NGONI Cultural Museum Opens

                                    Nsingo Community Museum in Feni Village, Chipata.

By NDUBI MVULA, Lusaka

SITUATED right at the centre of Feni Village of Chipata, home to the Paramount Chief Ngwenyama Nkhosi yama Nkhosi Mpezeni IV is the newly launched Nsingo Community Museum.

And any visitor to the village cannot miss the site of this venue that houses the most prestigious historical information that would enrich anyone with an interest in history of the Ngoni people and their culture.

Acting Tour Guide at the new museum, Lloyd Banda who is also an artist and has contributed some of the rich material for every visitor’s appreciation is always at hand to walk you through the path of how this once-upon-a-time warring tribe travelled from South Africa and settled in Eastern part of Zambia.

Mr Banda, an articulate tour guide welcomes visitors with a broad smile and straight away commences the journey of the Ngoni people who came with and have maintained the Nc’wala traditional ceremony commemorated once a year in February at Mtenguleni the Ngoni headquarters.

He starts the journey with the genealogical tree of the Ngoni which stems back to the 1500 AD when it was led by Nanaba going by the title of Jere who was followed by Loyanda, Mangangati, Hlatshwayo and in 1818 to 1845 the last to use the title Jere was Zwangendaba.

After the Jere title, came that of Mpezeni I and the first in the line was Ntutu Jere who ruled from 1845 to 1900, then Chiloa Jere from 1900 to 1941 as Mpezeni II followed by Pontino Jere from 1941 to 1981 as Mpezeni III.

The current Mpezeni IV is David Njengembaso Jere who has been on the throne since 1982. Under his reign is the Ngoni Royal Establishment which comprises Inkhosi yama Nkhosi Paramount Chief Mpezeni IV, Nkhosi (Senior Chief) Nzamane who resides at Mfumbeni village, Nkhosi Gogo Madzimawe of Mtenguleni village and Nkhosi Mishoro of Dingeni village.

Othyers are Nkosi Maguya of Ngiyelo village, Nkhosi Sairi of Chimpinga village, Nkhosi Kapatamoyo of Thondweni village, Nkhosi Mshawa of Kutcheni village, Nkhosi Chinyaku of Ndina village and Nkhosi Mnukwa of Chikenkhe village.

Attending this years’ Nc’wala traditional ceremony, Zambia Tourism Agency Tourism Promotions Manager-in-charge of Trade Justin Mbanga described the annual event as rich and electric, to an extent that it creates and enriches everyone’s appetite in terms of knowledge be it young or old.

Mr Mbanga says the ceremony also plays a vital role in the promotion of domestic tourism as can be witnessed the magnitude of Zambians that flock to the City of Chipata to not only have a glimpse of the ceremony but participate from Feni to Laweni the dormitory at Kampala village and ending up at Mtenguleni.

“From what we are witnessing, I must state that domestic tourism is at its best and this can be seen not only here at the Nc’wala but at almost all the traditional ceremonies that we have in the country. Zambia is very rich with its culture and traditions which attract thousands of Zambians each time there is a traditional ceremony,” he says.

As a seasoned expert in tourism promotion, Mr Mbanga strongly feels that the establishment of the Nsingo Community Museum adds yet another rich flavour to the ceremony as it provides further more detailed information for the visitors who after witnessing the event would love to carry with them memories.

He adds that the memories could be in form of souvenirs such as videos depicting the entire stretch of the ceremony to other Ngoni mementos of their time at the Nc’wala or better still their visit to the Ngoni land.

Mr Mbanga says the Nc’wala traditional ceremony has now moved to another level of appreciation owing to the establishment of the museum which is an added value and prays that all other traditional ceremonies establish open museums which can be visited even when the ceremony is not there.

In supporting Mr Mbanga’s point of view, is Chipata Day Secondary School teacher Elizabeth Mzumara who equally feels that the opening of the museum enriches the traditional ceremony further.

“This is fantastic. A museum of this nature adds more value to the ceremony which in the past began would end when the event was over until a year later. But with the museum in place, the dissemination of this rich culture will be appreciated throughout the year,” she says.

Ms Mzumara also says the museum brings to the fold a source of information for the pupils and other researchers which is a hands-on.

For pupils, Ms Mzumara says as a Teacher of Literature in English and Geography, she is planning to a trip to Feni village for the purpose of exposing the pupils the rich tourism news which also has a niche in history, geography and Literature.

“In my Geography lessons, there is a lot on tourism and my pupils will definitely benefit. Such visits to historical places find a permanent place in a pupils mind and helps them to remember during exams and beyond,” an excited Ms Mzumara says.

And former Chipata Central Member of Parliament Matthews Mwale could not hide his gratitude to note that the Ngoni Royal Establishment decided to put in place a museum which will not only enrich the knowledge base for the local people but will also benefit all visitors to Chipata who want to know more about the rich Ngoni culture.

Mr Mwale notes that knowledge is power and no individual should be starved of knowledge as it is the most precious commodity that every person should posses.

As the welcome remarks to the ceremony are announced by the master of ceremonies: “Bayete...Ngwenyama

Bayete...Ntulo

Bayete...Ndabazithe

Bayete...Inkhosi yama Nkhosi”

Let it be not a habit but a desire for anyone visiting Chipata starting from this years’ Nc’wala to include the Nsingo Community Museum on the itinerary failure to which your tour of duty to the Ngoniland will be incomplete.