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Lwiindi Kuzyola Mukuni Ng'ombe traditional ceremony elaborated

Lwiindi Kuzyola Mukuni Ng'ombe traditional ceremony elaborated
Written by Edwin Mbulo Livingstone and pictures by Eddie Mwanaleza
Sunday, July 12, 2009 8:51:35 PM

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe last Tuesday bestowed a new title on chief Mukuni as a Chief of Chiefs during the Lwiindi Kuzyola Mukuni Ng'ombe traditional ceremony of the Leya people of Kazungula district at Simukale Shrine about seven kilometers east of the Victoria Falls.

The ceremony held annually in July to trace the movement of chief Mukuni Ng'ombe silenced the thunder and roaring of the Mighty Victoria Falls because the pomp and splendour which characterised the arrival of President Robert Mugabe amid tight security. Any way, President Mugabe always travels big.

True to Mukuni village's tourism agenda, the ceremony attracted a lot of tourists while some female foreign tourists who could not gain access in to the main arena opted to climb trees to get a vintage view of the proceedings also graced by President Rupiah Banda.

The Mukuni Royal Establishment representative Malumo Sianga who was also the masters of ceremonies gave a narrative history of the ceremony which was to highlight movements of chief Mukuni from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"The bene Mukuni at the Victoria Falls originates from the statesman, diplomat, conqueror, pacifier, possessor of supernatural powers and empire builder called Mukuni N'gombe who originated from Kola present day Democratic republic of Congo. He was the son of King Mulopwe of the Bayeke Empire in present day DRC and forced to migrate to escape the turbulence that engulfed the Lunda-Luba Empire in the 17th century," said Sianga.

He said that after enthroning his relative along his journeys, Mukuni Ng'ombe ended up in Zimbabwe.

"After planting his sisters, sons and daughters along the trek that saw him pass through present day Central and Southern provinces of Zambia where he allowed his sister to get married to Gawa Undi of the Chewa people in Easthern Province where you now find Nyanje and Sandwe. He ended up in Northern Zimbabwe but due to the raging battles influenced by Shaka Zulu in that part of the country, Mukuni Ng'ombe decided to settle by the Victoria Falls at a place known as Gundu which was under a female ruler the Bedyango," he said.

Sianga explained that the whole meeting and his decision to settle in Gundu was partly due to Mukuni's falling in love with the beauty of the land around the Victoria Falls and the Bedyango.

"Partly awed by this natural wonder of the world and partly for romantic reasons, he married the reigning female ruler who was a descendant of the defunct Rozwi Empire. Their first meeting was here at Simukale shrine and a prduim had to be erected as the Bedyango and her people did not trust the stranger and had to meet on a podium in order to be seen by all. The porduim currently has steps bearing 18 names of the past chiefs and 17 names of the past female rulers," said Sianga.

And the Bedyango Ann Siloka XVIII in an interview later said that the two married and entered into an agreement that they would all not lose there leadership powers as they were kings and the Bedyango had to stripe off the title of Ng'ombe from Mukuni and bestowed him a title of Munokalya Muchelwa meaning the Lion King as the title Ng'ombe was of a lesser animal.

"The lovers struck a deal whereby they would create a dual monarchy with the female ruler having an exclusive powers over agriculture, land, culture, birth and death rites and assumes all powers in the absence of the chief and during a transitional period. This is during the death of one king which we refer to as Bwe Yanduka (The stone has broken) because during the installation of a king, we induce a special stone called Nkecheyo. Even at the palaces, we have two palaces one being Lumpasa - the Lions Den and Nanjina the Bedyangos' palace as she is a mother of all. As for the male ruler, he is in charge of all political, economic, defence and judiciary matters," she said.

The Bedyango added that with time, the system had to be devised so that the dual system is protected.

"After the death of the first Mukuni a system which required that all daughters of chief Mukuni born in the palace assume the role of the Bedyango and sons of the chief also born in the palace assume the role of the Munokalya. One has to be born in the palace because a chief is not made or trained but born as one. I'm lucky to rule with the chief because he is my elder and is the 19th while I'm the 18th on the throne," she said.

She named the past chiefs as being Mukuni Siamachoka II, Siloka II, Sianyemba , Siloka I, Mupotola, Mujimaiza, Siankondo, Sinyemba, Nchobe, Nyemba and Sichichele. Others were Chimowa, Bambebambwe, Siandele, Mushiba, Mumba and Siamachoka I.

The female rulers were Muzamba, Mukachinga, Mukamwila, Musumbo, Chintuma, Ngonya, Makamamu, Muchimba, Muchindu, Nanyemba and Mukamufu.

Others were Mukalinga, Muyoba, Muzamia, Muleya and Muyane.

And President Mugabe said that it was his first visit to the village and praised the chief for his zeal to transform the village into a tourism-oriented place.

"I did not know anything about chief Mukuni when President Rupiah Banda called me on the phone. He said that he had been requested by the chief to allow some elephants to be handed to him or given to him so that he could use them here at this centre for the purposes of tourism. I called my minister of environment and tourism and he said that he did, and I said that if he had discussed with him he was the best person to handle the matter. But when I came here, I have not seen any elephants not seen one perhaps they are still to be introduced here. It is important that our chiefs must learn to use tourism for the development of our people here," he said.

He said that the initiative of chief Mukuni should be emulated by all chiefs.

"Chiefs are custodians of our culture, surely they are not many chiefs of this calibre as chief Mukuni. The way he does his initiative here we are as presidents and politicians and his subjects at this ceremony...I think I would not regard you as chief but chief of chiefs. The initiative which has this place transformed is a wonder. If all chiefs are able to do this in their areas, development shall be easier for our people. As for the other chiefs if you want to know how to operate, go to chief Mukuni across the river there. He has shown how as chiefs and their communities should operate in a chapter of his book," said President Mugabe.

The ceremony was attended by King Mwenda Musuli from the DRC, chiefs from Hwange in Zimbabwe and paramount chiefs Mpezeni of the Ngoni people and Chitimukulu of the Bemba.

Other chiefs included Chobombo, Nyanje of Petauke, Mwemba, Momba, Chikanta, Liteta, Mungule , Chamuka, Mwata Kazembe,Nyawa and Ishindi.

Labels: CEREMONIES, CHIEF MUKUNI, LWIINDI, MUGABE

posted by MrK @ 7:54 PM