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Matanda’s village in Belgium Congo
before crossing the Luapula river at
Kashengeneke, creating a village at
a place called Isandulula Fyalo (ex-
panding the territory). This was between
By Mutale Mazimba Kaunda
W
hen teachers are given a revised curricu-
lum and syllabus, their efforts are directed
towards content that has been presented
to them. When pupils read the syllabus, they also
assume that everything that they should be learning
is in there. But education should not just be limited
to what will be examinable. Education should also
aim to preserve culture, values and traditions. Over
the years, researchers in many fields have laboured
to uncover a lot about previously little-known is-
sues. Does the syllabus reflect this research?
In 2018, a Masters of Art student did one of the
most extensive researches on the History of the
Unga people of the Bangweulu swamps in Lunga
district, Luapula. This new data shows that there
were other established decentralised societies in
pre-colonial Zambia. The Unga society contribut-
ed massively to Zambia’s economic development,
through extensive regional and international trade.
The following is an excerpt on the History of the
Unga people.
The Unga people originated from ancient Kola in
present day, Kabongo, Shaba Province. Kola was
an offshoot of Mwatayamvo’s Kingdom and was ad-
ministered by a chief called Singa. It was from this
family that the Ngoma (drum) clan, the Ng’andu
(crocodile) clan and the N’gona (mushroom) clan
originated. Sometime in the 17th Century, these
clans left Kola after a family quarrel, taking their
supporters with them.
The Kola origin of the Ngoma clan is sup-
ported by the fact that there were some
Chiefs of the Ngoma clan who remained
in Zaire, now Congo (DR) including Kisa-
mamba Kibale and Kisamamba Kapamb-
we, who also pointed to Kola as their
place of origin.
The earliest Ngoma ancestors were Nafitanda Wa-
tuti and Matanda who had three children; Kasolwe
Chabala, Mupeta Chabala and Kang’omba Chabala.
Mupeta Chabala had seven daughters and one of
those daughters was Kaunda Mwela. Kaunda Mwela
in turn had six daughters: Musonge Sete, the ances-
tor of the Ng’umbo; Sengwe Sete, Swesha Sete and
Kaunda Sete, the ancestors of the Mukulu; Chyani
Sete, the ancestor of the Chishinga and Kombolwe
Sete, the ancestor of the Unga. Sete was a praise
name denoting greatness. These daughters formed
the ‘multi-kingdom tribes’ of the Ngoma clan, with
many groups splitting from one parent group.
From Kola, the Ngoma, Ng’ona
and Ng’andu clans passed through
9
Chilubi made quite an impression on Livingstone on
his last journey.
After settling at Kawena for a few years, the Un-
ga’s security was threatened by the wars between
the Bemba and the other Luba group, the Bisa. The
Bemba were closing in on the Bisa so that they
1650 and 1680. They then went to the Bemba chief could control salt, iron, fish and tap into the Bisa
Mucheleka’s village called Chulungoma in modern trade with the Lunda of Mwata Kazembe.
day Luwingu. The name Chulungoma suggests that
this place was of importance to the Ngoma clan and The wars forced the Bisa to seek solace
points to the common origin with the Bemba and in areas that were relatively secure. It is
the Bisa. Chulungoma appears to have been the important though to note that the Bisa
point where the Ngoma split from the Ng’ona and chief, Chinyimba Muluwani first settled
the Ng’andu because this is the last common place, in Chilubi in 1798, way before the Unga
after which these groups seem to have progressed
arrived. After Muluwani’s death howev-
separately. There were also splits in the Ngoma
ranks with the Chishinga and the Mukulu breaking er, later Bisa chiefs went back to Mwala
in the north. It was the Bemba threats
away and settling north of Lake Bangweulu.
which made Muma Mununga (Matipa I)
move the capital back to Chilubi in 1827.
This time they clashed with the Unga
who had also settled there. Matipa I was
known to be a very militant man who
fought not only the Bemba, but also the
island people of Chishi and the Ng’umbo.
In response to the proximity of the Bisa, Mange’s
brother, Bambala, with a small group, left to see
the rumoured prosperous islands in the East. Ap-
proaching the swamps, he came across a group of
islands with beautiful waterside meadows, trodden
flat by millions of hooves. His eyes must have wa-
tered when they settled on what Hughes described
as “an almost unbroken line of black Lechwe…
[whose] numbers… must be seen to be believed.”
There was already a group of people living there
called the Twa, who invited the Unga to settle in the
swamps. Bambala returned to Kawena, collected
some family members and settled near Lake Cha-
ya. With time, people referred to the new lands as
the lands where the people went to hunt, ku lun-
ga, hence the name Lunga. After Bambala died, his
brother Mwanakamo Chabala became the leader
and then his nephew, Kabinda Mukulu.
Kombolwe Sete broke away from the Mukulu branch That children not learning this history in their schools
of the Ngoma family at Chulungoma. It is not clear is a great disservice, not only to the people of Lun-
when this split took place but oral sources confirm ga, but to the general Zambian population.
that desire for autonomy was a major factor in the
split. Two theories emerge on how they moved from
Chulungoma to settle in the swamps. Brelsford’s ac-
count traces the Unga straight from Chulung’oma to Sketch map of Lunga district
the swamps. However, oral sources trace the Unga
from Chulung’oma to Ng’umbo, the point of entry
being Chimanda’s village to present day Mwewa’s
country, around Masanta and Shikamushile/chibin-
gila and then crossing Lake Chifunabuli to Chilu-
bi island. The second theory has more merit than
Brelsford’s account because it explains the presence
of the Unga people in Chilubi Island and Chimem-
be, which Brelsford does not. The breaking away of
Kombolwe’s family from the Mukulu thus forms the
first major era in Unga history, as it was the birth of
the Unga as a separate identity, albeit still referring
to themselves as abena Ngoma.
In Ng’umbo, there was a succession dispute between
Ngoma and Mange Mwape, which ended in Mange
leaving the area and crossing Lake Chifunabuli to
Chilubi Island. Zimba suggests that the name Unga
came from the phrase twaulungala which means
‘we have been scattered’. In Chilubi they settled at
Kawena. As an island, Chilubi offered more secu-
rity. Secondly, it had resources such as the perch
fish, goats and sheep. The ‘Mosikisi’ [Mushikishi]
trees also provided pleasant shade and oil which
the women used to apply in their hair, giving them
a luminous glow. The beautiful hair of the women in