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CHEKE CHA MBUNDA SUBMISSION TO BAROTSE NATIONAL COUNCIL 26 - 27 MARCH 2012
Cheke Cha Mbunda National Chairman, Mr. Ndandula Libingi franked by the Cheke Cha Mbunda Cultural Sub-Committee Chairman Mr. Musenge Chitumbo (right), addressing the Barotse National Council meeting.
The Right Honourable Ngambela of Barotseland, Minyoluyi, Wanyae
Sinyinda,
Royal Highnesses,
Distinguished Chiefs,
Royal Highnesses Visiting Chiefs,
Hon. Provincial Minister,
Senior Government Officials,
Hon. Members of Parliament,
Presidents of Political Parties,
Excellencies The Ambassadors
Diplomatic Co,
Service Chiefs,
Indunas,
May I Say, All Protocol Observed, Ladies and Gentlemen.
We are from Cheke Cha Mbunda Cultural and Writers Association. We
regard this as an honor to be invited to attend the Barotse National
Council meeting, and to be accorded this rear privilege to make
these submissions from the Mbundas and their Chiefs, with full
backing from The Mbunda Monarch in Angola.
We believe without doubt that this is a massive step in the
right direction for the new dawn.
Cheke Cha Mbunda Cultural and Writers Association is a
representative organ of the Mbundas in Zambia, Angola, Congo and
Namibia. It was formed in 1956 and registered in the Laws of The
Republic of Zambia by the Registrar of Societies in 1982 as Cheke
Cultural Writers Association and later renamed to what it is now and
re-registered for change of name in 2008.
This change was necessitated by shift in the
Association’s vision from just writing about the history to also
revive, preserve, promote and protect the Culture and affairs of the
Mbundas, their Monarch and Chiefs.
This entails organizing and holding cultural gatherings, and
to this end executing programmes relating to “Official
Representation and Custodian of traditional music, makithi (known as
makishi in other languages), oracles, myths, oral and written
records of the Mbundas.
Cheke Cha Mbunda Cultural and Writers Association is
non political and non partisan, but support the Government of the
day. In other words Government will be supported by the legitimacy
of the ballot. We are
historians who wrote ‘The History and Cultural Life of the Mbunda
Speaking People’ book in English in1994 and translated it in Mbunda
language in 1998.
Brief History of the Mbunda Speaking People
Mbundas are a distinct group comprising of seven dialects, and these
are Mbunda Manthzi, Mbunda Shamuka, Mbunda Yauma, Mbunda Ndundu,
Mbunda Nkangala, Mbunda Mbalango and Mbunda Sango.
These are under the leadership of nine chiefs in Zambia, namely
Senior Chief (Mwene) Sikufele, Manyinga – Kabompo; Chief (Mwene)
Chiyengele Josiah Nyumbu, Nang’oko – Mongu; Chief (Mwene) Kandala,
Mabumbu – Mongu; Chief (Mwene) Chiyengele Chingumbe, Kayombo –
Kabompo; Chief (Mwene) Mundu, Liumba –Kalabo; Chief (Mwene)
Kandombwe – Luvuji, Lukulu; Chief (Mwene) Kasabi, Lukute – Kaoma;
Chief (Mwene) Kasimba, Kalumwange – Kaoma; Chief (Mwene) Lindeho,
Chamemba –Kalabo.
In Namibia Mbundas are found in Rundu District under the leadership
of Chief (Mwene) Kanyanga.
In Congo (DRC) Mbundas are found in the confluence of Kwilu and
Kasai Rivers.
In Angola, Mbundas are found in Moxico and Kuando Kuvango Provinces
under the leadership of 55 Chiefs.
All the Mbunda Speaking People and their Chiefs in these four
Countries ascribe to the leadership of the Mbunda Monarch in Angola
under King Mbandu III, the twenty third (23rd) Monarch on
the throne today.
This is a more or less similar situation where the Chewa People of
Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia have Paramount Chief Gawa Undi in
Zambia. It only goes to show that the Mbunda Speaking People are a
big tribe that cannot be subjugated by another tribe, and one of the
73 ethnic groups in Zambia.
