The Sunday News
Ekasi Stories with Clifford Kalibo
Sizinda Township, a former Railway Compound, or “inkomponi”, as it was known in yester years, is a small suburb situated in the north western side of greater Bulawayo.
Sizinda residents are of a heterogeneous composition, with people of different ethnics, cultures and customs.
During the 1970s there was a multiplicity of cultural activities of a varying nature, degree and magnitude that used to take place in Sizinda Township.
The writer reels back in time and takes you to Sizinda Township on a warm fine sunny Saturday afternoon sometime in the month of September in 1973.
There is seemingly some activity going on at Mwangala Mathe’s home near Sizinda North Beer Garden, also known as “Entabeni”.
Women are seen shunting in and out of the house like busy bees.
Some men have erected a wooden flag pole inside the yard, just near the gate, and a tall dark slim young man by the name Mukelabayi is now tying a flag to the pole.
The flag, which is known as “ndembela” in Lozi is a colourful cloth in variegated colours.
Two elderly gentlemen, “bo Muyunda” and “bo Simakanda” are busy fine tuning marimba musical instruments and some drums.
All this is preparation for a Lozi ceremony known as “siyomboka”.
When a Lozi girl reaches maturity she undergoes initiation for at least one month where she undergoes rigorous indoor training conducted by elderly ladies.
The young girl is taught and cultured what she is supposed to do in life, as she is prepared to enter adulthood, marriage and maturity inclusive.
By the way the Lozi people are concentrated mainly in the Western Province of Zambia, but are to be found in other countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, etc.
So this evening all roads lead to Mwangala’s home where the Lozi families and friends, “sichaba” will be gathered for the all night long “siyomboka” dance ceremony.
His sister Sibeso, who has successfully completed the one month training is called the “mwalanjo”, in Lozi. Basically, ‘’mwalanjo” is the girl who is being initiated and has come of age.
At around 7pm the ceremony starts on a slow note.
The ladies are clad in colourful traditional attire with matching headgear, and are all wrapped in loin cloth known as “chitenje” or “intsaro” from the waist downwards.
A short, stout man called Mubita is beating a small drum and the women are singing a nice sounding song, but in soft lyrics to the tune of Mubita’s drum. By 9pm the yard is fully packed.
There is a lot of opaque beer that has been bought for the ceremony, and also a lot of traditional beer that has been home brewed.
People are obviously enjoying the beer and the traditional music as almost everyone is dancing in the same style.
Both men and women have formed a circle and are moving slowly in a circle shaking their shoulders in a Lozi dance style and clapping softly to the big conical “siyomboka” drum which is being played skilfully by Mwangala’s uncle Likezo from nearby Matshobani Township.
Likezo, dark skinned with blood shot eyes, is a skilled drum beater and a heavy imbiber who is always present at all such ceremonies.
At exactly 12 midnight, the siyomboka ceremony gathers momentum and turns into a frenzy as everyone is jumping up and down wildly, clapping hands and ululating in excitement.
People are jostling, pushing and shoving. Just then two men, “muntangana”, in Lozi language, in their mid-30s appear from the dark and make their way into the centre stage.
The two men known as Kawongolo and Likando, clad in Lozi traditional attire, are tall, broad shouldered and physically fit.
Their dark faces are glistening and shiny as if their have applied oil on the faces.
The two are here to perform the “ngomalume” dance.
The “ngomalume” dance is a warrior style dance that is performed by men only.
It demands skilful co-ordination of steps and artful abdominal movements.
Kawongolo and Likando are at their best as they perform the “ngomalume” dance.
They are doing extraordinarily wonderful shoulder and abdominal movements in a warrior-like style.
The crowd has gone crazy and everyone is enjoying this magnificent dance.
Just when you thought you had seen it all, two young ladies, Lungowe and Sinyinda join the two “mutangana”.
The two young ladies or “kalibe” are here to perform a royal dance known as the “lishemba” dance.
Lungowe and Sinyinda are two exceedingly beautiful ladies.
Their “lishemba” dance moves are just out of this world and their performance leaves the crowd begging for more.
The combination of the “ngomalume” and “lishemba” dances is so beautiful and almost magical, a wonderful sight to behold.
It is almost like a scene extracted from the fairy tale book Never Never Land.
Old Simakanda, a short wizened white haired man, together with old Muyunda, a tall and lanky gentleman with a permanent lop-sided grin, are veterans of many seasons who have been attending “siyomboka” ceremonies since time immemorial.
They begin playing the marimbas at around 4am, in preparation for the “mwalanjo” Sibeso who will be appearing in public as a graduate initiate to perform her graduation dance.
Meanwhile the ladies and gentlemen continue dancing and singing.
Some guys who have had a beer too many are staggering about drunkenly, while others have fallen asleep.
It has been a long and busy night.
Finally, Sibeso the “mwalanjo” makes her appearance around 6am.
She is covered on her head by a bright green cloth and is surrounded by about six elderly ladies who escort her to the dance arena.
It is then that Likezo begins playing the “siyomboka” drum.
The guy is just so good at the drum, despite the fact that he has been drinking heavily throughout the whole night.
The ladies begin chanting incantations in Lozi for about 30 minutes, and thereafter the cloth is removed from the “mwalanjo”.
She begins to dance in slow motion and in rhythm to Likezo’s drum.
The tempo gets higher and higher and Sibeso displays amazing dance skills that leave the crowd mesmerised.
She moves around doing nimble foot work moves and at the same time doing sensual abdominal moves.
As she dances she is singing softly in Lozi.
It has been a very wonderful night and I enjoyed the “siyomboka” ceremony.
I head back home around 7am, weary and sleepy.
I have just been informed that a similar ceremony will take place at Wamundila’s home in Matshobana Township next week.
So all roads lead to Matshobana Township next Saturday where Wamundila’s sister Inonge will be the new “mwalanjo”.
For any inaccuracies that may appear regarding this “siyomboka” ceremony, please do point out these to me.
Many thanks to those who assisted with information, more particularly my brother Mulionkela Mathe in Zambia.
Till we meet again next Sunday.
Feedback: Clifford Kalibo/ Email: [email protected]/0783856228/719856228/ WhatsApp: 0779146957
