Every nation has what brings it together, we might be out of Bukalanga land, but being Kalanga will always be part of our being. The Kalanga community in South Africa will once again hold a second, of its annual cultural festival in Johannesburg.

Date: 13^th of August 2016

Venue: Hillbrow Theatre

Theme: “Our language, Our Culture, Our Pride”

Admission: R30.00

The festival has grown from the first edition which attracted more than a thousand participants in 2015 and is set to attract a lot more this year. The event promotes and celebrates the Kalanga language and culture through a series of vibrant performances that include poetry, traditional music, dance and modern genres such as rhumba and gospel music.  Established and upcoming artists will line up to entertain the audience, with hundreds who attended the festival in 2015 eagerly waiting, as the clock ticks down.

A special feature at this year’s event is the highly anticipated Mr and Miss Bukalanga Beauty Pageant. This is expected to attract contestants from amongst young migrant workers and students based in Johannesburg. They will showcase a unique Kalanga, fashion, art and excellence including a presentation in Kalanga language. Various prizes and opportunities will be won, musi sale balume, nhanga ndeyenyu. Dobi, mahonja, tjimoni, hadza lezembwge, lemapfunde, Nhopi, Hanga (nhakula) and many more Kalanga dishes will be on sale at the venue. The previous event offered these foods, but demand exceeded the supply, not this time around, Bakalanga banowo wana zwodliwa. Banon’wa our home made brew will also be available.

Invited guests include high profile delegates from cultural organisations from South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The organisers have made efforts to invite a diverse range of guests including representatives from tribes and nations that relate to Bakalanga. To this end, BaVenda, Balobedu, VaShona, amaNdebele and amaZulu groups will be represented at this event.

Kalanga language, and culture form an integral part of the rich heritage that the Kalanga Language and Cultural Development Association (KLCDA), the organisers of the event, seek to promote through a variety of activities.

This year has seen an achievement of notable milestones in the promotion of Kalanga including the launch of a highly popular internet based radio station named Radio Bukalanga hosted in Johannesburg, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom. Prominent features on radio are the hilarious entertainers, Shaz na Gogole, who dish endless humour and educative entertainment to the ever growing base of listeners.

The association recently launched five books for use in teaching primary and secondary school learners. Tahangana Secondary School in Mangwe District is credited with being a pioneer in teaching of TjiKalanga for Form Ones. KLCDA is looking forward to rope on board more schools in 2017, as the association tirelessly works to facilitate the implementation of government’s policy of teaching local languages at schools. However, issues such as funding for books printing are pushing KLCDA to work tirelessly around the clock, to live the dream.

Kalanga dance, such as wosana, woso, kwayara and mabhiza have found a place in hearts of many South Africans, as they have been performed at events held at international venues such as the FNB Stadium in Soweto.  The Kalanga drum reverberated across an estimated audience of over 80 000 people and the crowd was mesmerised as the performers received thunderous ovations.

Abroad, The Bukalanga gathering scheduled for later this year will be the first ever cultural event for the community overseas. It is billed to be a historic placeholder in the cultural calendar the Kalanga community based in the United Kingdom.

Speaking about the event(s), chairman of the KLCDA Johannesburg Chapter, Liverson Mdongo wa Habe said;

‘’This years’ events marks yet another milestone in the renaissance of TjiKalanga. Our nation is witnessing significant strides in the revival of our heritage as we set a solid foundation for our future as a proud BaKalanga people. We are set for bigger achievements as we grow from strength to strength’’

Bakalanga will be kept on their toes by poets and artists such Hwehhu yeBukalanga, Bukalanga Gwamuka Tradinional Group, Tedzani and Bakalanga Traditional Group, Ithemba le Nsindiso Gospel Group, Nkedile Super Sounds, Progie & Kumbudzi Sounds, Bakalanga,  Goba Dzantolo to mention just a few.  The event is also to empower Bakalanga and those who do business with the community in South Africa by proving merchandising stalls for enterprises at the venue.

Sedzelani Bakalanga akuna nlume unomusa lukuta gomwe!

For more details contact;

Liverson Mdongo waHabe: +27 78 563 6797

Embassy Mahumba: +27 78 090 2873

Gerald Mantseye: +27 73 671 4974

Luswingo heritage site lies 36 km North of Plumtree Town in Zimbabwe on a hill by the riverbank of Thekwane River at Tokwana Village in Bulilima. Luswingo was built by BaKalanga in their distinguished workmanship in the fashion of Maswingo  and Kami heritage sites in Zimbabwe as well as Mapungubgwe and Domboshaba heritage sites in Southa Africa and Botswana respectively amongst others.