The Mbundas came into Barotseland from Mbundaland in 1795, almost a
Century before the white man divided and shared Africa into
political boundaries in the year 1885
The first Mbunda Chief to enter Barotseland was Chief (Mwene)
Muundu, followed by Chief (Mwene) Kandala and finally Chief (Mwene)
Chiyengele, The three Chiefs came to Barotseland not because they
ran away from any war, but due to the warm friendship they enjoyed
with the Litunga of Barotseland then, Mulambwa Santulu,
The coming of Chief (Mwene) Chiyengele in Barotseland brought about
great changes in the lives of the Aluyi and Mbundas in Barotseland.
First, the Mbundas fought the Luvales who troubled the Aluyi
by always getting their cattle and halted the Luvale incursions in
Barotseland. This resulted in a strengthened friendship between
Aluyi and Mbundas, causing Mulambwa to declare Chief Chiyengele as
the Senior Chief of the Mbundas in Barotseland and decreed a ten
point Mulambwa/Chiyengele Treaty with the Mbundas as given below:
1)
We give you this sharp-pointed pole to replace those poles
with rounded tops for your royal palace. It is only your palace
which will be built with sharp poles called milombwe.
2)
Your royal drum (Kenda na Vafwa) and royal xylophone (Kamuyongole)
should be played in your palace, when you visit others and whenever
you come to this capital.
3)
It is only you who will use a royal fly whisk of the eland.
4)
You are free to continue to teach your people your language
and culture; you will not be forced to take our language and
culture.
5)
There shall never be a Lozi person who enslaves a Mbunda and
no Mbunda shall enslave a Lozi
6)
You are not forced to live on the Barotse plain but free to
live in the forests.
7)
You are free to cultivate cassava, yams and millet in the
multitude that you wish.
8)
In military and political matters you should be allied with
the Aluyi
9)
Never fight among one another, but love one another.
10)
Finally, respect chieftainship and the elders.
This and other factors earned Mbundas to be represented on the
Barotse National Council.
Secondly, the Mbundas fought alongside Aluyi in the Aluyi/Makololo
war in 1830, which ousted the Makololo rule on the Aluyi. This led
to the establishment of the Mbunda Chieftainship at Lukwakwa under
Senior Chief Sikufele now in Kabompo District, being a descendant of
Mulambwa and a Mbunda wife. As you know Your Right Honorable, the
Makololo from the south introduced the Thoto language spoken not
only in Western Province today but also Botswana, Lesotho, South
Africa and Caprivi Strip .
Thirdly, the Mbunda war machinery of Bows and Arrows, fought
alongside the Aluyi to conquer the Tongas, Ilas, and the whole Bantu
Botatwe group, which resulted in the Aluyi/Mbunda cousinship with
Tongas.
Later the Kaonde/Aluyi war which Aluyi lost in the first battle, but
warn with the help of the Mbunda war machinery, where Mbunda Chief
Kasimba of Kalumwange played a major role resulting in the Mbunda
Chieftainship having firmly been established there at the confluence
of the Lalafuta and Kyamenge in 1893, opposite Chief Mushima
Njivumina of the Kaonde.
All this proved the fighting supremacy of the Mbundas in fighting
alongside the Aluyi and in honoring the Mulambwa/Chiyengele Treaty.
Mbundas remained the true allies of the Aluyi both in military and
political matters.
This is the main reason why we are participating in this meeting
today despite the suppression, otherwise we would have stayed away.
The
Relevance of The Mbundas To The Barotseland Agreement 1964
Your Right Honorable, in reference to the summarized Mbunda history
referred to earlier, it is without doubt that the Mbundas in Zambia
are part of the ‘Barotseland Agreement 1964’, and therefore we
believe that:
1)
Barotseland Agreement 1964 is real and valid and above all still a
legal document, and was signed by affirmation of the Holy Bible
before the Holy God in the British Parliament.
