By Wesley Ngwenya
This is a subject that continues to make headlines in Zambia especially with our politicians. I am not going to focus on what the politicians are saying or not saying. But let me talk about my experiences interacting with Zambians of various backgrounds, here in Zambia, what they are saying about the Tongas. For some reasons when we talk about tribalism, in Zambia, the Tonga word is almost always in the same sentence. Should it really be like that? Here are the experiences;
No.1
I shared a house in Kabwata area with a single mother of five children. She was a marketeer at Soweto Market. Her ethnicity is Mambwe. During my year or so in that house I heard her make so many outrageous statements about the Tongas. One day, after she stated that Tongas were very selfish people and that is why she cannot vote for a Tonga person, I asked her to name five Tonga people that she knew who were selfish. She was taken unawares, so I helped her. “Can you think of a Tonga person who was your neighbour, workmate, in-law, friend, etc who you knew personally and was selfish?”, I asked. She could not think of any even after giving her several minutes. She later admitted that it was what people were saying. She grew up being told that. Imagine what her children were learning from her. Which brings me to my next experience.
No. 2
This took place when I was playing a basketball game with some guys in the neighborhood. During my break I was on the sideline with a group of 7 to 10 year olds who were watching the game. One boy remarked, “mwamu wona uja atamanga monga chi mutonga”.
In another incident, a group of 7 or 8 year old girls were walking just ahead of me when one girl said, “mutonga a vuta, sini ga kwatiliwe ku mutonga ine.”
No. 3
I was on a minibus headed into town. The bus stopped at a station where the conductor was waiting on some passengers who were not in a hurry to get on the bus. One of the two guys who were seated behind me in the backseat who were drinking chibuku remarked, “so fi tonga”. As if by reflex, I turned around and gave that guy a few blows.
No. 4
On a bus to Livingstone there was a fairly large woman seated a few seats in front of me but on the other side of the isle. I don’t know if she was looking for attention or what but she made several tribal remarks against the Tongas in Chibemba. Somewhere after Monze she was saying things like, “ba tonga oko be kala so kumushi” then later she said something about “ba tonga kushishita.” No one said a word on the bus. I certainly was not in the mood. Can you imagine what would happen to a Tonga making these remarks on a bus to Kashikishi?
These are only titbits of many stories that people on the ground are saying or not saying. It certainly is heartbreaking when you hear a seven year old making such tribal remarks. What does a seven year old know about Tongas? Tribalism in Zambia is deep rooted in our families. We entertain it and love to insult other ethnic groups. In my experience Tongas have been the victims of tribalism. I am yet to find a Tonga who says all these things about whoever. If they do maybe they do so in the confinements of their homes.
What really shocks me about these things is how people can have the courage to make such statements and get away with. Even more shocking is the silence. A person will insult Tongas or Lozis and yet no one stands up to reprimand such a person for the tribal remarks. Why? It is because it has become part of our culture to scorn the Tongas? How about if it were the Tongas who were making all these outrageous statements about other tribes? Will these statements be received with the same silence?
One does not have to be Tonga to respond to this. One just needs to be Zambian. Like I told the people on that bus after hitting that young man. Some started saying so “you are Tonga?” Well, you don’t need to be Tonga to be angry at such hatred against the Tongas. The issue of ethnicity in Zambia is still very rooted in our society. People are still judged by the language they speak or where they come from. We are still long ways to fighting tribalism in this country. We need a cultural revolution for many people to realize that we are all the same despite our various backgrounds. By the way, why don’t Tongas never speak out for themselves? Where are you hiding?