Though much smaller in size, the stone walled settlement exhibits the combination of both structural and civil engineering skills of early civilization. It  is situated near a water source (Thekwane River) and was established  to also serve for the purposes of security as a fortress. The top of the hill which makes the inner enclosure can only be accessed from the western side of the hill whilst there is a secret exit through a cave to the east towards the river. It is impossible toclimb the mountain from the secret exit.

‘Luswingo’ is a Kalanga word which means ‘stone wall’. Praise names of the famous Kalanga Kings, Mambo Tjibundule Hhowu and Mambo Tjilisamhulu Nitjasike Moyo glorify their security consciousness of constructing stonewalled fortresses asfollows:-

Mambo Tjibundule Hhowu;

‘Mbaki wamatombo asingangin’we tjita

Tjinoodla nkoma tjoongina naponi?’

‘Builder of mountains that can not be entered by enemies

From whence would the attackers enter?’

Mambo Tjilisamhulu Nitjasike Moyo;

‘Mhulu yonsikanyika

Isingabakigwe ngelupango gunopfusiwa ngelukonye

Koga inobakigwa neluswingo gwamabgwe’’

‘Calf of the creator of the earth

Whose kraal can not be built with logs which can be eaten by stalk-borers

But is built with a stone wall’

Luswingo seems to have been one of the key settlements of BaKalanga in Bulilima as it is between Dombodema and Tokwana areas which are the areas of origin for most BaKalanga in Bulilima who later dispersed to settle in various parts of Bulilima and beyond.  These areas consist of Nhope, which was controlled by the Habe clan, Lulo which was controlled by the Gonde clan and Ndzidzime which was controlled by the Nikuwana clan.

To the west of Luswingo is the famous Malitikwe mountain which has a secret cave whose opening was sealed like a granary compartment which suggests that it was a communal grain storage facility for use during times of famine and wars.

Luswingo, like all other similar structures had a spiritual significance with the famous whosana, ‘Njenjema’ having been linked to the site when he was in charge of a small rain shrine (daka) known as Zondani not far from Tokwana School in Bulilima District. Zondani rain shrine later relocated to Manyangwa at the time when Njenjema was still spiritually operational. To date, the rain shrine is still located at Manyagwa with whosanas from all over BuKalanga in Zimbabwe and Botswana making a pilgrim to the shrine every year in October to pray for rain.

The occasion of the  LUSWINGO CULTURAL FESTIVAL is like a retracing of steps by most BaKalanga to their cradle in Bulilima.

The walls of Luswingo are collapsing!

Could it be symbolic of the the collapse of our language and culture?

Luswingo gokolomoka!

Kungabe kulikolomoka kwelulimi nemilenje yedu kene?

Koobe lini tilumbidza matula emizi tletja edu emunywa nentjenje epfusiwa nezwipfusi!

Published in the Sunday News | Sunday, Apr 20, 2014 |

Cultural Heritage  with Pathisa Nyathi
LAST week we dealt with some characteristics of African dances. We did see that dances are rooted in their communities from which and within which they derive the meanings and messages that they communicate. The messages that they carry emanate from the community within which the messages derive their meanings.

We are now in a position where we can deal with the preliminary work on the symbolism behind the rain dances associated with the Njelele Shrine and other related shrines found mostly within the Matobo Hills. The two dances are hoso (amabhiza) and hosana. At the time when the Njelele shrine is open to supplicants, in August-September the two dances were performed. Supplicants came from different parts of the country. They arrived at different times of the open period.

They all headed for the shrine keeper’s homestead not far from the shrine. They will have brought with them various gifts that they presented at the shrine. Wild dancing ensued at the homestead while groups that arrived earlier proceeded up the hill to the shrine. There more dancing took place. The various local groups performed the hoso dance which precedes the hosana.

Both dances are drum-based. In the hoso dance the three drums have Kalanga names. Indeed, the dances associated with rain-making are of Kalanga origin. The big drum which is played first and provides the timeline, is called tjamabhika (literally, what you have cooked). The basis for the name has been lost over time. But noting that the dance is about rain-making which guarantees good agriculture, the resulting grain is cooked as staple for the people in question.

