By JULIUS PHIRI and ABIGAIL KASHWEKA –
The catchy word in Chipata District is ‘Nc’wala’, a traditional ceremony of the Ngoni-speaking people that is scheduled to take place at Mtenguleni Village.
The 2018 Ncwala ceremony is billed for Saturday, February 24, 2018.
This year’s ceremony will mark the 37th edition of the annual showpiece after it was revived in 1980 by then Paramount Chief Mpezeni III, Pontino Jere.
The ceremony had been banned by the former British colonial government in 1935 for being perceived as a barbaric cultural ritual.
The ancient Nc’wala traditional ceremony signifies the union of the Ngoni people of Eastern Zambia and part of Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania as they prove their uniqueness.
The ceremony is celebrated to thank God for the good harvest in Ngoniland.
It also celebrates the many battles the Ngonis, who are also known as Ngunis in Zulu, fought and triumphed over as they moved from South Africa.
Come Saturday, all roads will lead to Kampala Village of Mtenguleni area, situated about 35 kilometers away from the border town of Chipata.
Every last Saturday of February, the Ngoni people of Zambia who trace their origins from Kwazulu Natal in the rainbow country of South Africa trek to Mtenguleni main arena to pay homage to Paramount Chief Mpezeni IV also referred to as Nkhosi Ya Makhosi, Ndabazithe, Thuto and Ngwenyama.
The Ngoni people of Zambia migrated from South Africa as they feared the strong fist of the ancient war hero -Shaka Zulu.
On their way in search of arable land, they engaged in fierce battles with the many tribes they found.
It was for this reason that during the ceremony, all Ngoni chiefs wear war regalia.
Clad in animal skins and clutching spears and knobkerries, the fearless Ngoni warriors or Impis show off their war preparedness through the famous Ingoma dance.
The Ngoni Impis stomp the ground with bare feet while the women, most of whom are topless, clap their hands in a rhythmic unison.
The clapping of the hands creates an indigenous African rhythm that is said to evoke the spirits of the ancient Ngoni warriors.
It is said that around 1817, the Mthethwa alliance, which included the Zulu clan, came into conflict with the Ndwandwe alliance.
One of the military commanders of the Ndwandwe army was Zwangendaba Kahlatshwayo who reigned from 1780 to 1848 as the head of the Jere or Gumbi clan which itself formed part of the larger Emancwangeni alliance in what is now north-east KwaZulu-Natal.
In 1819, the Ndwandwe alliance was defeated by Shaka, popularly known as Shaka Zulu, at a battle on the Umhlatuze River near Nkandla.
Many of the Ndwandwes fled and over a period of about 20 years, Zwagendaba led a small group of his followers north through Zimbabwe to the region around the Viphya plateau between what is now called Lundazi District in Zambia and Mzimba and Karonga districts in Malawi, and Matema District in Tanzania.
In this region, the Ngonis established a state using Zulu warfare techniques of conquering and integrating with local peoples.
While the Ngoni have largely retained a distinct identity in the post-colonial states in which they live, integration and acculturation has led to them adopting local languages.
In present time, Zulu is used only for a few ritual praise poems.
Following Zwangendaba’s death in 1848, succession disputes split the Ngoni people further into five groups, some of whom moved to new territories.
Chief Madzimawe who is regarded as Gogo meaning a grandfather said Ngonis who settled in the Eastern Province came from Durban in the Natal Province.
He explains that from the Republic of South Africa, the Ngonis entered the country from Zimbabwe where Mzilikazi and his people the Ndebele remained.
The Ngoni are said to have crossed the Zambezi River near Zumbo where they experienced the eclipse of the sun in 1835 which up to date has remained a historical significant event to all the Ngonis.
The Ngoni warriors who wore animal skins usually leopard skins, wielding spears, club and shields passed through Mozambique and entered Zambia through Petauke District.
They went through the Luangwa valley and entered the Bisa-Lala land and the Ngoni reached Tanzania where Zwangendaba died near Lake Tanganyika (Songeya).
The sons scattered, Mtaiven went to Kenya, Zulu-Gama remained in Tanzania, M’Mbelwa went to Malawi and Mpezeni went and conquered the Bemba land.
