Nakonde District: Difference between revisions

From Chalo Chatu, Zambia online encyclopedia
no edit summary
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 46: Line 46:
'''Nakonde District''' is a [[Districts of Zambia|district]] of [[Zambia]], located in [[Muchinga Province]]. The capital lies at [[Nakonde]]. As of the 2000 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 75,135 people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statoids.com/yzm.html|title=Districts of Zambia|publisher=Statoids|accessdate=February 12, 2010}}</ref>
'''Nakonde District''' is a [[Districts of Zambia|district]] of [[Zambia]], located in [[Muchinga Province]]. The capital lies at [[Nakonde]]. As of the 2000 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 75,135 people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statoids.com/yzm.html|title=Districts of Zambia|publisher=Statoids|accessdate=February 12, 2010}}</ref>


==Location and accessibility==
==History of the Namwanga people of Nakonde==
Nakonde is one of Zambia's major border post towns in the [[Northern Province]] with very high business traffic. It lies on the border with Tanzania. It is about 1,000km north of [[Lusaka]], the capital city.  
The Namwanga people of Nakonde are believed to have come from North East Africa together with the Tonga/Ila people of [[Southern Province]] around 900 BC. Hence some similarities in names between the Tongas and Namwangas. Their lifestyle was a fugal system or nomadic life, they had no permanent residence. As they come down, some of the Namwanga people decided to settle in Tanganyika (now called Tanzania) while others proceeded to [[Northern Rhodesia]] (now Zambia). In Tanzania, they spread to places like Mbeya, while those in Zambia settled in [[Mwenzo]] area in the western part of Nakonde District, some parts of [[Chinsali]], [[Kasama]] and [[Mbala]]. The Tongas however proceeded to Southern Zambia.


There are about twenty bus coaches that travel from Lusaka and [[Copperbelt]] every day to Nakonde transporting traders who go to buy various items from clothes, building materials or pick up vehicles from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Another available travel option is via rail with [[Tanzania Zambia Railways|TAZARA]] trains from [[Kapiri Mposhi]] in [[Central Province|Central Zambia]. The trains go up to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Nakonde also has tourist attractions with the legendary Ngoni King Zwangedaba buried 35&nbsp;km away from the town Centre. The major languages spoken in Nakonde are Chinamwanga and Chibemba. Kiswahili is also spoken by the locals due to interaction with neighbouring Tanzania. Nakonde is a growing town with a lot of potential. New infrastructure such as Government offices have been built in recent years as well as new guest houses and lodges and eating places to cater for the many travellers into the town.
Because there were no borders at the time, the Namwangas in Tannzania and Zambia shared everything including leadership. After the partitioning of boundaries, the headquarters of the Namwanga people remained in Tanzania under Chief Mukoma. To this day, the Paramount Chief of the Namwanga people is based in Tanzania and only appoints a chief from there to rule over the Namawangas in Zambia.  


'''Getting to Nakonde'''
The first chief appointed was Namulinda as [[Chief Nawaitwika]] to rule over the Namwangas on the Zambian side. When she died, Namaipo was appointed as Chief Nawaitwika. Following her death in 1940, Malia was appointed as the third Nawaitwika from 1941 to 1999. Malia ruled for over 56 years, making her one of the longest serving chiefs in Zambia. After her death, Evelyn, who was born in Zambia and lived in [[Mufulira]] with her husband, was later appointed as the current Chief Nawaitwika.


Buses from Lusaka Inter-City Bus Station to Nakonde leave at 16 00 hours and reaches Nakonde at 07 00 hours. There are about eight (8) buses that leave Lusaka for Nakonde daily. The buses pass though the following towns: Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi, Mukushi, Serenje, Mpika, Chinsali and Isoka.  
While in Mwenzo, a man named Mushyani from Kola visited the area. It is believed that Mushyani was very intelligent and introduced methods of livelihood such as firewood and farming to the Namwangas. Prior to his visit, the Namwangas were eating raw food as nomads. Due to his intelligence, Mushyani received a lot of favours from the indigenous people, namely the Simwanzas, Sichalwes, Sichizyas and Sinkalas who also gave him a local Namwanga girl to marry. He was also given a chiefdom to become a chief and was given a new name called Chikanamulilo. He however, deliberately refused to move from Mwenzo to the new village he was given. It is from this that the name Mwenzo comes from. When you deliberately refuse something in Namwanga it is called ''Umwenzonyi''.