The next drum, the medium-sized one is called shangana neshumba (meet the lion). The senior spirits of the land are the humba/mondolo. Perhaps this is a reference to them. The third and last drum, the smallest of them all is called dukumo. Among the BaNyubi within the Matobo Hills the drum is generally referred to as mandobo (see Nyathi and Chikomo: 2012).

In this article our concern is not the technical side of musical production. Rather, our emphasis is on the underlying symbolism that is invoked to cause rain to fall. It is within this realm that beliefs and the worldview of the people are found. It is to these that we now turn.

Hoso dancers are males. They have distinctive kilts that they put on. What will be clear in their costumes is the absence of the colour red. As explained in an earlier article, red is associated with death which is the antithesis of life which lies at the heart of the Njelele concept.

Red is the colour associated with war where blood is spilled. To the contrary, Njelele is associated with peace, life and regeneration. Death goes against regeneration and the continuity of life. It is no wonder therefore, that the colour red is taboo during the rain-making ceremonies.

Even when the rains fall, the red colour is concealed as it is thought to attract lightning. When one is struck by lightning their life is either threatened or terminated. Either way, the colour red is associated with the termination of life – just the opposite of what Njelele stands for.

The male dancers, in addition to their kilts, put on characteristic head dresses comprising ostrich feathers, black and white with the two long ostrich feathers resembling horn formations. The two are white in colour. Each dancer holds in one hand a hand rattle made from a hollowed-out gourd into which seeds or stone pebbles are added. A handle is provided.

In the other hand a dancer holds a fly whisk usually of a horse or wildebeest. Invariably, its colour was black, making it align with the Njelele colour scheme, that of black.

The rest of the people form a circle with the central space forming the arena or stage where the dancers showcase their dancing prowess. It should be pointed out that the dancers from time to time, at different times, join the circle. Only some of them do this while the rest will still be on the stage. This is in line with the characteristic unity that is cherished within the community.

The persons forming the circle are either singing, clapping or lurching themselves into the arena to cheer on the male dancers. Some will be ululating wildly. The drummers decide when to push the dance to a higher level till it reaches the crescendo. The dancers advance in an artistic manner as they charge towards the drummers.

It is within this complex ensemble that symbolism and its related manipulation is played out, a symbolism that is associated with rain formation as understood within the context of the worldview of the people in question. Natural phenomena are understood differently by different communities. What may be touted as scientific explanations and interpretation may be nothing more than humbug in a different community, and vice versa.

When we identify and interpret the requisite symbolism we shall be doing so in a holistic manner; by dealing with the attire, the dance routines, the lyrics associated with the dance, the rattles, (hand and leg) the whistle and the drums themselves. The net result is a wholesome complex whose theme is rain. We could say it is rain operationalised when the various facets of the ensemble work collectively to create the conditions of rain or rain ambience.

November 4, 2015 Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu

Opinion Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu
AN aspect of our lives that many leaders usually talk about at various public meetings but practically do very little about is our culture. Zimbabwe comprises almost 20 different cultural communities many of which are differentiated by their languages or dialects as is the case in the Shona groups and also between the Xhosa and the Ndebele.

One cultural aspect that identifies a community is its various dances. There was a time when Hwange Colliery Company used to hold a massive cultural occasion yearly when each tribal group, headed by its “umfumo” exhibited its traditional dance or dances.

The Bulawayo City Council also used to organise such an occasion at the Stanley Square, and a large number of various cultural communities would turn up to participate in song and dance.

At the height of his political popularity, the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo’s successive parties, especially the National Democratic Party (NDP) Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) and the People’s Caretaker Council (PCC) organised more or less similar cultural occasions, a part of which was the consuming of traditional dishes and beverages prepared by each cultural group.

Today we seem not to show much pride in our cultural roots. I recently attended the official opening of the TG Silundika Community Cultural Centre (TGSCCC) at the Gala sector of Bulilima District’s Nata area and noticed that the local community did not have any traditional dancers or traditional song performers.

A couple of years ago, a cultural occasion was held at Luswingo, a stone’s throw away from Tokwana School in another part of the same area whose major cultural and historical background is Kalanga. At both events, cultural dances were most beautifully performed by Matjinge School pupils, a well-known young group of artistes that has represented Matabeleland South Province nationally.

