Zambian Residents Safaris

NCWALA CEREMONY OF THE NGONI - CHIPATA

N’cwala Traditional Ceremony of the Ngoni People Nc’wala is an annual traditional ceremony where the Ngoni people of the Eastern Province of Zambia come together during the last weekend of February to pay homage to their chief Mpezeni and God for the gift of the first fruits and food. The N’cwala ceremony takes place every year on the last Saturday of February at Mtenguleni Village in Chipata. The Ceremony was revived in 1980 by Paramount Chief Mpezeni III, to enable the Ngoni people to pay homage to their ancestral spirits, commemorate their victories during their tribal wars when they migrated from the current day South Africa. The ceremony is also meant to praise God for giving them fresh crops in the fields. The Nc’wala traditional ceremony sparks various activities which are centered around the ceremony including the Ungoni Exhibition which is presented by the Ministry of Tourism and Arts at Luangwa House and visits to the Nsingo Community Museum where people turn up in numbers to learn more about the History of the Ngoni people. The Museum has various Ngoni cultural items on display and has a lot of history about the migration of the Ngoni speaking people from present-day KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa to Chipata, Eastern Province – Zambia. Guests from South Africa, Lesotho and Swazilan chiefdoms also attend the ceremony as they share a common ancestry. Other descendants also come from Tanzania. Many Zambian chiefs also grace the ceremony. A regular attendee is The Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda. The ceremony is spectacular with energetic dancing and high kicks. The little boys are a thrill to watch with their perfectly synchronised dance moves. Little warriors in training!