HOSTING OF FIRST NC’WALA ACTIVITY ANNUALLY IN LUANGWA – FEIRA TO BOOST LUSAKA TOURISM.
GOVERNMENT is happy and optimistic that the staging of the first day of the Nc’wala traditional ceremony of the Ngoni speaking people of Chipata eastern province in Luangwa, will bring about cross cutting economic benefits to Lusaka Province.
Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary Robert Kamalata says the provincial administration was impressed by the huge numbers of people who turned up in Luangwa-Feira to witness the crossing of the Zambezi River by Paramount Chief Mpezeni IV of the Ngoni from Zimbabwe to Zambia as thousands of people overwhelmed Feira for the cultural spectacle.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people crossed the Zambezi River from the Zimbabwean side to Zambia in Feira-Luangwa just around the confluence of the Luangwa and Zambezi Rivers in a spectacular movement that excited the huge crowd as the occasion reminisced the crossing of the Ngoni King Zwangendaba who crossed with his people into modern day Zambia as he trekked from South Africa fleeing from King Shaka on November 19, 1835.
And Dr Kamalata has described the hosting of the Nc’wala’s first day in Lusaka Province as a success despite coming at short notice, as the province was up to task to successfully host the ceremony.
“We were trying to see how we can help this to become a success. The government came in very strongly, we brought in the marine, the divers here to make sure that there is free passage from across into Feira. These marines you are seeing here actually came a few days ago,” He said.
Dr Ksamalata said this a sign that the government attaches great importance to the ceremony and culture in general.
“We knew that the numbers from outside Luangwa district would were going to swell because this place has got not so many people. We put in a lot of security as you can see on the ground to match the numbers that were going to come here,” He said.
He expressed optimistic that for Luangwa to have all its accommodation facilities such as lodges full including some houses, is a good indicator of the economic value that the Nc’wala will take to Feira as business opportunities will be opened up.
The Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary said therefore, Lusaka Provincial administration is ready to take up the hosting of the first pat of Nc’wala every year and cement the cross-cutting beneficiation of the province economically and culturally.
“For us in Feira and Lungwa we are so excited regardless of what time they want it to be happening whether it happens in February or November, we are ready. You can see this was just a short notice for us and we brought everyone on board and it has been a success, there was no calamity or accident on the river,” Dr Kamalata said.
The staging of the Nc’wala traditional ceremony of the Ngoni people will from 2025 start from Feria in Luanga into Chipata eastern province toward its climax at Mutenguleni as a five days event.
Issued by:
Logic Lukwanda
Principal Public Relations Officer
Lusaka Provincial Administration