Gala Primary School pupils presented an adaptation of an old Zulu classic composition, “Niyamazi uMnwana”, a four-pulse measure piece first sung and recorded by Hope Fountain Teacher Training Institution under the baton of Zero Chaba Kombani way back in 1956.

The unfortunate impression one gets at such occasions is that the local communities have nothing to offer in cultural terms. We should differentiate schoolchildren from communities in that in their daily lives, communities are guided by local traditions, culture and mores, while schoolchildren strictly follow their syllabuses.

Community leaders should show pride in keeping various cultural activities alive. It is very embarrassing to be a Tonga out there at Pashu without knowing a single Tonga traditional song, or to be a Kalanga out there at Kuwana (Nguwanyana) or Bhango, Hingwe, Madlambudzi, Kwiyani (St Joseph’s), Nopemano, Mhuke and Ntoli without knowing a single traditional tjiKalanga dance.

It is all well that we sing and dance to mbaqanga, house music and other music genres but those who regard the above music as being native to their own countries or regions do not sing in our languages or dance our hhoso, ndazula, peru and kwayara which are all Kalanga.

Taking the Kalanga community as an example, we can say it is possible to form small village-based cultural groups which can be visited and trained on how to perform one or more of the tribal traditional dances. At Hingwe, for instance, there must be someone who can still perform peru, a kind of dance in which Muriye Pamani Khupe was an expert.

At Masendu, it is possible to identify someone who can train others how to perform hhoso, a type of dance in which a man by the name Mabhange excelled. Mabhange’s counterpart at Tokwana was Bheleduna Khupe. At Bango, especially the Hhowuyawa area, there surely must be somebody left who can show young people how kwayara is performed. In 1960, children at Lugoti’s village (kaNlondo) were adept at that dance.

Nhopemano had the rain-dancer, Baka Mandiziba Bhoki Bhulu Khupe, whose village was a centre of convergence. It is very likely that there is somebody else who can teach some members how to perform that complicated specialist dance. It is important to remember that dances are not only a part of traditional performing art, but they are also a cultural means of communication.

Some Nguni dances communicate that community’s military skills. The Mwali (uNgwali) rain dance is a way of worship in which the whole body is involved, and is in the possession and control of supernatural powers during which it (the body) can roll, climb and wriggle far beyond its natural capabilities.

We should bear in mind that rain dancing is performed seasonally, starting in September and ending in November or early December. The most important part of that season is September when people converge and dance at their shrines in their respective regions.

It is, strictly speaking, traditionally improper to perform rain dances for political or merely social entertainment. They are a part of the traditional worshipping rites of the Kalanga people in which the Malaba house of Lubimbi plays the leading role.

Peru is for people who are at the height of their sexual virility. It is believed to have originated in the land of the Rotsi, Lozwi, Rozvi, Lozi of Lewanika (Luwananyika) and was introduced into the western region of the Mambo country through cultural and social contacts.

Some dances are meant to demonstrate the dancer’s pedal, bodily and even manual skills, that is to say, the dancers’ ability to make the relevant parts of his or her body perform as required. But other dances (hhoso, ndazula, kwayara) are for virtually any social occasion. The only difference is that some of them are performed by particular age groups. Ndazula, for example, is performed by elderly men.

Hhoso, what some isiNdebele speaking people refer to as amabhiza, is virtually for all age groups. The well-known Kalanga traditional dancer, Ntongwa Dube, performed that dance until his death, at well more than 70 years, at his home at Ramaquebana siding in Botswana.

He had led his wonderful troupe at the historic first Botswana independence anniversary in 1966. His magnificent performance was televised all over the world, from America to Vietnam.

People who live in regions neighbouring Botswana such as Dombodema Resettlement Area can certainly establish cultural exchange programmes with Ntongwa Dube’s descendants. Such programmes can include the training of some community-based groups in various types of Kalanga dances by some survivors of Ntongwa Dube’s troupe.

The importance of a community’s culture is fundamental to the community members’ self-esteem. Self-esteem is one of the human rights we derive from our national independence.

Dancing expresses that self-esteem.

Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu is a retired, Bulawayo-based journalist. He can be contacted on cell 0734 328 136 or through e-mail. sgwakuba@gmail.com

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TO suggest that Kalanga is a dialect of Shona is like suggesting that Zulu is a dialect of Ndebele, Emmanuel Moyo, the author of The Rebirth of BuKalanga said Sunday in an online presentation facilitated by Kalanga Language and Cultural Development Association.

