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Chakwela Makumbi ceremony
Kuomboka-Ceremony, the most significant in Zambia in
Western Province
and values. After Independence in 1964, the govern-
ment recognized the role culture was to play in the
overall development of a new nation and began to
explore the question of Zambian national identity. As
a result, private and public museums and cultural vil-
lages were established to promote Zambian culture
and the expression of artistic talents.
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
Ceremonies
There are more than 20 annual traditional ceremo-
nies in Zambia, within which, customs, social life,
rituals, oral history, material and spiritual culture of
Zambia manifest themselves. They provide a valu-
able insight to a traditional culture that has been
passed down from generation to generation. Most
ceremonies have a deep meaning, in many cases
designed to invoke memories of the transformation
from childhood to adulthood.
The ceremonies that visitors can watch are those
that hark back to ancient times, when ancient chiefs
were amidst the process of forging new kingdoms
in the region. These are usually amazing, colour-
ful affairs steeped in history and symbolism, amidst
incredible dancing and drumming.
The introduction of Western ways and the mixing
of various tribes over the years have brought about
somewhat of a decline of traditional customs and
culture. Nevertheless, there has recently been a
realization of the value of such traditions and a con-
scious effort is being made to preserve them.
The Kuomboka:
Kuomboka literally means: “to get out of the water
and onto dry ground.” Every year towards the end
of the rainy season as the flood plains of the upper
Zambezi valley transform, the Lozi people indige-
nous to the area, make the ceremonial move to high-
er ground. When the Chief decides that it’s time to
leave (anytime from February to May), the sounds of
drums can be heard signalling to all the people that it
is time to move. Belongings are packed into canoes
and the entire tribe migrates for higher ground en
masse. The chief leads his tribe in his boat among
family and a troop of traditionally dressed paddlers. It
takes about six hours to cover the distance between
the Dry season capital of Lealui, and the Wet season
capital, Limulunga. Once in Limulunga, the success-
ful move is celebrated with traditional singing and
dancing. This ceremony dates back more than 300
years when the Lozi people had broken away from
the great Lunda Empire to come and settle in the up-
per regions of the Zambezi. The plains, rich in fish,
were ideal for settlement; however the annual floods
could not be avoided. Thus, every year the move to
higher ground is made, until the Rainy season pass-
es and the floodplains become inhabitable again.
This ceremony takes place in Western Province dur-
ing February or March just before the full moon.
The Umutombuko:
The celebration is an annual reminder of the vic-
tories of Chief Mwata Kazembe, when his great
kingdom migrated en masse into Luapula from the
Congo (DRC) nearly a century ago. Legend has it
that the movement began when the kingdom’s Chief,
Mwata Yamva ordered his people to build a tower,
which would reach the sky so that they could bring
him the sun and the moon. The tower collapsed over
the course of numerous attempts to actually build a
structure of this stature, killing many of the people
trying to build such a tower. The destruction caused
many families to flee in terror. Under the leadership
of Kazembe, they travelled across the river and east-