THE Nkoya people of Western Province have urged President Sata to officially recognise their chiefs in Kabompo, North- Western Province, and Lukulu and Kaoma districts in Western Province.
Kazanga Kabombo Cultural Association chairman Shiyama Kutoha said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday the government should elevate chiefs Mutondo and Kahare to the status of senior chiefs as there are no family connections between them and the lozi chiefs.
Mr Kutoha said it is important for government to end the domination of the Nkoyas and their chiefs by the Barotse Royal Esteblishment, which was instituted by colonial masters, because it has been a source of conflict between the two ethnic grougs.
“ In order to liberate the Nkoya ethnic group from Lozi hegemony, a separate province should be created covering present Itezhi-tezhi, Kaoma and Lukulu districts. This will guarantee Nkoyas basic rights and freedom of association and speech,” Mr Kutoha said.
He said in 1936, Naliele Native Treasury was established in Mankoya district (now Kaoma) and a Lozi appointed to head it.
Mr Kutoha said this measure greatly eroded the traditional authority of the Nkoya chiefs Mutondo and Kahare in the district. He said their plea as Nkoyas to the government is to free them from Lozi supremacy.
Mr Kutoha said Nkoya-speaking people in Kaoma and Lukulu are being forced to speak an alien language, Silozi, instead of their mother tongue, Shinkoya, when accessing public facilities and services such as health.
He said it is for this reason the traditional governance system being propagated by the BRE and his council in Western Province is colonial in character and does not promote the ethos and principle of equality and self-determination of all ethnic groupings in the province.
Mr Kutoha said this also places the Nkoya under the Litunga and his council when they are not his subjects.
He said in view of this, the Nkoya people are appealing to Government to immediately take the recognition of the named chiefs seriously.
And Mr Kutoha urged government to create another district called Dongwe as claims of tribal superiority by the Litunga and his council over the Nkoya ethnic group are baseless and imaginary, hence the need to directly recognise Nkoya chiefs.
The Roger Chongwe commission of inquiry appointed by President Sata to investigate the January 2011 riots and deaths last week submitted its findings to the President. One of its recommendations is that the government must restore the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.
But the recommendation has received mixed reactions with Patriotic Front secretary general Wynter Kabimba accusing Dr Chongwe of going beyond the terms of reference President Sata gave the commission.
Some ethnic groups within Western Province, led by the Nkoyas, have categorically opposed the recommendation. President Sata and his Cabinet are yet to study the report and announce government’s position.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Next, it will be the Bisa who will ask for freedom from the Bembas and then we will have total confusion in the country. No one breaks up Zambia. Lets go back to 9 provinces and live as a nation. Abash chiefs and chiefdoms.
This is very interesting.If this is true then it only proves how selfish the Lozis are.
As long as the Govt under Satan continue to rule with only one triblal dominancy more problems are comiing soon. Central Lusaka and southern provinces will follow soon. Abashi abashi Bemba rule. We need our one Zed one natioanl period.
Sata is not Bemba iwe nkma matwi.
Olo lwanya nomba.Next will be the toka leya demanding to be freed from tonga dominance.
I don’t understand. Nkoyas want to be freed from lozis????????? Are they under dorminance? I have been to Kaoma and people speak Nkoya everywhere. Ofcourse if a Nkoya meets a non-Nkoya lozi helps as the medium of communication. This chief is a rubble-rouser. I know so many nkoyas who don’t even want to have anything to do with them. Again, despite the fact that this subject has been discussed so many times, people even those from western province continue to demonstrate amazing levels of stupidit ignorance. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, there is no tribe called lozi – lozi is a unifying language like the way East Africans use Swahili. There are so many ethnic groups in western province, including the nkoyas. Kutoha is demonstrating amazing i.d.iocy.
What tribe is the Litunga?
next it will be namwangas breaking away from bembas.
THINK BEFORE YOU COMMENT. NAMWANGA’S HAVE THEIR OWN PARAMOUNT CHIEF AND SO DO BEMBA’S. WHERE AND HOW WILL THE BREAKING AWAY BE? I AM NOT NAMWANGA BUT MAMBWE ITS JUST THAT WHAT YOU’VE STATED IS SENSELESS.
can someone explain to me what the lozi people want. if its not secession what is it?
Next will be swakas against lamba dominance.
When did Swakas fall under Lamba dominance? Are you dreaming?!!!!!!!!!!