2)
The Barotseland Agreement 1964 states clearly of the one part namely
that
‘Sir Mwanawina Lewanika the
third, K.B.E, Litunga of Barotseland, acting on behalf of himself,
his heirs and successors, his Council, and the chiefs and people of
Barotseland.’
We therefore note with reference to the Mbunda history in
Barotseland that,
‘the chiefs and people of
Barotseland’ given in the preamble of the Barotseland
Agreement 1964 include the Mbunda, and others tribes in Barotseland
such as Nkoyas, Totelas, Lenjes, Lambas, Ilas, Tongas, just to
mention a few, the archives are there to prove.
3)
One of the provisions on Item 2 entitled
The Constitution of Zambia
in the Barotseland Agreement 1964 state that
‘The Constitution of the
Republic of Zambia shall include the provisions agreed upon for
inclusion therein at the Constitutional Conference held in London in
May, 1964 relating to (a) the protection of human rights and
fundamental freedoms of the individual, and those provisions shall
have full force and effect in Barotseland’.
It is without doubt Mbundas are one of the individuals that should
enjoy this
‘human rights and fundamental
freedoms’ as enshrined in the Barotseland Agreement 1964 of
Barotseland. It is clear that the Mbunda/Aluyi relationship is so
interwoven that in certain cases it is not possible to distinguish a
Mbunda from Aluyi. The
Nalikwanda used in the famous Kuomboka Ceremony was made initially
by Mbunda Speaking People. Most of the songs and utilities used in
Kuomboka are for Mbundas and other tribes in Barotseland such the
Nkoyas, Mbukushu, etc.
The Nkoya rethym is majestic and befitting royalty. In short the
Mbundas of Zambia are qualified to speak on the Barotseland
Agreement 1964.
Therefore the position of the Mbundas is that, the Barotseland
Agreement 1964 is an agreement that ushered in Zambia on 24th
October 1964, as a unitary State combining Barotseland and Northern
Rhodesia. This therefore
makes Barotseland Agreement 1964 a
‘Parent Legal Document’ to the Republic of Zambia.
This agreement cannot therefore be annulled by an Act of
Parliament because, item 8 under
Implementation says:
‘The Government of the
Republic of Zambia shall take such steps as may be necessary to
ensure that the laws for the time being in force in the Republic are
not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement’,
meaning that the Government of Zambia shall not make any laws
inconsistent with this Agreement.
Any attempts to do so is inconsistent with the Agreement and
may only be done out of malice, ill intent and sheer prejudice.
However, Mbundas in Western Province have serious observations
concerning their interaction with their Lozi brothers, as follows: 1) Unfair Treatment of Mbundas in Western Province and Need For Mutual Respect and Co-existence Between Lozis and Mbundas.
Your Right Honorable, Mbundas in Western Province live in serious
suppression and tribalistic scorn from their perceived Lozi brothers
despite the historical background we alluded to in our preamble. It
is surprising to note that certain groups of people are still made
to believe that Mbundas are refugees who can be threatened with
eviction back to Angola. This is as follows:
i)
In June 2005 there was another call by Mr. and Mrs. Mukamba and
Mulele
Mumpisho when they were interviewed by Aketata Batunda on Radio
Liseli, insinuating that Mbundas are finishing forests in Western
Province and that they must go back to Angola, warning that one day
you will be ruled by a Mukanda initiate (a circumcised). This
disturbed Mbundas, thanks to interventions by the Barotse Royal
Establishment, the situation was calmed down.
ii)
In the submission to The Government of The Republic of Zambia by The
Barotse
National Council on the matter of The National Constitutional
Conference and The Barotseland Agreement 1964, dated 25th
August 2009, commented on page 8, paragraph 6 that
“As to tribal conflicts, this is
an issue blown out of proportion by detractors and that Barotseland,
being a nation of 32 tribes, is bound to experience friction among
some sections of its people. It should also be noted that some of
the tribes of Barotseland came to the kingdom as refugees escaping
civil strife in their original countries. Barotseland did not
confine these people to refugee camps as is the practice in modern
times but received and accorded them due recognition as tribes under
their own chiefs in the same way that the other tribes of the
kingdom were organized. What is expected from these tribes is to
accept the way the kingdom is structured as a nation.
iii)
In January 2011 during the run up to the Mongu Riots, we received
disturbing
reports and fliers from Mongu, authored by a group of Barotseland
Activists calling themselves ‘Linyungandambo”.