Moyo, a  Kalanga twenty-first century researcher and author was responding to key questions pertaining to the history of the Kalanga people in a WhatsApp based Webinar.

Below are excerpts of the key questions and responses compiled by the moderator and rapporteur of the session, Divine Bhango Dube.

Some questions by members of the Kalanga WhatsApp platform and responses by the guest presenter have been standardised for clarity.

Question: Is there any similarity and relationship between the Njelele in Mesina, Matopo and Gokwe and is there a common deity for all of these?

Response: Njelele/Nzhelele refers to key centers of historic worship dze BaKalanga. Historically, BaKalanga, VhaVenda ne BaNambya ibanhu ban’ompela kakale mhili dzehango yabo ndiyedzi:

Zambezi to the Makhado Mountains (north to south) and originally from the Phungwe River (somewhere in central Mozambique today, but later pushed to morden-day Gweru (Gwilo) by Arabic and Portuguese slave-trade) up to central Botswana today. This all explains the various religious and cultural practices amongst these peoples.

Question: Bakalanga banobva poni? Bamwe banoti tibanhu ba Mambo related to the Rozvi bamwe bakati early Nguni group dzakabuya mbeli kwe Matebele, bamwe bekati tozwalana nema Pedi.

Response: BaPedi banozwalana be BaKalanga ibana ba Mambo bakatihha na Queen Modjadji (babe BaLobedu) nasi nentha yomwana wake azwagwa nezila ino yila (azwalisiwa ne hama ipedlo)

BaLozwi (corrupted to Rozvi) are central Kalanga people bunji gwabo bali baka Moyo) and you cant get any more Kalanga than that. Historically there is no direct relation between BaKalanga ne Matebele (Nguni) besides geographical proximity and conquest).

And a major falsehood that we quickly need to get out of the way is the one championed by certain Shona scholars and activists (and by the way even Ndebele ones), is the one that claims that BaKalanga are a “hybrid of the Ndebele an Karanga” who came out of intermarriage.

Thats a gigantic falsehood bearing in mind that all these groups found BaKalanga already in existence for centuries in this region. If need be we can then explain the Kalanga-Karanga relationship.

Question: What’s the relationship between the Karanga and Kalanga?

Response: The Karanga are the one who are a true hybrid of the Kalanga and Shona proper groups (the Zezuru-Manyika) alliance.

The languages and surnames are self explanatory.

The Kalanga had been in occupation of this whole land and Shona groups started moving in in large hordes in the 1700s onwards and there being no L in their language, Kalanga in regions they settled inevitably became Karanga and the language got diluted.

An immediate question lots of people raise once they hear this explanation is: but how about the numbers?

Check this out: over the last 170 years, what is now called Matebeleland was transformed (through conquest and other methods) from a predominantly Kalanga speaking region to Ndebele speaking.

Hence, the majority of people speaking Ndebele, Karanga and Setswa (northen Botswana) are actually Kalanga people. If you look at it that way you’ll immediately see that the Kalangaean groups are easily the 2nd or 3rd largest population group in Southern Africa after the Nguni groups and perhaps Sotho-Tswana groups.

Our language suffered the same fate as that of Hebrew (which at one point was the language of the most powerful empire.

Our language suffered a similar fate as that of Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin and Greek which were all languages of great empires but have over the years reduced to minority languages with the breakup of the empires.

Question: Who were traditional rainmakers kuBaKalanga?I grew up knowing its the Lubimbis and Malabas.

Response: Ilebeswa kuti Kalangaean society had clear demarcations of responsibilities. Baka Lubimbi were the Priests, first baka Hhowu (Ndlovu) an later Moyo the political class, etc. This is one aspect various writers in the field have used as a pointer to Semitic world origins of these people for Mwalism, the Kalangaean religion, has striking similarities with the Semitice religions of the Ancient Near East (ANE).

Question: Bakalanga ne Balilima beku Botswana banhu banimpola kene?

Response: (Laughs). Interesting question. I always say its like asking are the English of America, England and Australia related? Of course they are.

TjiLilima is just a dialect of TjiKalanga Group which includes Nambya, Western Venda, Pfumbi, etc. To distinguish TjiLilima from the dialect spoken in Bulilima-Mangwe (besides Talawunda) I use the term TjLozwi as it is closer to the last major center of Lozwi power – Nkami, now known as Khami.