Chikumwanga you are ignorant, us Namwangas and Mambwes have never been under the Bembas and we will never be its only that Bemba is a dorminant tribe in Northern province just as Lozi is a dorminant tribe in Western province. To say the least no tribe can accept the dorminance of the other.The Barotse issue will an interesting thing to watch unfolding. Which tribe apart from the Lozis themselves will accept to be ruled by the Litunga as their King in this modern error? Please let peace and democracy prevail let one Zambia one Nation remain.
modern era (correction)
The Kafue Province is taking shape finally. It has been long overdue and we are glad that all Nkoyas are speaking with one voice over the politics of Western Province and the need for Kafue Province to be established.
The suggestion to create another district called Dongwe is also a very good idea that should bring development closer to the people in those areas. We will need more districts in Kafue Province.
We are focused on matters of infrastructure development such as roads, schools, hospitals.
We envision to see poverty alleviation through job creation and effective management of available resources thereby creating a tax base which will be used to provide high standard public services.
Viva Kafue Province, Viva Zambia.
Nkoyas you are minorities. Don’t talk to much.
Even minorities have the right to express their opinions.
minorities in what way?
no. 5 if lozi is a unifying language, then nkoyas should also be appointed as lutungas .
While we’re at let’s finally have a tribe called Nyanja. Wherever there ISVs lake will be our kingdom and thus we will spread out all over beautiful Zambia and build lakeside resorts and live in harmony with the people, animal and stunning beauty which is Zambia :) After that we will help free the ‘Mwenye’ tribe who like us will spread everywhere and then we shall free the ‘Muzungu’ tribe and spread. After that we will establish the ‘Kaladi’ tribe of all our mixed race brethren…hmm wrong order. First the Kaladi then the Mwenye then the Muzungu and we’ll find more. Please ignore me. My funny bone itches :)
@11 kkk
If Nkoyas are minorities, who are the majority? Provide statistics to prove your point. Because Lozi is not a tribe per say. It is just a name of a Makololo language that is promoted by the Lozi royal family and spoken by various tribes in the region.
The Makololo tribe proper themselves where the so called royal family comes from only number in the region of not more than 60,000, enough to fill the Chinese built Ndola stadium!
Don’t call others minorities based on your own illusions and imaginations and with no clear facts to prove your point.
If all tribes where counted as separate in Western Province, Nkoyas actually make up the majority.
Please, leave Lukulu. We will always be Barotse people. Note that a Nkoya is the MP for Lukulu. We do not need divisive elements like Nkomenshya. I am of the Kamwata – mwata breed of Lukulu, the Kamwata Libambo ly banyama of Luampa in kaoma with strong ties to Nkoya ruling houses and I’m proud to be a Murotse.
Lozi is a unifying name. Nkoyas are ignorant pipo there is no such tribe in western as lozi. Mayb Luyana or Luyi or so forth. Nkoyas are Lozis also coz they hail from Rotseland. Why should they be recognised now a minority tribe which came as drumers 4 the Litunga. Let them continue thts their job description. U cannot become a son whn u were taken as a slave. Whn u go 2 Lealui or Limulunga Nkoyas are the drumers & silimba(xylophone) operators. Nkoyas dont annoy us!
Or else what? I dare you say that again.
It looks like the litunga wont hav it easy.He want 2 form a monarchy so that he can receive donor funding directly 4 selfish reasons,nd dont talk bout a govt without resources coz dats wat these pipo ar planning.u wont have it easily as u ar using pipo who ar ignorant of your selfish desires.GOD SAVE ZAMBIA.
What next
THE NKOYAS ARE TRUE TO THE ZAMBIAN SPIRIT. THEY ARE SCARED THE LOZIS WILL DOMINATE THEM MORE THAN NOW ONCE THE BA1964 IS ENACTED. BUT THEY ARE SAFE SINCE THESE LOZIS WILL NEVER GET WHAT THEY WANT, ATLEAST NOT IN OUR AGE!!!
@Chikumwaba #6 THINK BEFORE YOU COMMENT!!
NAMWANGA’S HAVE THEIR OWN PARAMOUNT CHIEF AND SO DO BEMBA’S. WHERE AND HOW WILL THE BREAKING AWAY BE? I AM NOT NAMWANGA BUT MAMBWE. ITS JUST THAT WHAT YOU’VE STATED IS SENSELESS.