In these fliers, they warned:
“This serves to warn the
following: Mbundas, Ma Luvales and other tribes that they should
start preparing to leave Barotseland by 14th January,
2011 when we shall secede from Zambia. It has been observed that
this period around when we have been fighting for this cause, they
have not been supportive and we feel its high time they went back to
Angola where they came from, failure to comply will lead to loss of
lives”.
iv)
On 8th January 2011 one of the Mbunda entrepreneurs had
windows to his shop
broken by a group of the ‘Linyungandambo’ boys who cowardly ran way
after the incident at the harbor.
v)
Not long ago, the now Honorable Mubukwanu warned of not to allow to
be ruled
by a
Mukanda initiate.
It will be very difficult to convince the Mbundas that all these
sentiments are the work of some Government machinery, as they
continue to surface from within our brothers the Lozis.
2)
Mbunda Chiefs in Western Province are not being accorded the
recognition and respect they deserve. Following are cases in point
Your Right Honorable:
a)
All Senior Chiefs in Western Province are Lozi and never has the BRE
ever thought of recommending a Mbunda Chief to a Senior position as
agreed in the Mulambwa/Chiyengele Agreement, and despite their
assertion in their submission to The National Constitutional
Conference of 25th August 2009 that
‘the other tribes were
received and accorded them due recognition as tribes
under their
own chiefs in the same way that the other tribes of the
kingdom were organized. What is expected from these tribes is to
accept the way the kingdom is structured as a nation”.
b)
All Mbunda Chiefs in Western Province including the first Mbunda
Chief to migrate to Barotseland in 1795, Chief (Mwene) Muundu of
Kalabo are not recognized but regarded as Indunas or traditional
Counselors serving under Lozi chiefs.
c)
Not long ago after the installation of Chief Kasimba, the
chieftainship was accused of having constructed a Royal Palace Fence
with a Mboma. What does that mean? Are some chiefs of more royal
blood than others?
d)
Two Mbunda Chiefs, Mwene Chiyengele and Mwene Kandala are the only
ones recognized, but as Lozi Chiefs due to their intermarriage roots
with the Lozis.
e)
Currently Mwana Mulena Mumpisho is drugging Chief Chiyengele Nyumbu,
through his Ngambela Kabalana to court over a piece of land in the
midst of Chief Chiyengele’s jurisdiction. Where is the “Muliu” law
instituted in 1925 by the Barotse Royal Establishment, or is it out
of malice?
3)
In 1964 after independence, Mbunda and Nkoya educational book were
burnt by some overzealous Lozi Government officials to prevent
Mbunda and Nkoya languages to be taught in Western Province.
Your Right Honorable, our appeal to the Barotse Royal Establishment
and indeed questions lingering on the minds of the Mbunda Speaking
People are:
i)
Mbunda is a second largest tribe and found in all districts of
Western Province, why is Mbunda language not taught in Western
Province?
ii)
Lozi/Mbunda Interacting for 216 years since the year 1795, most Lozi
brothers still refuse to learn and speak Mbunda language, but are
easily conversing in Nyanja, Bemba and even Luvale. It is
unbelievable that mbunda is difficult to learn or is it deliberate.
iii)
Why are Mbunda Speaking People not represented on Radio Liambayi and
Liseli, community radios within our community?
iv)
Despite the long historical background of the Mbundas in Western
Province, only two Mbunda Chiefs, Chief (Mwene) Kandala and Chief (Mwene)
Chiyengele Nyumbu are gazetted, even then they are recognised as
Lozi Chiefs.
v)
Why should Mbunda Chiefs in Western Province be gazetted as Lozi
Chiefs when the Mulambwa Agreement is clear about the relationship
between Lozis and Mbundas?