'''About Nakonde'''
In present day, Nakonde District is still a village under Chieftainess Nawaitika, except for a small portion of land which is under the local council. Hence it is common in Nakonde to see huts within the town centre. The major languages spoken in Nakonde are [[Namwanga]] and [[Bemba]]. Swahili is also spoken by the locals due to interaction with neighbouring Tanzania.


Nakonde is still a village under Chieftainess Nawaitika except for a small portion of land which is under the council. Hence it is common in Nakonde to see huts within the town centre. If you want to buy land in Nakonde, you go through the chieftainess, who will then allocate you land and give you documents to take to the council for processing.  
==Location and significance==
Nakonde is one of Zambia's major border post towns in the [[Northern Province]] with very high business traffic. It lies on the border with Tanzania. It is about 1,000km north of [[Lusaka]], the capital city.  


'''Life in Nakonde'''
There are about twenty bus coaches that travel from Lusaka and [[Copperbelt]] every day to Nakonde transporting traders who go to buy various items from clothes, building materials or pick up vehicles from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Another available travel option is via rail with [[Tanzania Zambia Railways|TAZARA]] trains from [[Kapiri Mposhi]] in [[Central Province|Central Zambia]], through to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.


The town is very active, among Zambia’s busiest border towns. Life in this small town starts at about 04 00 when buses from the Copperbelt, Lusaka, Kenya via Tanzania begin to arrive bringing mostly traders. Nakonde is full of cheap goods such as clothes, shoes, hand-bags, watches, cell-phones, electronics and foodstuffs like potatoes and beans.
==Tourism==
 
Nakonde also has tourist attractions with the legendary Ngoni King [[Zwangedaba]] buried 35km away from the town centre.
==History of the Namwanga people of Nakonde==


The Namwanga people of Nakonde District are believed to have come from North East Africa together with the Tonga/Ila people of Southern province at about 900 BC. Hence some similarities in names between the Tonga’s and Namwanga’s such as Siame in Namwanga and Sianjunza in Tonga. Their lifestyle was a fugal system or nomadic life, meaning that they had no permanent residence. As they come down, some of the Namwanga’s decided to settle in Tanganyila now called Tanzania while others proceeded to Northern Rhodesia now Zambia. In Tanzania, they spread to places like Mbeya, while those in Zambia settled in [[Mwenzo]] area western part of Nakonde District, some parts of Chinsali, Kasama and Mbala. The Tonga’s however proceeded to Southern Zambia.
==Development==
New infrastructure such as Government offices have been built in recent years as well as new guest houses and lodges and eating places to cater for the many travelers into the town.


By this time, there were no borders available meaning that the Namwanga’s in Tannzania and Zambia shared everything including leadership. After the partitioning of boundaries, the headquarters of the Namwanga people remained in Tanganyika or Tanzania under Chief Mukoma. To this very day, the Paramount Chief of the Namwanga people is based in Tanzania and only appoints a chief from there to rule over the Namawanga’s in Zambia.


The first chief appointed was Namulinda as Chief Nawaitwika to rule over the Namwanga’s on the Zambian side, when she died Namaipo was appointed as Chief Nawaitwika. Following her death in 1940, Malia was appointed as the third Nawaitwika from 1941 to 1999. Malia ruled for over 56 years, making her one of the longest serving chiefs in Zambia. After her death, Evelyn, who was born in Zambia and lived in Mufulira with her husband was later appointed as the current Chief Nawaitwika.


While at Mwenzo, a man from Kola visited the place by the name of Mushyani, it is believed that this man was very intelligent as a matter of factor, he even introduced firewood and farming to the Namwanga’s. Before Mushyani’s visit, the Namwanga’s were eating raw food as nomads. Due to his intelligence, Mushyani received a lot of favours from the indigenous people namely the Simwanzas, Sichalwes, Sichizyas and Sinkalas who also gave him a local Namwanga girl to marry. He was also given a chiefdom to become a chief and was given a new name called ChikanaMulilo. He however, deliberately refused to move from that place to the new village he was given. It is from this that the name Mwenzo comes from. When you deliberately refuse something in Namwanga it is called Umwenzonyi.


The name Siame in Namwanga means a judge (leader or a person overseeing other is called Siyame). Chikanamulilo came from Kola and not Bemba Land.


'''Banks and Money Transfer'''
'''Banks and Money Transfer'''