Should Government fail to manage the Lozi issue, they should consider dividing WP so that the Lozis are on their own. Living under the rule for other tribes is an option that has never been on the table of the rest of the tribes in WP.
wats with this nosense ?in zambia?usless pipo
Sorry Nkoyas, just because we allowed you to settle in our areas and Tongas allowed you to squat in Itezhi-tezhi, then you want to claim other people’s land. Be assured that Tonga knowing them with love for Land would never allow you to take Itezhi-tezhi no matter what you do. Itezhi- tezhi is Tongaland or Ila land and you are Lumbus in that area, how can you claim land. Allowing you to settle means they have to surrender their land after some years to you, shame on you guys who do not know where you belong.
yOU ARE JUST JEALOUS. tHE ONLY PROVINCE WHICH HAS ONE CENTRAL RULE IS Western. All chiefs are under the authoriy of the Litunga. The Nkoyas have already demonstrated that they can not govern themselves. They must keep quite. Their pride is in being Lozi speaking.
Gwa Undi AND Mpezeni are at war because none is above the other, no central athourity in kolwestan or Muchnga. N.W nothing, SOUTHERN worse, Central Mawe, C/belt takuli, Luapula i doubt what authority Mwata Kazembe ha over the other chifs like Puta and Chisunka who are good at waffling everyday.. Viva Barosteland. Long Live King Lubosi Imwiko
Lozi ma labbish to hell with your nosense it will never happen dream on
Who gives you authority over the Nkoyas?
Since you are so much in love with concentration of powers in a single individual or entity, I see no reason why you should then resist being under one central authority, the Zambian govt!!!!
You are a one-car
elo lwanya.
POP CORN on the ready :)
God always has a way to save his people. In all things acknowledge God.
This topic just got juicy and funny all in one lol.
Divide and rule tactics by government may worsen the situation.Solve the problem.Dont solve a problem by creating another.Even a dummy can see through these schemes
Bring your entourage here in Britain first and start from square one.
I love my barotseland kingdom so is every one here in kaoma.ask rodger?
What is happening to my mother Zambia? Its seems SataN was a wrong choice. And 2016 is still far away. Help us o lord!
If you worship the true God you wouldn’t address the head of state by that name but instead pray for him just as we have been commanded to do so in the Bible.
@8, Zebige:
Just curious, when did the Swakas get dominated by the Lambas? Or Lambas impose their chiefs or surrogates on Swakas? Swaka chiefs include: Mukonchi, Nkole, Chikupili, Chitina, Kanyensha, with their paramount chief Mboloma. None of these chiefs, as far as I know, ever answer to a Lamba chief, ever! Did I miss this part of Zambian history or state of affairs? Swakas, Lambas, and Lalas, have always lived as cousins and intermarriages among these tribes have gone on before there is a Northern Rhodesia or a Zambia. These tribes have always lived side by side and respected each other’s culture and languange. So where do you get this idea that Swakas would want freedom from anybody? Swakas have never been dominated by any other tribe in Zambia. Get your facts straight buddy!
Divide and Rule!! That is what has been happening to Africa. Europeans have always been integrating so that they can make a block to compete with the US, and China. Compare and contast the issues of Zambia? Wao, tribes against tribes; and you know what? The perception is what will force invstors to rethink their long term initiatives
@8, Zebige:
Just curious, when did the Swakas get dominated by the Lambas? Or Lambas impose their chiefs or surrogates on Swakas? Swaka chiefs include: Mukonchi, Nkole, Chikupili, Chitina, Kanyensha, with their paramount chief Mboloma. None of these chiefs, as far as I know, ever answer to a Lamba chief, ever! Or did I miss this part of Zambian history or state of affairs?
Swakas, Lambas, and Lalas, have always lived as cousins and intermarriages among these tribes have gone on before there was even a Northern Rhodesia or a Zambia. These tribes have always lived side by side and respected each other’s culture and language. So where do you get this idea that Swakas would want freedom from anybody? Get your facts straight buddy!
The accompanying map of Northern Rhodesia is supposed to show or illustrate something about the article. It fails the reason for the placement because it can not be read. The wording is faint!! It is apparent the Lozis will need to unify the other tribes to speak with one voice. If the bigger tribes they consider “fringe” choose not to be part of the Lozi agenda on BRE, where does that live the cause? This could very well the steam out of the fight? Every time now wants their own identity!!
OKEY, LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY, HERE’S THE GOVERNMENT’S POSITION ON THIS MATTER.
1. Zambia needs a total realignment of provinces, so that provincial demarcations are NOT based on tribal areas but on logical administration and proximity of government services to the people. 2. Claims for the establishment of a Barotse Republic have spoilt the case for a federal govt system for now. 3. Dr. Chongwe’s report should be thrown back to him to revise so that it contains only that for which he was appointed, and he should issue a public apology to all Zambians. 4. In the meantime, approval for developmental projects for all provinces has been granted, including the Zambian portion of the so-called Barotseland.
Well said.Let the people of WP come out adverse poverty please.Approval should only be done by govt instruments not some customary judge.
