WHY IS THE NAME ‘MPEZENI’ A WRONG ONE?
By Gumbi Kaziguda Jele
Over the past 7 decades or so, the name ‘Mpezeni’ has been a popular one among the Zambian mainstream media. Most of us have grown up knowing this name as the correct name for the amaNgoni Nation’s leader. But you see, the name has actually evolved over time. Depending on the early writers of Ngoni history, different versions exist of the name.
However, none of the earlier Ngoni historians ever tried to understand the meaning of this name. Worse more, no one ever thought the name was not confined to Zambia alone. Ignoring this aspect entailed people spelling the name based on how they heard the locals spell it. Over time, we got stuck with ‘Mpezeni’.
When Ngonis began to write their own books, mostly after 1975, they also began this task of trying to understand the meaning of the name. And by then, ‘MPEZENI’ was the popular version. So they assumed the name is of Nyanja/Chewa origins and interpreted it to mean ‘FIND HIM’. However, when further pressed to explain the historical root of this name which meant, ‘Find Him’, they rushed to refer to the 1898 British-Angoni war.
This was a big mistake! Again what was ignored was the fact that the name had been in use and even documented decades before the 1898 war. The new breed of Zambian journalists, the political face and historians still continued to use this wrong name of the Ngoni King. So what is the correct spelling and what is its historical foundation?
The correct name is in fact MPHEZENI from the verb UKUPHEZA meaning to ‘leave off’ or ‘discontinue’. The name has its roots in the flying heir incident of 1826 when most family members of his mother were killed and their
All the best…trying straightening a “seventy year old tree”. Where were you all these years? They say its easier to straighten a “sappling” bent out of shape that a tree past its formative years….besides if the owner of name has not cried foul…why should it bother you?