By E. Munshya wa Munshya
continued from part 1
The sixth reason why Zambians of Congolese origins deny their heritage is purely as a result of prejudice and delusions. Some in Zambia characterize all Congolese as “Kasais”. Just how Bemba speaking or Lunda speaking Congolese came to be understood as Kasais in Zambia should deserve another historical analysis. However, it should be sufficient to note here that while in Zambia, some people mistake all Congolese as Kasais, Kasais in Katanga find it difficult to integrate among the Bemba and other Katangese tribes.
Indeed, some Katangese people regard the Kasais as enemies and vultures. This idea is definitely repugnant. The anti-Kasai sentiments culminated in the 1990s when Katanga governor Kyungu wa Kumwanza, enacted the “Kubatelemusha” doctrine where the Kasais were ordered deported back to Kananga and Mbuji-Mayi. Many Kasai women and children lost their lives during this ethnic cleansing. Wa Kumwanza has to-date not answered for this crime. Some of the Katanga tribes with strong anti-Kasai sentiments are Bemba speaking.
However, while some Bemba-speaking tribes are prejudiced against the Kasais in Katanga, when the same Bemba-speaking Congolese cross the border into Zambia, some Zambians do not differentiate between them and the Kasais. As such, the prejudice against the Kasai has been exported to Zambia, except that in Zambia, every one with sufficient Congolese had been for many years characterised as “Kasai”. It is this anti-Kasai sentiment from Katanga that got fed into Zambia. This characteristically led to Bemba speaking Zambians of Congolese origin to deny any Congolese heritage so that they are not characterized as “Kasai.”
Let me digress here to address the issue of anti-Kasai sentiments in Katanga. Obviously, the Kasai people have strong ethnic patriotism. Even in Katanga they still look to their Kasai regions with nostalgia. Of all the tribes in Congo, the Luba-Kasai are the most travelled both within and outside the Congo. The Ba Yuda du Congo singing group paints the Kasai region as “the blessed land subdued with good rain.” The singing group also casts, in the Luba (Kasai) language, the Luba-Kasai as the “bantu ba bulayo”. Which means a people of promise. The extent to which this patriotism leads to anti-Kasai sentiments in Katanga deserves another analysis. However, it is interesting to note that in spite of the Congo’s instability, no Luba-Kasai has taken to arms to rebel against the government in Kinshasa. As such, the peaceful nature of the Kasai shouldn’t be doubted. Interestingly, of all the Congo’s warlords none is a Kasai. In fact, even when they had the numbers and the infrastructure to lead a successful rebellion in Kinshasa, no Luba-Kasai has ever exploited this channel. In the recent elections, the Kasai Ettiene Tshisekedi lost an unfair election to Joseph Kabila, and yet Tshisekedi never agitated for war or violence against Kabila.
The challenge therefore for the Bemba speaking Congolese is to begin changing their attitudes towards their Kasai counterparts. As these attitudes in Katanga change for the better, this will get fed into Zambia as well. The people of Katanga shouldn’t give into the Wa Kumwanza ideology, not now and not ever.
Back to Kaunda’s attitudes towards the Congo, by the time he had realised that he was too ruthless against the Congo it was too late. Zambians had lost faith in him. But in spite of the general negative against the Kasai, Zambians loved the music done by one of the Kasai’s most famous sons – Luambo Makiadi (aka Franco). It was in the waning years of his rule that Kaunda invited Luambo Makiadi to come and visit Zambia so that KK can benefit from Franco’s popularity. For his part, Luambo Makiadi did not disappoint. His dancing queens and princes penned a song for Kaunda in Swahili, asking Zambians to vote for KK. Franco sung, “President Kaunda, papa wa oliya” – the father of peace.
After Kaunda left the presidency, President Frederick Chiluba succeeded him. Chiluba’s sufficient Congolese connections are obvious as testified to by a Mr. Kafupi (and by Mr. William Takere Banda. Mr. Kafupi claimed to have been Chiluba’s father and his resemblance with Chiluba was unusually striking. With this heritage, one would have expected a change in attitude towards the Congo. But Chiluba, in spite of his clear Congolese connections, refused to normalise relations with the Congo. It was still a toxic heritage.
Psychologically then, Chiluba had internalised Kaunda’s aversion for the Congo such that he too started acting like Kaunda. First, Chiluba refused to admit to have ever been to the Congo. Second, he even rejected a Mr. Chabala Kafupi a Zambian of Congolese heritage who claimed to have been his father. Third, in spite of his village being just a few hundred meters from the Luapula River and consequently from the Congolese border, Chiluba refused to have ever seen or grown up in the Congo. Fourthly, Chiluba cleared the few Zambians of Congolese heritage still serving in Kaunda’s government.
