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Isama lya Moomba traditional ceremony of Tonga speaking people to be held on June 15

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Former First lady Dr Maureen Mwanawasa (seated right) and veteran politician Vernon Mwaanga( seated left) follow proceedings yesterday at the inaugural Samu Lya Moomba Lwiindi Traditional Ceremony of the Tonga speaking people of Choongo chiefdom.
FILE: Former First lady Dr Maureen Mwanawasa (seated right) and veteran politician Vernon Mwaanga( seated left) follow proceedings yesterday at the inaugural Samu Lya Moomba Lwiindi Traditional Ceremony of the Tonga speaking people of Choongo chiefdom.

The Isama Lya Moomba Traditional ceremony of the Tonga speaking people of Chieftainess Choongo will be held from June 15 to June 17, 2018.

Organising committee chairperson Tyson Haamamba said this in an interview with ZANIS in Monze district.

Mr. Haamamba said preparations for the third traditional ceremony has reached an advanced stage and all necessary logistics were in place.

He said the committee has officially invited all the traditional chiefs in Southern Province adding that more than 300 guests are expected at the event.

Mr. Haamamba called all Zambians and foreign tourists to the ceremony and learn about the rich Tonga tradition.

“I wish to confirm that the Isamu Lya Moomba tradItional Ceremony will take place from 15th to 17 June 2018 and so far I can say that preparations for the ceremony have reached an advanced stage,” said Mr. Haamamba.

He said Provincial Minister Edify Hamukale is likely to be the guest of honor.

And Mr. Haamamba says no political regalia will be allowed at the traditional ceremony and advised all visitors to respect the ceremony which is also a unifying factor in the country.

He said the event was for everyone to enjoy and learn to appreciate the rich Tonga Heritage and not to be used as a political platform.

“We don’t expect anyone regardless of their political affiliation to come in their political regalia because this traditional ceremony is for everyone to enjoy and learn more about the rich Tonga Heritage and not to be used a political platform,” said Mr. Haamamba.

The Isamu Lya Moomba traditional ceremony of the Tonga Speaking people of Chieftainess Choongo started in 2016 to pay homage to former freedom fighters and most importantly give thanks to ancestors for the good harvest.

16 COMMENTS

  1. Davis Chama was right:
    Tongas will one day lead this country. But this will be 100 years from now . The Central statistics office shows that for the Tongas to have enough numbers to provide a president , each man will have to marry three wives and have 8 Children in each one of them. This population will have to grow to a voting age of 18. If they reduce the voting age to 16, then Tongas will have a president in 2066.

  2. ‘The Isamu Lya Moomba traditional ceremony of the Tonga Speaking people of Chieftainess Choongo started in 2016 to pay homage to former freedom fighters and most importantly give thanks to ancestors for the good harvest’.
    And also, more importantly, to pay homage to h.h. The other two reasons are actually not important, remember that last year the ceremony was cancelled because h.h was away in Mukobeko so what former freedom fighters and ancestors and harvest are you talking about?
    And upnd regalia or not, its a upnd event to showcase h.h isn’t? Just say ‘yes you have seen through us’.

    By the way are nsenga chiefs invited after the insulting disrespect accorded to them by chieftainness mukuni at his press briefing in Lusaka recently?

  3. Oh, they have just confirmed the high table. Guest of honour Charmaine, Patron h.h., etc.

    Remember this ceremony is about national unity across tribes.

  4. Without prejudice, the UPND has made other tribes look at Tongas differently. I doubt if any Tonga traditional ceremony will be well attended by people from other regions, except those that support Hichilema. Even Tongas who support other parties are not safe, they can’t express themselves freely, not even their tribal cousins can dare say anything against Hichilema. So I can only wish them well, the injury caused by UPND will take generations to heal, perhaps not

  5. For those of you who don’t know, “Isama Lya Moomba” means Osamwa Moba, In other words stop drinking beer. It’s a good effort by the Tonga to stop drinking beer.

  6. #5 You mean they drink too much? But this ceremony, like other similar ones, are not exactly puritan, beer drinking is one of the major highlights, apart from the appearance of the reverred demi god himself to wild cheers.

  7. Another highlight is the dancing with spears, which upnd cadres have misinterpreted to mean violence.

    Spaka lilo, please arrange a seat for me at the high table, and a bullet proof vest, if it is effective against spears.

  8. The most hardworking pipo of zambia, unlike other who are raised on thieving, starting from mother’s breast one is a thie

    • Mukuma you are very right. But you know what an old adage says ‘riches is found with fools’. You people will die with inferiority complex. Definitely, bembas are sharper whether thieving not they are just sharp. In-fact, I wonder why even tonga women go for you in this modern world. Mark my words well educated tonga women do not even make that mistake because quality badala palibe. Read the book by Chibamba Kanyama and accept life to balance it. Umungulu, no wonder crying babies bandibida. Rubish

  9. A lot of ignorance shows clearly from a number of postings above – typical of most young Zambians nowadays. Isamu lya Moomba (“the Moomba tree”) is a place the first crucial meeting for organized freedom fight against colonialism was held. From that meeting emissaries were sent to Barotseland and other parts of the country to create linkages with others for a united fight. Selfless people from that area contributed whatever they could and formed the first liberation fund. Read Chisembele’s book & learn something.

  10. I remember how Saturday used to be on the copperbelt. All tribes with their traditional dances would entertain from morning to dusk. Mention it, it was there Akalela, Gulewamugulu, Chikudenya, Vinyau, Mbeni. Take your pick. No wonder there was less and decent beer drinking.

  11. And Maureen and VJ were there! HH was not there because he knew the presidential motorcade was not going to be there and he would not draw any attention? Childish!

  12. LT! “FILE,” then you say yesterday! Are these journalists attending the schools which are being closed down or not?

  13. This is purely a political gathering for tongas, the correct meaning of the words is isamu is a tree, moomba is a bird ,this bird used to lay eggs in tree and this is a were Tonga political leaders used to meet for political meetings.
    What I don’t know is how political meetings can become a traditional ceremony, to me this is purely a gathering of the political leaders and the tribe to remember their tribal heroes and is meant to tell the young generation how it’s them who are supposed to led this country for is the reason why the upnd was formed.

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