Ok, so what’s wrong with my comments that thjey can’t be published?!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scooby, mwanawina, the litunga who signed the Barotseland agreement, was Nkoya. His mother was nkoya. When he ascended to the throne, there was jubilation among the Nokia, and they all sung……..limwene lyetu, limwrne lyetu. My father, who is nyengo, has told me many times about this. He was young then.
BUT YOU NKOYAS ALSO, WHERE WERE YOU ALL THESE YEARS TO WAKE UP NOW AND DEMAND YOU STATUS.
JUST STAY PUT WHERE YOU ARE, KAOMA HAS A LOT OF ECONOMIC VALUE AND IS THE GRAIN BASKET FOR WESTERN PROVINCE. AT LEAST YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF THAT
..DO YOU ALL BLOGGERS KNOW WHERE THIS BAROTSE AGREEMENT THING WILL LEAD TO…THINK, THINK AGAIN…IF THE BRE MAKE TOO MUCH NOISE AND DO ANY STUPID THING LIKE PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS, PETITIONS OR EVEN GO SO FAR AS TO PUBLISH A BRE CONSTITUTION, THE PRESIDENT WILL INVOKE A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND …YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, WE LIVED WITH IT SINCE 1964 WITH KK……..
My golden people in the West. Let us remember one Zambia one nation, and ignore the few tribalistic Tongas, Bembas and Lozi’s that post on this forum. The majority Zambians believe and know God united us. Move on to development and scrutinizing ourselves and the entire government for better lives.
Nkoyas dont b cheated by Manyukunyuku bamwanjanji, u will regreat and when we take it, how are u going to face all the the tribes that make the magnificent Lozi language. As i always say, u are just shooting yo foot. Sizo saluna Bulozi bwaluna.
#12, That is happening already, Litunga Sir Mwanawina Lewanika himself, the signitory of BA64 was a nkoya!
He was not Nkoya, he just had a Nkoya mother who was just a commoner and not a member of the Nkoya Royal Family.
In Essence, there are not family ties between the Nkoya Royal Establishment and the BRE, the author of this article is right.
Don’t tell lies. That is what some Lozis are good at only, telling lies day and night.
The ignorance people have of Western province stinks! No wonder Lozis now want to butt out & bugger off from this Zambia of theirs. One lesson in history to all ignorants like Kabimba, Lozi is Sotho brought by the Kololo who were a group of Sotho-speaking Bantu groups from the
Orange Free State of South Africa under their leader, Sebitwane, who
was a Patsa Fokeng himself. Other tribes in Barotseland you talk about, like siNyengo and siKwangwa, are actually the original siLUYANA spoken before the Sotho conquest. You ask Fred M’Membe (Nyengo), Prof Lungwangwa (Kwangwa) and Keli Walubita (Shanjo), they all speak the same language, pure Luyana. However, they are all now called Lozi and speak serotse!
Zambia shall be saved!
Now I hate whoever invented the internet.If there was no internet would these people have a forum to broadcast their barotse nonsense? No.
Those from the BRE are just visitors in Western Province, who the Nkoyas call Aluyi or Luyana which means visitor in the Nkoya language.
The came to the area, were given some land to settle by Nkoyas, later they collaborated with the colonists and today they want to claim to have a state with in state, that is just pure lies.
If it was not for colonial support, the BRE would not even be existent right now and that BA64 would not even be an issue right now like some people are trying to make it be.
The solution is to split Western Province into two so that everybody can move on.
If the white area on that map is what these crazy lozis say is barotseland then they should kiss goodbye to that foolish claim. It it is implemented it will be a recipe for a civil war. The PF government should not entertain the BRE just the Namibian government has not entertained the Caprivi separatists. Some Lozis are proving to be a problem in Zambia.
you are all speaking nonsense.Zambia can’t be divided after so many years of peace.
Zambia will remain Zambia.The Ngambela was drunk!And all of you advocating for a breakup are also drunk and you all need to face treason and take you to Edwin Imboela stadium so you wait your turn to greet the high court judge.Make your name dpp.GOD BLESS ZAMBIA.
The nkoyas have a right to claim who they are if were the president i would
its a simple issue the only thing lozis can do, is to consider nkoyas as human beings rather than treating them with humiliation. western province to remain peaceful lozis should respect other tribal groups rather than being arogant as superiors over others. truely no tribe in zambia would toralate nonsense of intimidation and frastration by one tribe. pf grz pliz restore nkoya id and introduce nkoya zambian language in schools based in westren province. why should you deny them their identity and God given language. what lozis are practicing is totally brasphemy and God wll punish them.