KAONDE PROVERBS AND THEIR ROLE IN SOCIETY
“Ki Kaonde” is a Bantu language spoken by the Kaonde people of Zambia. The Kaonde people are mainly based in the North Western region of Zambia. It is through their language “Ki Kaonde” that the Kaonde people teach proverbs to the younger generation. These proverbs are an important part of Kaonde culture because it is through these proverbs that elders of the society pass down their norms, beliefs and way of life to the younger ones. The proverbs teach the younger ones important lessons that are vital for living in a cohesive society.
The following are some examples of Kaonde proverbs:
1. “WAKOLWA MUNDA YE ULWA NAKINZHILO”
The meaning of this proverb is “The one who has a troubled stomach is the one who should struggle to open the door to go and relieve himself”. The message in this proverb is derived from the fact that when a person develops a stomach upset in the middle of the night, it is up to him to get up and unlock the door so that he can go out of his room and go to relieve himself. The message behind this proverb is that when a person faces difficulties, he should not wait for other people to assist him come out of the difficulty but instead the person who is facing the difficulty must take initiative to find their own solutions to their difficulties. This proverb emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility.
2. “FUKAFUKA UJA TWABAKULU TALALALA WAJAMO KUBULWA.
The meaning of this proverb is “When you kneel you will eat with elders, if you keep standing you will have nothing.” The teaching which is at the centre of this proverb is that when you humble yourself you will learn a lot from the elders but when you are rude you won’t gain any knowledge. This proverb shows the younger generation the importance of respecting elders.
3. “KWENDA KWA KOLOKOFWA, NE NZUBO YANJI MUNYUMA”
The meaning of this proverb is “When a snail moves, it always moves with its house (the shell) on its back.” This proverb is derived from the fact that snails always move with their shells on their back where they can seek shelter. The teaching behind this proverb is that when a person wants to undertake a mission or task, they need to be adequately prepared before starting in order for them not to be stranded on the way in case something goes wrong.
4. “WAJA WAJA WATELA TEMBWE, TWEMBWE YE MWINA NYAMA.”
The meaning of this proverb is “When someone keeps mentioning “Tembwe” as he eats meat, then it entails that “Tembwe” is the owner of the meat”. The idea expressed in this proverb is that a person should always be thankful and remember the person who gave them something. In the religious context, this proverb teaches that one must thank God (Tembwe) as one is enjoying all the wonderful things that God has provided.
5. “KANWA KAALOBEELE MUTWE”
The meaning of this proverb is “The mouth put the head in trouble”. The message in this proverb is that a person should be careful of what he says in order to avoid problems. The aim of this proverb is to emphasize the point that people must avoid talking carelessly.
6 . “MANSUNSU KEECHI AKILA MUTWE NE”
The meaning of this proverb is that “shoulders cannot go above the head”. The idea in this proverb is that the young should not disregard the authority of the old. This proverb is used to rebuke young people who try to question the authority of elders.
7. “KABWA WAJA MANYI WASHILA BAANA MFIKA”.
The meaning of this proverb is “A dog that steals food from someone’s pot will put its puppies in trouble.” The message behind this proverb is that when a person creates a bad reputation for himself in a community, this bad reputation will affect him and also his children. If it so happens that this person dies, his children will suffer because of the bad reputation he created. Any opportunities which could have been given to the children may be weighed down by the bad reputation that the parent has. This proverb teaches people to live in harmony with people.
8. “BASHIKOMBWE BABIJI KECHI BALAALA KIKUMBI KIMO NE”.
The meaning of this proverb is “Two roosters cannot sleep in the same cage.” The aim of this proverb is to express the idea that a community or a society can only have one leader at the top at any given point. It teaches that there cannot be two leaders occupying the same top spot at the same time. It emphasizes the importance for people to respect the person who has ascended to the top position of leadership.
9. “MU MUCHIMA WAMUKWENU MUNKUNDWE”
The meaning of this proverb is “Your friend’s heart is a wilderness”. The lesson behind this proverb is that you cannot tell what another person is thinking. It aims to teach people that they need to be cautious with the people who are around them because one can never know another person’s hidden evil intentions.
10. “BITOBALA BYO BIFWANA”
The meaning of this proverb is “That which is sweet often causes death”. The aim of this proverb is to teach people that too much of anything can be dangerous. It reminds people that they need to moderate some of the habits they indulge in so that they avoid the damaging effects that come out of excessive habits. The proverb is usually used to encourage younger people to control certain habits.
11. “MU KWENDA MU KUNANGA, MALUBUKILO KU MUSANZA.”
The meaning of this proverb is “Wherever you travel to, your home will always be there for you to return to”. The aim of this proverb is to remind people to always remember their home and the place where they come from no matter where they travel to.
12. “UYUKA MISONGO YA KIWELE KYOVWE MO BEKELA JIZHIBA JIMO.”
The meaning of this proverb is “Only a hippo can know the pains of a crocodile because they live in the same river.” This proverb expresses the idea that only a person who lives with you and has an eyewitness of what you are going through can give a credible testimony about what you are going through. The aim of the proverb is to discourage outsiders from involving themselves in other people’s private issues.
13. “KUYA NSHIMBA KUKEYA MAMBO.”
The meaning of this proverb is “The place where the wild cat often goes, is the place where trouble will come from one day.” The message behind this proverb is teach people that if they frequently go to a particular place, one day they will bring home trouble from that place. It aims to advice young people to refrain from frequently visiting places which are risky.
14. “KUBOKO KULONDA KUBOKO KUKWABO.”
The meaning of this proverb is “a hand follows a fellow hand”. It teaches that a good action is always reciprocated. The aim of this proverb is to remind people to do good to others as you want them to do good to you. It emphasizes the lesson that people will treat you the way you treat them. .
15. “MUNDA MU KYABU”
The meaning of this proverb is “A womb is a bridge”. The symbolism behind this proverb is that a family consists of both good and bad people and so a family should not be condemned for the mistakes of one person.
16. “BICHI BIJI PAMO BYOBISHENKANA.”
The meaning of this proverb is “Trees that are together are bound to brush against each other.” This proverb teaches that it is normal for people who live together to have misunderstandings and quarrels once in a while. The proverb is reminder to the members of the community that disagreements are part of communal life and these disagreements shouldn’t be taken to heart.
The above mentioned proverbs are just a small selection of the proverbs that the Kaonde people use to impart life lessons to the next generation. If you know any other Kaonde proverbs, feel free to write them in the comments section and give an explanation of what they mean and how they are used. It’s important to keep sharing knowledge and learning from one another.
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