Chiluba, however, softened later in his presidency towards the Congo. Moreover, the fact that he openly embraced current Katanga governor Moise Katumbi and granted him both asylum and a Zambian diplomatic passport goes to show that Chiluba was tired of hiding his Congolese heritage. The choice of Mwanawasa could have also played in this redeemed attitude. Chiluba as president had information about the full heritage of candidate Mwanawasa. He chose to go with it because Congolese heritage should not be despised any more.
In the age of T.P. Mazembe Football Club and in the days of open business between Lubumbashi and Lusaka, attitudes towards the Congo are changing. Zambians of Congolese origin, who had been living in shadows and fear, have started to openly embrace their heritage. Indeed this is good for Zambia and for the identity of perhaps a million of her citizens. It shouldn’t hurt to be a Zambian of Congolese heritage. It has definitely stopped to hurt for a Zambian citizen to openly embrace those family members separated from her simply because King Leopold and Queen Victoria had so decided. Zambians can do nothing about the past, but for the future they are hurriedly affirming: toxic no more.
Dedication: To the late Mama Miriam Mokola and other mothers like her.
All bembas are kasais and weve had enough of their theft and corruption,we need no more kasais we are already experiencing hell since a mwachusa formed a pact with them to run our govt.
Amazing how thick some heads can be, someone has offered a free explaination of a peoples’ roots, BUT ALAS THIS BRICK-WALLED HEAD still insists on Bembas & Kasais being one!!
What is this article talking about and what is its itention? I am lost.
One can suppose that there will be a conclusion to which the able writer is driving.
And by the way, name calling is no good. We all belong to some kind of tribe, and it certainly would be hurtful to us if others demeaned our tribe or origin of our people. Therefore, let us respect each other’s tribes and celebrate our diversity.
I am surprised that some on the people who make such offensive remarks are themselves living in foreign countries across the global. Could it be that they are being segregated where they live and are taking it out on Zambians who are not their tribe?
This tribe thing must stop!
Munshya wa Munshya is speaking for his relatives. Feel free Mr Munshya no one will come after you. Besides you now have a Bemba govt of your own.
Excellent article.I hope we all change how we treat others.
One Zambia, Nine provinces.
One zambia Ten provinces
OMG I never knew most of these things. You’ve got to love history really. WOW!
Good and informative article. As usual some bloggers are good at criticising when they have no capacity to do this kind of work.
I love congolese history and have always wondered why we have same names with them. This is an eye opener. I think it is time we started redefining our school curricula. We should start to learn more about Congo besides the Great Zulu wars of SOuth Africa. It is high time we revisted some of these issues and throw away or colonial shackles that continue to bias our perceptions.
Viva Mushya wa Mushya for the research and hard work to put these ideas together.
Nice article, but you are wrong on Luambo Makiadi’s (Franco) origins. Kasais come from the two provinces of Kasai Oriantale and Kasai Oxidantale. Franco came from Matadi in Bas-Congo, and therefore his native language (Tribe?) was Kikongo and not Kikasai.
“Oriental” (i.e. East) & “Occidental”( West)
Actually I am from Bas Congo DRC, I just wanna notice that LUAMBO’s father is Kasai origin TETELA but his mom is a Ne KONGO from Kisantu Ndibu tribe,….
Great article!
Kuti wabutuka
My deep roots are somewhere along the lualaba river, the source of the Great Congo River ! We stretch from Luapula, Copperbelt, Central, Northwestern and slightly in the Western provinces of Zambia. I hope katanga will be part of Zambia one day,! Ni ba bululu besu ! The widely used currency is the Zambian kwacha and most of them have green regies. Katanganese view Lusaka as their capital city and not kinshasa, Zambia has benefitted more from katanga than barotseland! This is undeniable and painfully true!
Great stuff.Growing up in the 80s in the copperbelt all we knew where congolese were crooks.When I grew up fell in love and married someone of congolese origin.Its interesting how my spouse’s family suffered in Zambia in the 80’s just because they were originally from congo despite the fact that the parents came in the 1950’s.Why do we owner Queen Victoria’s boundaries so much.Now living in south Africa whenever I meet someone from Congo,Malawi,Zimbabwe,Nigeria….there is this oneness and instant bond.
The article lacks substance.Bemba are Lubas from Kola led by Nkole and Chiti.Lubas are a minority tribe in D.R,Congo.People like Mzee Joseph Kabila and Tshala Mwana are Lubas.
Well you are free to air your views but,try to tell the truth,all bembas are from KOLA near Angola and, like some one has already stated,led by NKOLE and,CHITI.Having said that,i am one of those Africans who don’t believe in all this bullshit of the colonial boundaries.We are Africans and that is what matters.
Misinformation crap! what can you say about other tribes like Lundas- the Luapula Lunda and North- western Lunda’s, Lambas and other tribes which migrated from the Lunda-Luba kingdom? You cannot blame Zambian presidents for internal conflicts in Congo, they had a brutal dictator who is not even mentioned in the article. It is articles like this which leads to Xenophobia, write history with facts not some concocted tales which have no truth. We cannot blame Shaka if the Ngonis or Nsenga’s have problems here in Zambia or Kamuzu Banda, it does not sense.