The Bemba people gave Paramount Chief Mpezeni a wife in whom Chief Mwamba was born creating the birth of an ancient cousinship between the people of Eastern Province and the Bembas, which is being cherished to date.
It is believed that later on, Paramount Chief Mpezeni (Nsingo) moved up to Chipata where he exhibited his warrior skills when he fought bravely against the whites.
British colonial government soldiers who were led to him by a fellow Ngoni warrior only known as Chapalapata killed Nsingo.
Due to the expansion of the Ngoni kingdom in Zambia by conquering other tribes, the British colonial government had no option but to ban all Ngoni traditional ceremonies in the country until in 1980 when the ceremony was revived again.
British colonial rulers feared active political resistance from the fierce Ngoni warriors and almost managed to consign the Nc’wala to obscurity.
It is believed that the British colonial government did not understand the characteristic Ngoni stomping of feet and brandishing of their clubs which accompanied all songs sung at ceremonies.
Today, there are a total of 11 Ngoni chiefs in Zambia under Paramount Chief Ngwenyama Inkhosi Yamakosi Mpezeni IV who is settled in Luangeni at his Emphendukeni palace in Chipata, not far from the Zambia-Malawi Mwami border.
The warriors have always been associated with cattle and they have always kept kraals known as Chibaya among them, a symbol of prestige.
All the Ngoni chiefs command kraals and all the installations of Ngoni chiefs take place in a kraal.
Each chief has to come from a Kraal and any Ngoni chief should be identified or associated with a kraal from where he hails no wonder
all the Ngoni chiefs in Zambia have traditional kraal names given to their palaces.
Senior Chief Nzamane comes from the Mfumbeni Kraal.
Chief Madzimawe who is usually in Ngoni traditional gear regarded as Gogo Mazimaweâ meaning grandfather comes from the Mtenguleni kraal, which happens to be the venue of the Nc’wala ceremony.
Chief Mishoro is from the Dingeni kraal.
Others are Chief Mnukwa who comes from the Chikenkhe kraal and Chief Kapatamoyo who hails from Thondweni kraal while Chief Maguya is from the Ngiyelo kraal.
The rest of the Ngoni chiefs include Chiefs Saili from Chiphinga kraal, Chief Mshawa of the Khutchweni kraal and Chief Chinyaku from the Ndina kraal.
In Malawi, a total of eight Ngoni Chiefs reign under Paramount Chief Inkosi yama Khosi Mberwa. These include senior chiefs Mzikuola, Maulawo, Mzukuzuku and Mtwalo while others are Chief Mphelembe, Chindi Mulonyeni and Zulu.
The ancient Nc’wala traditional ceremony signifies the union of the Ngoni people of eastern Zambia and part of Malawi and Tanzania as they prove their unique cultural identity and image as a warring tribe that conquered and defeated many tribes as they searched for better lands.
The ceremony is a rare occasion when the Ngoni tribesmen rejoice and dance freely with their paramount chief in the arena.
Three days before Nc’wala (Wednesday) all impis gather at Mtenguleni village to welcome invited guests.
The following day paramount Chief Mpezeni shifts from his Emphendukeni palace to Kampala village where he is kept in a seclusion place called Laweni.
On the eve of the ceremony, the number of Impis grow together with the number of guests and tourists while entertainment continues until dawn.
This year’s Nc’wala is being celebrated under the theme Ubuntu, a Bantu term meaning humanity.
The K380,000 worth 2018 Nc’wala is expected to draw many people considering that invitations have also been extended to Ngonis in Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.
People attending the ceremony this Saturday have another thing to look out for as Chipata is now home to a museum.
The  museum has been established in memory of the late Ngoni prince and freedom fighter Nsingo Jere, who happened to be the son of paramount chief Mpezeni The First.
Situated in Feni, the heritage site aims at providing the public with information on the renowned Prince and freedom fighter Nsingo Jere as well as the way of life of the Ngoni people.
Stakeholders have put in their best to ensure the highly anticipated for ceremony is a success.
Nc’wala Committee Secretary General Adamson Sakala has stated that the committee and other stakeholders have attached great importance towards hygiene and sanitation to ensure people’s safety during the celebrations.