THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF SOME WESTERN PROVINCE TOWNS AND THEIR TRUE MEANING
1. MONGU:
The original name of the town that we know today as Mongu is “Mungu” a luyana names which means pumpkin.
There were a lot of pumpkins which were been grown in abundance in that region, one of the farmers was a man called Ndui, as a result people could just pick them as they wished. It was declared a district under the name Mongu-Lealui, in 1935 by the Governor of Northern Rhodesia, Hubert Winthrop Young, through Proclamation No. 5 of December 1934, which divided Northern Rhodesia into five Provinces. Later it was called Mongu-Lealui and now Mongu.
2. SENANGA:
The original name of the town that we know today as Senanga is “Sinanga” a lozi name which means river bank.
This is because the town is situated on southern part of the river bank of the Zambezi river. It was declared a district, in 1935 by the Governor of Northern Rhodesia, Hubert Winthrop Young, through Proclamation No. 5 of December 1934, which divided Northern Rhodesia into five Provinces.
3. KAOMA:
The original name of the town that we know today as Kaoma is “Mankoya”. This name was given because there were Nkoya people in that area. These people were given the to settle in the area by the Litunga. It was declared a district in 1935 by the Governor of Northern Rhodesia, Hubert Winthrop Young, through Proclamation No. 5 of December 1934, which divided Northern Rhodesia into five Provinces. The name Kaoma was only given in 1964, by the UNIP government. The name Kaoma comes from a small stream called Kaoma-Ndonga. Kaoma-Ndonga meaning “a dry stream”.
4. KALABO:
Kalabo district that we know today comes from a lozi word “Kalabo” which means a small paddling stick. This small paddling stick was used by a man called Namenda to paddle people on a river called Luanginga.
Thereafter people started referring Kalabo ka Namenda meaning Namenda’s small paddling stick. Kalabo was declared a district in 1935 by the Governor of Northern Rhodesia, Hubert Winthrop Young, through Proclamation No. 5 of December 1934, which divided Northern Rhodesia into five Provinces.
5. SESHEKE:
The district that we know today as Sesheke comes from the Luyana word “Sishekemene” meaning I cannot laugh. It come about when people went to fight Chief Mwanamwale, as they tried to stub him with a spear (muwayo), he started laughing and a fight ensured at that point.
The Luyana passed a proverb saying “Sishekemene wa Mwanamwale na musunga”, meaning I cannot laugh like Mwanamwale who has brought conflict. It was declared a district in 1935 by the Governor of Northern Rhodesia, Hubert Winthrop Young, through Proclamation No. 5 of December 1934, which divided Northern Rhodesia into five Provinces. Initially it was a place where Mwandi district is located today.
6. SHANGOMBO:
There are two version to this name, the first version is that Shang’ombo is a compound word from two Mbukushu words and these are “Sha” meaning “one who owns” and “Ng’ombo” or “ñombo” meaning “goats”. Shang’ombo therefore according to this version means, “one who owns goats.”
The second version is that of the Mbunda people, according to this version Shangombo is equally a compound word with two mbunda words and these are “Sha” meaning “father to” and “Ngombo.” Shangombo therefore according to this version means “Father to Ngombo” or Ngombo’s father.
SHANGOMBO was declared a district on October 23, 1997 by the then President Frederick Chiluba. Before that, this area, which included Sioma district as we know it today, was all part of Senanga and many people referred to it as Senanga West.
7. LUKULU:
The name that we call Lukulu today come about when King Lewanika went for hunting purposes in that area called Nangula.
As he was been asked about his area of jurisdictions, he answered in Luyuna saying “Litunga lwange likulu” meaning my land is big. The Mambowe changed the name from Likulu to Lukulu. It was declared a district around 1964 when Zambia got independence.
8. SIOMA:
The word SIOMA comes from the lozi word Lioma which means the Litunga’s royal drum which Mwanambinyi got from the Mbukushu people. At one point one of the royal drum was not made well. And people called it Sioma instead of Lioma. Sioma was declared a district in November, 2012 by the late President Michael Chilufya Sata.
9. NALOLO:
The word Nalolo came about as a result of people making “man`ele (Maolo)” which they used to build Princess Makwibi’s palace. So Nalolo comes from “Maolo”. Nalolo was declared a district in November, 2012 by the late President Michael Chilufya Sata.
10. LUAMPA:
Luampa was declared a district in Novermber, 2012 by the late President Michael Chilufya Sata. Initially it was part of Kaoma.
15. MWANDI: Mwandi was declared a district in December, 2013 by the late President Michael Chilufya Sata. Initially it was part of Sesheke district.
11. SIKONGO:
Skongo was declared a district in November, 2012 by the late President Michael Chilufya Sata. Initially it was part of Kalabo district.
12. MITETE:
Mitete was declared a district in November, 2012 by the late President Michael Chilufya Sata. Initially it was part of Lukulu district. Before the declaration of Mitete as a district it used to be called Lukulu West constituency, the Zambezi River divided the district into two parts.
13. NKEYEMA:
NKeyema was declared a district in December, 2013 by the late President Michael Chilufya Sata. Initially it was part of Kaoma district.
14. MULOBEZI:
The word mulobezi is a kololo word which means “sleeping”. Mulobezi was declared a district in 2013 by the late President Michael Chilufya Sata. Initially it was part of Sesheke district.
15. LIMULUNGA:
The word Limulunga means place of rumors. Limulunga is one of the two compounds of the Litunga, King of the Lozi people. It is his dry palace.
It lies on high ground at the edge of the Barotse Floodplain of the Zambezi river, about 15 km north of the town of Mongu and 21 km east of the main channel of the river. Limulunga was declared a district in December, 2012 by the late President Michael Chilufya Sata. Initially it was part of Mongu district.
CREDIT: BBN