I agree with you to some extent. There are also serious facts that have not been mentioned. In other aspects, I don’t
Kaunda hated all Bembas found anywhere and everywhere.
You have mentioned everything “bad” about Kaunda but mentioned nothing about Mobutu Tsetseseko (how ever you spell that) Mr Munshya what are your intentions? Is this your way of coming out that you are not a pure Zambian and want to be accepted in the Zambian society? Dont worry we are all Africans a white man is the one that divided us by imaginary lines called borders. Kaunda had issues with Zaire because of that dictator you have not mentioned in your article not because of “tribe”. And you are so convinced that Mwanawasa was from Congo i hope you can prove your claims in a court of law.
You spent so much time writing an article that hardly makes sense.
Whether filled with lies or not, coupled with either intentional or unintentional omitting of other important facts such as the malevolent behaviour of the dictator mobutu tsetseseko as being the major reason which forced most congolese tribes to flee into zambia, it’s interesting to read and one can learn one or two things from this article if one allows hisself to be open minded. You should however have done a bit more research and should have gone a bit further backwards to the Kola days of Nkole and Chiti, because it would have helped you clear up some of the hiccups you erroneously mentioned as facts. Good article though.
Can’t wait though for an version about other tribes such as the tongas, lozis, etc because it would actually help us to curb these uncalled for differences very few and very selfish individuals have concocted on behalf of entire tribes.
TO SAY THE LEAST THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL ARTICLE. THE ONLY DEFICIENCY IS THE WRITER’S LACK OF IN DEPTH RESEARCH TO GIVE A FULL LENGTH ACCOUNT OF THE ISSUE- IT LEAVES MUCH TO YEN FOR. PLEASE, MR WRITER CAN YOU RESEARCH MORE ON THE SAME ISSUE. ARTICLES SUCH AS THIS MAY SOLVE A LOT OF MISTRIES PEOPLE FACE. CONGRATULATIONS MR E. Munshya wa Munshya.
the writer has just mananged to confuse us with this unwell researched material. what point are you trying to put across for us to learn. introduction, body and conclusion not captivating. Look at the conclusion for example, you introduce about TP Mazembe which you never mentioned in your writing. What type of essay writing is this? this is problem with you bembas with congolese origin.
This is what happens when bush mouse Munshya goes to town; he thinks he understands townfolk.
What is the point of this? This disjointed gibberish is an exercise in futility.
What is the point of this article? This disjointed gibberish is an exercise in futility.
I belong to the clan that descended from the Kola kingdom. I am not bemba but we share several names! The Kola kingdom was so vast and is not just for Bembas. Mukulumpe means the elder in kaonde but married a bemba woman. I have read my history and I know that we left relatives in Luapula, Northern, Copperbelt, Northwestern, Western and Central provices. We are all one people! The official language of the source of the Congo river is KAONDE!
Interesting. Did not know that Mwanawasa had some congolese connection.
Zambian phobia at its best l recall living in CB and those who were transferred from Lusaka to CB and only spoke Nyanja and not Bemba we called them ‘Ama Nyasaland’. Bembas are a minority in Congo but majority in Zambia. An abused/ maginalised tribe in Congo thru ethnophobia, Bembas soon found themselves a majority tribe in Zambia and became abusers themselves calling all suspected foreigners ‘Sene sene’ ‘Zezulu’, ‘Mwachusa’, ‘Kasai’, ‘Nyasaland’ ,etc even moslems became ‘Ba mohammed’ largely meanin some1 of Arabic origin
Who gives a damn, to me they are all tailed lower life forms of the Ituri forest, they are all Kasais.
Over 60% of Zambians are of Congolese heritage. Kaunda did not like that and wanted to promote his Malawian heritage. What is happening now is the realization of Zambia’s roots.
Point Blank Period…
inee ndimubemba waku congo, so congo aleteka zambia. kikikikikikikikikikikikiki
:-@:-@:-@:-@:-@|-)|-)|-)|-)
booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooring wasted 2mintues of my life trying to make sense whilst there is no sense in this stuipid article
I must say I am deeply illuminated with article, this kind of madness has to stop were by we look at each other differently because of boarder lines; We are all one people, each and every Tribe of Zambia did not originate from Zambia it migrated from some were. Per say the Chewa, Tumbuka, Nsenga, etc Tribes & Clans from Eastern Province can also be found in Malawi, Mozambique & Tanzania. The Lozi from Western Provine can also be found in Angola, Namibia & Zimbabwe. The Tabwa(Lungu or Rungu) of Luapula Province can also be found in D.R Congo & Tanzania. The Lamba from Copperbelt can also be found in D.R Congo. The Kaonde from North Western Province are also found in D.R Congo. The Tonga from Southern Province also found in Zimbabwe… And I am PROUD of my Heritage and I don’t see anyone…