•A Hive of activity at the Lunda Lubanza ceremony.

By George Sichinga –

PEACE and unity were themes that resonated well at this year’s Lunda Lubanza traditional ceremony of the Lunda people of Zambezi District in North-Western Province.
It hosts Lundas across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Angola and Zambia.
As hundreds of people converged on Mukandakunda, the royal capital village which houses Senior Chief Ishindi’s palace, there was little or no evidence of political or tribal divisions as people celebrated as one.
The Government was in attendance, the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party, opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) and the church, among others, were all present.
Prior to the main celebration, another ceremony was held to install chiefs, traditional ministers and village headmen whereby six chiefs were installed by Senior Chief Ishindi.
When traditional leaders from across Zambia moved to the main arena, announcements were made to recognise them amid jubilation and excitement.
The procedure was replayed when Republican President Edgar Lungu, who was the guest of honour at the ceremony, stepped into the arena in the company of senior Government and PF officials.
The President was accompanied at the ceremony by Defence Minister Richwell Siamunene, Justice Minister Ngosa Simbyakula, Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda, PF deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri, provincial Minister Dawson Kafwaya, and Bwana Mkubwa Member of Parliament (MP) Emmanuel Chenda, among others.
The high point of the gathering was undoubtedly the arrival of His Royal Highness Mwata Ishindi Chanyika III (commonly referred to as Chief Ishindi) who was carried on palanquins from his palace as he brandished his flywhisk, into the main arena amid euphoric drumming and singing. It signified the delight that characterises his official coming out of his Hayamenu palace to meet and greet his subjects.
According to tradition, this is the only time in a year the chief leaves his palace to preside over the economic, cultural, developmental, and spiritual affairs of his people in an open and transparent fora.
The Lunda Lubanza cultural ceremony, which was revived in the late 1980s after a long absence, denotes the triumph of the Lunda people in successfully fulfilling a mission that Ishindi was sent on his father Mwanta Yava.
As the first born of Mwanta Yav, Chief Ishindi was given his father’s blessing and royal regalia, including a headman to travel with, in his quest to expand the Lunda Empire.
Thus, as Chief Ishindi was being carried into the arena, behind him was his wife, brought into the arena on a chariot.
The Lundas are a tribe of the Bantu who originally came from the now Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and migrated to various lands up to where they are today, with others passing through the present day Angola into Zambia.
Once the chief settled into his seat, a royal salute, known as Kudifukula, was given to welcome him into the arena before the ceremony proceeded with a royal dance of conquest, Kutomboka.
Then the gathering is treated to a dance and song referred to as Muyawandalama which is done by girl initiates, the Tunkang’a.
The Lunda Lubanza ceremony signifies how unifying tradition can be when all else remains divisive. It brings about trade, tourism, entertainment and cultural education.
The Government has, therefore, rallied behind traditional ceremonies, noting that they are a good way of not only fostering unity and oneness but also protecting national heritage.
Evidently, it is because of this that President Lungu in his official address stressed the need for co-existence among Lundas and Luvales.
The two tribes have recently been at loggerheads prompting the Head of State to encourage peace and harmony between them.
Speaking in Zambezi, the President said that no wise and peace-loving leader could advocate a rift between the two tribes because Zambia was bigger than any individual, party, or tribe.
“I know that differences are going to be there where people are but it’s however important to resolve our differences. And this should be through dialogue. I am here for the Lunda ceremony and I will be here again for the Likumbi Lya Mize traditional ceremony of the Luvale people,” the President said.
President Lungu was further swift in imploring the traditional leadership to help promote unity in the country through endorsing the ‘One Zambia, One Nation’ motto.
“My Government, your Royal Highness is also counting on you to use your positions and influence to promote oneness under our motto ‘One Zambia, One Nation’ which through you should become a household anthem.”
President Lungu also called on the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs to quickly constitute a committee to inquire into the continued boundary frictions between Lundas and Luvales affirming that he would take up the matter if that failed.
The Republican President also underscored some of the key projects government was implementing in the district of Zambezi stemming from Agriculture, Health, Community, Education, and Energy sectors.
Senior Chief Ishindi, as emperor for all Lunda people in central Africa, presides over 54 chiefs which include 28 from Angola, 14 from DRC and 12 from Zambia.
During the ceremony, Senior Chief Ishindi commended Government for the ongoing developmental projects in the district such as roads and the construction of health posts.
Speaking through Lunda Lubanza Cultural Association chairperson Brigadier-General Kenneth Kankisa, Senior Chief Ishindi also paid glowing tribute to President Lungu’s leadership style, stating that it was anchored on unity and peace.
The traditional leader stated that by nature Lundas are peace loving people who seek peace and love with everyone and would therefore support government on its ‘One Zambia One Nation’ agenda.
“We appreciate the creation of the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. However, Government should go a step further by providing legislature that will empower chiefs with capacity to facilitate and spearhead development at both chiefdom and national levels,” he said.
The traditional leader also urged President Lungu to diplomatically help him install chiefs in Angola who have not been installed since 2013 due to immigration challenges.
“In 2013 efforts to install 12 Lunda chiefs in Angola failed to take place due to visa problems, so we request through you to facilitate this pending mission by talking to the Angolan government so that chiefs in Angola are installed,” Senior Chief Ishindi said.
It is discernable that traditional ceremonies like the Lunda Lubanza of the Lunda speaking people of Senior Chief Ishindi of Zambezi in North western not only define its citizenry as a people but also offer an opportunity for the Zambian people to espouse the core values of their culture and heritage.
These attributes blend well with ZAMTEL who, as Zambia’s only indigenously owned mobile company, has continued their support towards the ceremony. This year ZAMTEL invested K30,000 and provided T-shirts and branding for the ceremony. This was a 50 per cent increment from last year’s investment of K20,000.
Traditional ceremonies not only play a vital role in promoting the tourism industry for employment and wealth creation for people but they are equally an effective way of protecting the country’s national heritage and unity.
This was evidenced through the dialogue between the Government and the traditional leadership during this year’s Lunda Lubanza ceremony. -ZANIS