By Mungandi wa Muwina Mungandi
The Rodger M. A. Chongwe Commission of Inquiry into the Barotseland Agreement 1964/ Mongu fracas of 14th January 2011 wound up sittings for public submission on 22nd November, 2011. The commissioners have gathered a wealth of information from the people of Barotseland and Zambia on the subject matter and are well equipped to come up with very sound recommendations. The people of Barotseland, Zambia, Africa and the world at large eagerly await the final report.
Having sat through not just one of these sessions but several and having followed keenly each of the sessions as the Commission of Inquiry went round, I am well aware that there was quite an array of submissions from the former detainees and activists, ordinary people and high profile personalities, chiefs and BRE representatives, Church bodies and civil society organizations and indeed many more! Clearly some of the submissions are just good enough for the trash-can but by far most of the submissions were really master pieces and will contribute to a rich reservoir of Information on the Barotseland question and on what really happened before, during and after the January 14 disturbances in Mongu and Limulunga Royal Village.
One off-key feature of the submissions deserves comment and proper analysis. I refer to submissions made by a clique of Nkoyas coming under the umbrella of the so called Nkoya Royal Council, what I call the Nkoya Mixup. I want to emphasize that this is just a clique because not all Nkoyas and all people with Nkoya blood flowing in their veins like myself subscribe to the warped reasoning and distorted view points presented by this clique. The major thrust of the presentations made by this clique include the notion that Nkoyas are not part of the Barotse Commonwealth, the Barotseland Agreement 1964 was a greedy document meant to benefit only a single tribe called Lozi and the fact that Nkoyas deserve to have a province of their own covering Mumbwa, Itezhi-tezhi, Kaoma Lukulu and Kasempa.
Clearly what these submissions have done more than anything else is to expose the glaring ignorance of this clique of Nkoyas who seem to be hell bent on trying to rewrite history to suit their imagination and fantasies. Contrary to the notions of this Nkoya Clique which unfortunately have received more publicity and media attention than other Nkoyas, chiefs and commoners alike who are more level headed, please take note of the following points:
I) The Nkoyas are part of the 30 plus, tribal groupings that make up the Lozi commonwealth, the Barotse Nation who in the wisdom of our forefathers decided to unite themselves under the rulership of one dynasty. This unity was consolidated by one, Lubosi wa Nyambe nicknamed ‘Mawaniketwa, Lewanika lya mafuci’ (mbunda for one who unites nations) popularly know as King Lewanika the Great. Let me quote one learned Mbowe, Mbunda, Nkoya man (simply put, Lozi) in the name of Professor Sitwala Namwinji Imenda. In a letter to the Post Newspaper dated Tuesday, September 21, 2010 the Prof had this to say:
“For those that may not know, Silozi is the national language of Barotseland. Malozi are not of one tribe. Malozi are the people of Barotseland – constituted by 37 tribes ( amongst whom are Ma Mbowe, Ma Kwandi, Ma Kwangwa, Ma Subiya, Ma Kwamakoma, Ma Kwamwenyi, Manyengo, Mambukushu, Mayeyi, Mankoya, Maluvale, Mambunda, Machokwe, Maluchazi, Malunda, etc.). Silozi, as a language, together with other national symbols like the Barotseland national anthem, the Barotseland national flag, and others symbolized the sovereignty and autonomy of Barotseland.”
II) In 1905 under King Lewanika, Barotseland was subdivided into lilalos (Areas) and each Silalo was placed under a chief. A number of lilalo make up a Sikiliti (District) placed under a Resident Prince referred to today as Senior Chief. Kaoma District formerly Mankoya has thirteen (13) lilalo of which only two seem to be under the intoxication of the Nkoya Royal Council rebelling against the Resident Prince Senior chief Amukena II and demanding that Kaoma should be divided between the two of them so that they are elevated to the position of Senior Chiefs. The remaining eleven (11) chiefs some of whom are also Nkoyas are in total harmony with the Resident Prince and accept the historical fact that they are part and parcel of the Lozi Empire under the Litunga.
Two of these, Chief Libinga who described himself as a Subiya-Nkoya and as more than three-quarters Nkoya and Chief Mwanatete who described himself as much Nkoya as anyone else can be, made submissions to the Chongwe Commissions sitting in Kaoma. The submissions of these two chiefs cleared the notion that the Nkoyas as a whole are opposed to the authority of the Litunga and consequently against the Barotseland Agreement 1964. They both stated that there has and is only one Royal Establishment in Barotseland, the Barotse Royal Establishment and that the so called Nkoya Royal Establishment and its twin sister the Nkoya Royal Council are new creations aimed at promoting the divide and rule policy first muted by President Kaunda’s UNIP and polished by Chiluba’s MMD government.
III) Nkoyas were as much part of the Barotseland Agreement 1964 as any other ethnic grouping in Barotseland. Mr. Weddington Mucala Situtu, an elected member of the Barotse National Council (1963-65) in his submission before the Chongwe Commission sitting in Kaoma pointed out that the Barotseland Agreement 1964 was a collective effort of all the people of Barotseland, Nkoyas included and actually pointed out the names of the Nkoyas who participated in the final council meeting that authorized Litunga Mwanawina Lewanika III (who was himself Lewanika’s Nkoya Son) and his entourage to travel to London and sign the Barotseland Agreement 1964. I quote from Mr. Situtu’s written submission:
“In that council we had all the ethnic groupings of Barotseland represented. It included two Mbundas Mr. Kalyangu and Mr. Meshach Muti, one Luchazi a Mr Kapatiso and two Nkoyas Mr. Simon Urgent Liyoka and Mr Kashiwa Mutaima as elected councilors from the then Mankoya District. Mwene Mutondo and Mwene Kahare, were represented by their Ngambelas, Mwanashihemi Ngwelela and Mwanashihemi Muleka respectively. They were part and parcel of the Barotseland Agreement 1964. It is unfortunate for one ethnic group to disassociate itself from an Agreement which their fathers were a part to.”
Clearly the Nkoyas were part of the whole process unless they want to tell us that they regret being part to it and want to back out now so that they can consolidate the Nkoya Royal Establishment and probably end up signing the Nkoyaland Agreement 2011! In any case like Dr Chongwe noted at the commission’s sitting in Kaoma, the Nkoya Mixup is an issue that can be amicably resolve if the parties are willing to dialogue, make compromises and reach a consensus.