Question: Is tjikalanga a dialect of shona?

Response: TjiKalanga has been spoken in Southern Africa for at least 500 years before anything called Shona was ever heard of. To suggest that Kalanga is a dialect of Shona is like suggesting that Zulu is a dialect of Ndebele.

Question: Bakalanga nebakhwa are they related?

Response: BaKalanga ne BaTjoa (so-called abaKhwa) bakagala for a long time bali ba bakidzani. Inevitably they intermarried hence bo Nibukhwa.

Question: What is the relationship between bakalanga and the Arabs and from which part of Africa did baKalanga originate?

Response: Arabs came into the region as traders and also did intermarry (most travelers were man).

BaKalanga originate in North East Africa (now Egypt-Sudan-Ethiopia region). Religion and archeology testify to this (Mwalism and the Nzimabgwe masonry).

No other African peoples South of the Sahara are known to share these attributes with Ancient Semitic Races as the Kalanga.

Question: Banhu baka Khuphe bakhwa kene BaKalanga dumbu?

Response: Bo Khupe BaKalanga who are ‘Pedified’, originating in Sekhukhuneland in whats called Khopeng.

Question: Kulebeswa kuti zwiboko zose zwemuka ndema body parts like *Nhliziyo* baKalanga?

Response: Excellent question. This is the most distinguishing feature of BaKalanga.

Just like Jews will be easily identified as Yehudah, Stein, Berg, Meyer, etc, so are the Kalanga easily identified by their animal name and body parts surnames, whatever language they speak or region they live – from Tanzania to the Cape Coast.

Question: Can you give us the list of Kalanga kings from the first to the last one.

Response: This is an incredibly difficult task since Kalangaean Mambos predominantly used dynastic titles more: e.g, Mambo, Tjibundule, Tjangamire, etc. some of them having originally started off as a name of one Mambo.

Secondly, the Portuguese recorders tended to write names as they understood or gave their own, clouding the whole thing.

(But nonetheless, I will give a list of some of them. Need to charge a phone in which I once prepared that list and share it here).

Also, remember this dynasty existed for some 1000 years, much of the time without any record since the days at Maphungubgwe around 1000AD, not to even mention earlier Mambos dating back, as some archeologists suggest, as back as 500 AD.

Question: Why do some Moyos n Dubes collude in Mangulanenkaka totem?

*Response*: Mangulanenkaka is a common praise for almost all BaKalanga, not limited to Moyo and Dube. I am at this time not sure what the origin of that is.

Questions: Any idear why Bakalanga moved away from Khami/Nkame ruins?

Response: Khami, occupied from about 1450 to 1650, was abandoned largely due to resource depletion just like Great Zimbabwe. Maphungubgwe had been abandoned as a result of a famine and fire that broke up in sometime in 1400, archeology tells us.

Question: Maswingo ekuGreat zimbabwe akatiwa exactly nezila yeKuLuswingo, can it be that Kalangas copied or they once lived there?

Response: Luswingo is simply singular for Maswingo. Great Zimbabwe, Khami and Maphungubgwe simply happened to be the more majestic and larger cities whereas smaller ones were spread all over the place from Venda to Hwange (Dzata,  Luswingo, Domboshaba, Bumbudzi, Nhalatale, so-called Dlodlo, etc).

Question: I have noted that maTebele despise and hate Bakalanga with a passion. Does this have historical connection to the way these tribes related to each other?

Response: The alleged Ndebele nation was built on conquest of BuKalanga. Any rise of the Kalanga nation is an existential threat to the alleged Ndebele nation. I cannot confirm the “hate with a passion” though.

Question:When I grew up ndandiwha badala beti timadamara takabva ku Namibia, bayapo BaKalanga  kuNamibia?

Response: I am not aware of that, but neither can I dispute that kungabe ne banhu be ludzi gwe Madamara (a Namibian people) bangabe bakahha beka gala pakati kwe BaKalanga bebva bazwidana BaKalanga bo.

Question: Kulebeswa kuti baKalanga bakatongogala ku Khami Ruins?

Response: BaKalanga abazogala koga mu Khami, baka baka Khami just as they did Maphungubgwe, Great Zimbabwe and all other Nzimabgwe masonic cities spread from Venda to Victoria Falls.

Dama ilo linoti Khami is a corruption of Nkami, a praise name from zwitetembelo with the phrase “nkami wedzisina mhulu”.