Why should Mbundas in Western Province be grouped as Lozis when the
Mulabwa/Chiyengele Treaty clearly states that “You
are free to continue to teach your people your language and culture;
you will not be forced to take our language and culture”. We
have heard arguments that Lozi is not a tribe, but a lingua franca
language, we leave you to interpret your history, but who are the
Rwozis mentioned in your history after leaving Kola, and long before
the Makololo imposition of the Thoto language being spoken in
Western Province today? And I quote:
“By
locating their origin and claiming both primogeniture and
preponderance in Bulozi, the Lozi effectively eliminate the
possibility of any other group claiming that land as their
‘national’ homeland. Langworthy suggests also that this helps to
maintain a hierarchical distinction between the original Lozi and
the various sub-groups, between 25 and 35 in total that have been
absorbed since earliest known times. Yet whilst many Lozis try to
insist that their ancestors have always lived in Bulozi, there have
been one or two attempts to locate their beginnings with the Rozwi
or, those that Coillard called the Banyai south east of present-day
Barotseland. The most commonly offered explanation for their origin,
however, is a stepped migration from the north, specifically from
the Lunda-Luba empires of the Katanga region of present-day
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)”.
Recommendations
After all said, Your Right Honarable we would like to recommend the
following:
1)
We call upon the Barotse Royal Establishment and Lozis in general to
honor the Mulambwa/Chiyengele Treaty and give the Mbunda Chiefs in
Western Province the recognition and respect they deserve, if we
have to continue living together as allies in military and political
matters.
2)
Mongu has no Senior Chief. We call upon Barotse Royal Establishment
and the Government to upgrade Chief Chiyengele in Nang’oko as Senior
Chief in accordance with the Mulambwa/Chiyengele Treaty, and correct
his gazette recognition notice with Chief Kandala of Mabumbu as
Mbunda Chiefs and not Lozi Chiefs.
3)
Western Province has only 11 Chiefs including The Litunga. Lewanika
controlled Barotseland using Silalo Indunas because people were less
then, but areas in Western Province have more people now making it
difficult to administer the people adequately. Depending on Silalo
Indunas or Traditional Counselors is no longer feasible due
demotivation of working without a salary, resulting in their people
giving less respect now. Namwala
District has 12 Chiefs in Southern Province, how can the whole
province have only 11 chiefs? One Province has 58 Chiefs, thus 58
vehicles and Salaries bought and paid by the Central Government
respectively. Is this not one development factor lost?
4)
We call upon the Barotse Royal Establishment and the Government to
recognize Chief Muundu, Liumba Palace Kalabo District; Chief Kasimba,
Kalumwange Palace, Kaoma District; Chief Kandombwe, Luvuji Palace,
Lukulu, Chief Kasabi, Lukute Palace, Kaoma and Chief Lindeho,
Chamemba Palace, Kalabo as Mbunda Chiefs. These are not Indunas but
Mbunda Royal Blood Chiefs with flywhisks, who came from Angola as
Mbunda Chiefs.
5)
We call upon the Barotse Royal Establishment to reconstitute the
Barotse National Council to its original form and representative off
all chiefs in Western Province, unlike the way it is now where
Indunas sign submissions to the Government, in direct reference to
the submissions to the national Constitutional Conference dated 25th
August 2009. The highlighted sentiments in this submission clearly
show that Mbunda chiefs were not represented.
Utilizing these chiefs in National Development will result in
development trickling to their subjects who are the grassroots.
6)
We call upon Mbunda Speaking People to stop regarding themselves as
strangers in Western Province due to persistence unfair tribal
treatment from some of their Lozi Speaking brothers. We refuse to be
subjugated by another tribe and we don’t believe in subjugating
anyone despite the weaknesses.
7)
We call for the encouragement of the spirit of brotherhood among the
32 ethnic groups in Western Province. For example by elevating some
Mbunda chiefs to Senior positions and recognizing the Mbunda Chiefs
who have been humiliated to Indunas or Traditional Counselor
positions under other chief, when they are also of the Royal
families. Well qualified Zambians of Western Province among the 32
ethnic groups should be appointed to Senior Government positions
irrespective of their ethnic affiliation. The idea of identifying
everyone in Western Province to be Lozi is very discriminatory.
