By
Andrew Mulenga
It is
easy to be swept into the merriment and festival atmosphere of the Chakwela
Makumbi ceremony of the Soli people in Lusaka province as you mingle with the
crowds outside the palace’s main arena almost forgetting the whole essence of
the event.
It is
only when one tries to follow the traditional procession of the and gets to
listen to the host, her royal highness Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II that
one can learn and try to understand of the whole purpose of the occasion.
Nkomesha on her way to the arena |
“The
essential principle and purpose of this ceremony is to ask our ancestral
spirits and the almighty God through prayers, for good rainfall and other
favourable weather conditions, so that people can grow more food for themselves
to eat,” read part of her written speech to the guest of honour, the Vice
President Dr Guy Scott, other dignitaries and guests including the Tourism and
Arts Minister Sylvia Masebo, members of the diplomatic, business and farming communities.
Chakwela Makumbi, a Soli phrase loosely means
‘to pull down the clouds’, it is a spiritual undertaking, that involves her royal highness praying for a good rain season in preparation for the
planting of good seed of which she symbolically
has to be the very first person to plant a seed.
Escorts clear the way for the chieftainess |
In
education she thanked government for the construction of four classroom blocks
and a staff house at Mikango Basic School, a dormitory at Mukamambo II Girls’ School,
six classrooms at Twatasha Basic School (ZNS) Airport, 3 classrooms and a staff
house at Twikatane Basic School and students' hostels at Chalimbana Local
Government Training Institute.
“I
would like to greatly thank the PF government for having transformed the
National in Service Teachers College (NISTCOL) into a full-fledged university.
I sincerely thank his Excellency the president of the republic of Zambia Mr
Michael Chilufya Sata for recognising this historic
institution by turning it
into a university. I am reliably informed that they will commence degree
programmes in January, 2013,” she stated.
A rifleman finishes cocking his muzzleloader |
She
also thanked the president for having transformed Palabana Daily Training
Institute into a University as well. And although she was thankful for the
completion of 10 staff houses at Chongwe district hospital as well as the
construction of four health centres, namely; Bimbe, Mulalika, Katoba and Chute,
she appealed for the construction of more staff houses, more professional staff
members and the provision of necessary equipment. She emphasised that there was
also need for X-ray, theatre and maternity facilities and the construction of a
shelter for those caring for patients.
On
agriculture, she was very pleased with this year’s season citing a bumper
harvest. And while she appreciated the
fertilizer support programme, she appealed
to government through the guest of honour to double the inputs from four to eight
packets as it was in the past, but also hoped for earlier delivery and
distribution. She was also unhappy with the payment system for the farmers and
hoped a better one could be devised so that the farmers are able to plan for
the next farming season.
The chieftainess in prayer |
She
thanked government for the road works on the crossing points at Chibombe,
Kasenga and Kampasa streams, but again raised some concerns.
“Tarring
Leopards Hill Road to Chiyaba should not end at Katoba junction, and turn to Chiyaba;
instead another contractor should be hired to continue with the road construction
and tarring up to Great East Road via Chalimbana University. This is a ‘U” road
and it cannot be
good to do the road half way only to come and complete it
after a considerable period of time, approximately over 5 years. Please
consider this seriously”.
She is helped to her feet after she breaks down in tears during prayer as per tradition |
She
concluded by talking about HIV/AIDS, its impact in her chiefdom and the
measures she is trying to implement in terms of awareness.
“This
scourge has not spared the districts under my jurisdiction; namely Lusaka,
Chongwe, Kafue, Chilanga and Shibuyunji districts. Our people in these districts
are equally vulnerable to this disease. However, we as traditional leaders have
also been actively involved in the National Effort in the fight against
HIV/AIDS, by sensitizing our people in the observance of high morals, the
avoidance of loose sexual habits, the avoidance or banning of traditional
sexual cleansing and the discouraging of polygamy.”
The
previous night, before the palace grounds were prepared for the ceremony, a cow
was slaughtered and the chieftainess was offered its roasted liver with no salt
as part of a ritual while the head and hooves were also roasted and eaten
without salt by the four royal headmen of the chiefdom.
The
same night the four headmen or Indunas; bena
Nkumbula, bena Chitentabunga, bena Kabeleka,
and bena Mwampatisha met at the Kantungu, a special meeting place inside
the palace compound to pay homage to the departed rulers of the Soli as well as
to perform rituals to evoke the spirit of the first mukamambo who is buried
nearby.
She lights a fire to launch the clearing of fields for planting. She is accompanied by Republican Vice President Guy Scott and other government officials |
The
actual day of the ceremony involves a lot of traditional song and dance that
starts in the morning until a time when the cheiftainess comes out of her
palace and is escorted to the main arena’s grand stand in the royal grounds
where a throne is placed for her to officiate at the festivities.
As she
emerges from the house, she is accompanied by her daughters, Indunas, some
subjects and some musketeers that continuously fire muzzleloaders whose sound
is said to symbolize the thunder of the much anticipated rains; it is after all
a rain making ceremony.
She plants the first seed to pave way for her subjects to commence the planting season |
As the
cheftainess sits down she is entertained by more dances and song, some are
performed by the different groups that form the seven zones that make up the
Soli chiefdom from Lunsemfwa in the north extending to the Kafue in the south,
the Luangwa in the East and chief Shakumbile in Mwembeshi West of Lusaka. But
some dances are performed by visiting cultural groups such as their traditional
cousins the Luvale and this year there was even a Rwandese group that performed
dances from their country in the main arena.
Subjects roll over on the floor |
Visiting tribe - A member of the Luvale Chota Cultural Group |
The royal
entourage later proceeded on foot to the field along with the guest of honour,
other officials and onlookers to light a fire in the royal field that signified
the clearing of the fields for the new farming season. She then tilled a very small
portion of land and planted some seeds to signify the beginning of the farming
season. Afterwards she returned to the main arena for speeches, more performances
and receiving of gifts and she finally retired to the palace leaving the
festivities going on late into the night with much revelry.
The Chakwela Makumbi, like many other
traditional ceremonies has become a battleground for corporate advertising
which mainly involves a clash of the titans among the telecommunications
companies that take advantage of visibility by plastering their banners all
over the ceremony grounds as well as parking their outdoor concert vehicles in
the area.
Some could not be bothered by the ceremony and they were just there to have a good time behind the scenes |
There was
also much to drink and eat in the makeshift grass thatch stalls that serve as
restaurants and taverns among other things.
It is
also a time when villagers can purchase much coveted western consumables from
the city such as cell phones, suitcase, cheap sunglasses and other clothing
items that are displayed on the floor outside the arena.
In true festival
atmosphere, there were even gambling stalls where people can try their luck at
winning anything from alcohol to cash prizes. Foreign visitors cool off |
The chieftainess with her daughters in the grand stand |
Young Rwandese dancers perform for chieftainess |
Members of the Luvale Chota Dance Group prepare |
Members of the Mukamambo II Girls School choir sing the national anthem in Soli |
The rifles are fired to mimic thunder |
Riflemen and escorts clear the royal path for the chieftainess |
Some take time to try their luck at winning prizes by throwing hoops on various commodities |
The ceremony attracts all walks of life. Two beauties pose for the camera in the palace compound after the royal planting of the seeds |
Evans, an annual trader at the even inspects his stocks |
A Soli princess enjoying the procession |
Miss Tourism at the event |
The chieftainess presents a lamb to Vice President Guy Scott as a gift |
A vigilant member of the royal security team |
As the tribal cousins of the Soli, members of the Luvale Chota Cultural Group prepare to dance Chiyanda and Mokolo |
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