. Just to the west of the province capital, the high ground gives way to the flood plains of the Zambezi River. It is here that for centuries past, the tribal chief, the
Litunga, established his headquarters at Lealui. Since the headquarters' site was in the centre of land that becomes completely submerged by the swollen river, an annual evacuation to higher ground became necessary. This was done ceremoniously and the custom exists to this day.
When the Litunga decides to leave, usually in early March, or February if the rains are heavy, the drums send out the signal for the move and the people pack all their household goods in canoes ready for departure. The flotilla of canoes is headed by the Litunga'a royal barge, the
"Nalikwanda", with its thirty paddlers in colourful array. The Litunga's wife, the
Moyo, has her own barge. The procession takes about five or six hours to reach the new capital,
Limulunga, where a huge crowd celebrates with traditional dancing and singing well into the night.
The BEMBA: Heading northeast almost to the opposite end of the country,
one comes to the land of the Bemba-speaking people. Like the Lozi, the Bemba, and the Zambian Lunda tribe, almost certainly migrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) Kingdom of Mwati Yamvwa some centuries ago. The Bemba, who form the second largest grouping in Zambia, and the
Lunda, reportedly recognize an almost legendary place called Kola as their land of origin. The paramount chief of the
Bemba-speaking people is known as Chitimukulu.
There are several versions of the origin of Chiti, who was the first great Bemba chief in Zambia. Some say he was the son of a liaison between the goddess-founder of the Lunda tribe and
Mukulu, a mortal chief... Whatever the case, Chiti led his people as far south as the country of the
Lala, also a people of Luba-Lunda descent, in what is now the Copper belt. He then went east across the Luangwa River, into an area that is now the Luangwa Valley When Chiti died he was given the name of his father
Mukulu, the great one. Hence all the paramount chiefs are called Chitimukulu. Whenever a Chitimukulu dies the body lies in state for a year, suitably mummified, before being interred in the Royal burial ground.
When copper mining began in earnest on the Copper belt, the Bemba speaking people came down for jobs in force. Thus the language of the Copper belt towns and cities is
Bemba. At the turn of the century, about a generation before large-scale copper excavation began, the Bemba made their last military stand against the encroachment of colonial rule, and it took some time before they were finally subdued.
The NGONI: like the Makololo who invaded the Barotse, were 'also a South African people fleeing the conquests of
Shaka. While the Makololo went west, however, the Ngoni went east. Both these people adopted the revolutionary fighting tactics of
Shaka, and defeated the tribes they encroached upon with relative ease.
The day the Ngoni arrived into what is now Zambia was marked by two historic events. A ceremonial beer drinking took place just before crossing the Zambezi-of such magnitude, that stories of the occasion are told to this day. The second was a total eclipse of the sun, which added considerably to the excitement. The date was 20th November 1835. After subduing the Chewa and other people the
Ngoni, led by their Chief Zwangendaba, settled down to a fairly complete pacification of the area. They kept up their martial system of periodically forming regiments of the male youths of the conquered people into their service. This guaranteed the ways of the Ngoni up to their defeat by the colonial government in 1897-98. After this the system slowly declined, and finally ceased after 1920, when the last aged regiment was formed.
The Paramount chief of the Ngoni is known as Mpezeni, after Chief Zwangendaba's eldest son, who ruled the tribe and its conquered people after his father's death. With the break up of the military system, the power of the Ngoni declined. The
Chewa, Tumbuka and other tribes asserted themselves, and today in Eastern Province many of the traces of Ngoni ascendancy have disappeared.
Culturally the area excels in dancing. The performer, who always attracts most attention at such national celebrations as the Independence pageant every October, is the VIMBUZA dancer. When he performs, all other dancers watch, and he is generally acknowledged as the Zambian favourite 'other' favourites are the colourful masked dancers, the
Nyau, however because they are a cult, entrance is difficult. Those who are accepted have to practice the intricate routines for years, and train themselves to a high peak of physical endurance.
The LUVALE: people are among the tribes in Zambia that came from the North of Lake Tanganyika and their first Chief was a woman named Kenga
Naweji. After many years of settlement with many successions they immigrated to countries along Congo River now known as Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC).
Separate from Lunda Kingdom which had already established itself for many years in Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) by conquering many tribes along the Zambezi River and around Zambezi watershed, was Chinyama
Chamukwamayi, the first born son of the Great Chief Kondi Mated. At that time Chinguli Cha
Kondi, the younger brother to Chinyama Chamukwamayi, was heading westwards with his army and conquering many tribes as far as the Atlantic Ocean.
Valuvale, Valuchaze, Vambunda, Vachokwe and Vaviye tribes live in North-Western Provinces. They are the descendants of Chinyama Chamukwamayi and Chinguli Cha Kondi who were brothers to Chieftainess Luweki who remained on the throne in Lunda and was married to a hunter from the East named Chibinda
Ilunga. Their first born child was a son and was called Mwata Yamvwa. Ever since the name Mwata Yamvwa has been kept alive.
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Zambia
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