8)
We should not be made to believe that consultations were done to
Mbundas in general in District meetings, or for example, a Mbunda
from Shangombo, tied from his field, under duress and knowing
nothing about Barotseland Protectorate or indeed Barotseland
Agreement 1964. We believe such consultations should be done with
professional bodies like ours, who have researched these issues very
well and represent all Mbundas. Leave it to us to sensitize our
people as we consult them.
9)
In accordance with the Mulambwa/Chiyengele Treaty, Mbundas should
have their own traditional structure of Chiefs, with a Senior Mbunda
Chief in Zambia, leading the other Mbunda Chiefs in ascribing to the
Mbunda Monarch in Angola, while giving unreserved respect to the
Barotse Monarch. We have no problem in submitting ourselves to His
Majesty, King Litunga of Barotseland.
Conclusion
To conclude Your Right Honorable, when we refer to Barotseland which
was a Barotse Protectorate and Barotseland Agreement 1964, it should
be understood that it is beyond Western Province as may be taken
today. It goes beyond the line of rail, North Western Province and
Copperbelt Province, involving five Provinces of Zambia today. And
so the Barotseland Agreement 1964 should be understood in its right
context.
Yesterday during the first session, you confirmed that the
Barotseland boundary starts from the tip of Bangweulu tip to the
south , in a straight line down to Luangwa river. This now involves
seven Provinces; part of Luapula Province, North Western Province,
Copperbelt Province, Central Province, Lusaka Province, Southern
Province and Western Province. Therefore, there are a lot of
stakeholders who should be involved.
Barotseland Agreement 1964 was not only meant for a few Aluyi
in the plains of Zambezi River and Mongu. We believe the Barotseland
Agreement 1964 is real and a valid legal document. This document
Your Right Honorable, as you know, is a one way root and does not
call for secession. Some arguments advanced are that, marriage is an
agreement and that when there is a seriously breach of such an
agreement, end result is a divorce. Yes, this is so because in the
Bible, the institutor of that marriage Jehovah God, put a condition
of divorce as adultery. Most thought out legal agreements have a way
out clause, but the Barotseland Agreement 1964 has no such a clause
of secession.
Mbundas strongly feel they have no future in a secession, when they
are suppressed now. Already overzealous people have designed
Government structures without consultation with Mbundas as one of
the major stakeholder.
Mbundas have been used to fight wars for the Lozis, but what have we
gotten out of it?
Suppression! Mbundas are therefore saying, this is a “make or
break”, “first and last” meeting. If our concerns are not
considered, then let the Lozis do their own thing, and we will do
our own thing.
Against this backdrop of events, we wish to caution that, let us not
be emotional because this is a very serious issue, the decision we
will make today will affect our lives and the life of our children,
and therefore posterity will charge us harshly. Such issues follow a
sequence of procedural steps.
Of all the resolutions passed at this Council, we only concur with
the one passed by Kaoma District which called for consultations with
international organisations.
Therefore the questions we would like to ask, and which you should
consider in your minds are as follows:
1)
Have we exhausted all steps and declared a dispute with the
Government of Zambia?
2)
Since the Barotse Protectorate covers seven Provinces, have we
consulted all stakeholders like,
i)
His Royal Highness, Senior Chief Mukuni who is seated amongst us
here?
ii)
Have we consulted Senior Chief Ndungu?
iii)
Have we consulted Chief Kasempa and others?
3)
Have you declared a dispute with the Zambian Government to the
United Nations Charter?
4)
Have you appealed to the United States and other International
Organisations for help?
5)
And if not, can we declare independence today?
How Mbundas would have loved me to address this August House in
Mbunda as a local language to be understood without interpretation
in Western Province! But alas I have to speak in Nyanja, Bemba or
Lozi, alas Thoto to be understood.
Your Right Honourable, we close our submission.
Ndandula Libingi
National Chairman Cheke
Cha Mbunda Cultural and Writers Association
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