Question:Kobvani kuti ‘kalanga’ according to research findings??

Response: There are two major definitions we know of:

1) People of the North.
2) Good and wise people.

The first one is recorded in 1926 by a Swedish missionary who claims to have interviewed elderly men in their 80s at that time, who would have been born about the mid-1800s.

The second one comes from a medical doctor and Kalanga enthusiast of the BaSongye people (an offshoot of the Kalanga now found in the DRC).

Closing remarks: For fuller and more detailed explanations, check out Moyo’s  book, The Rebirth of BuKalanga which is freely available online.  Download pdf here

Extracted from the Chronicle
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
THE Kalanga Language and Cultural Development Association (KLCDA) will tomorrow host the 2016 edition of the Luswingo Kalanga Cultural Festival at Luswingo Heritage Site in Tokwana Village, Bulilima District.

KLCDA executive secretary Ntando Dumani said the festival, being held under the theme: “Tolumbidza milenje nemipanga yedu (Promoting our culture and traditions)”, was part of efforts by the association to preserve Kalanga traditional and cultural practices.
Some of the activities include traditional music and dance, poetry, drama, Kalanga jazz and an exhibition of traditional foods, cultural ruins and artefacts.

Artists from Botswana and South Africa are expected to attend the fete where local dance groups and poets will also perform.

Maretha Dube from the Zimbabwe Indigenous Languages Promotion Association will be the guest of honour.

“KLCDA will also facilitate a lecture on Kalanga history relating to Luswingo while the highlight of the day will be a guided tour of Luswingo Heritage Site,” said Dumani.

Luswingo heritage site is located 36 kilometres north of Plumtree Town on a hill by the banks of Thekwane River in Bulilima.

It was built by BaKalanga in their distinguished workmanship in the fashion of Masvingo and Khami heritage sites as well as Mapungubgwe and Domboshaba heritage sites in South Africa and Botswana respectively.

Though much smaller in size, the stone walled settlement exhibits the combination of both structural and civil engineering skills of early civilisation. ‘Luswingo’ is a Kalanga word which means ‘stone wall’. The heritage site was established to serve as a fortress for the purposes of security.

Luswingo Heritage Site was one of the key settlements of BaKalanga in Bulilima as it is between Dombodema and Tokwana areas which are the areas of origin for most BaKalanga in Bulilima who later dispersed to settle in various parts of Bulilima and beyond.

“Luswingo, like all other similar structures had a spiritual significance to the Kalanga people.

“The site had however, become a neglected place and we want to revive it so that people can realise its significance once again. We want to turn the site into a renowned artefact,” said Dumani.

He said the Luswingo Cultural Festival was a way of retracing the steps of the Kalanga community to their cradle in Bulilima District.

@DubeMatutu.

WHEN: 06 – 08 October 2017

TIME: 0800hrs kudza kuyedza daily!

WHERE: LUSWINGO HERITAGE SITE, Tokwana village, Bulilima

ADMISSION: Freee – Ndlanizwenyu

THEME: Lulimi gwedu, Milenje yedu, Buhe gwedu!!!

TRANSPORT: Available from Plumtree town, $5 round trip *Buy tickets in advance at T n’ T Restaurant..

ACTIVITIES: Lubahhe, Workshops, mayedziso, music and dance, Poetry, High School Kalanga Debate Contest, Traditional food shows and sales, Books, CDs, cultural artefacts and curios  as well as a GUIDED TOUR OF THE LUSWINGO HERITAGE SITE!

The Luswingo festival is part of various activities and festivals by the Kalanga language and Cultural Development Association (KLCDA) which are aimed at promoting the revival and growth of TjiKalanga Language and Culture as well as celebrating our identity and heritage.

Learn more about Luswingo Heritage Site here

For more information, please call Thamani +263 772 321 575, Lydia +263 772 899 133 and  Ntando +263775962762

BaKalanga abazozwibiga pasi, bakulukugwi bakabe belebesa kuti “Wasudza mankuku ndewalibulaya, walimenha masiba loobuya likasinila amwe!” Hawo ke masiba osinila !

The Kalanga Language and Cultural Development Association will, on the 17th of June 2016 launch 5 Kalanga books authored by various independent writers as a means of boosting Kalanga literature which is one thing that has hampered its effective teaching in schools and Institutions of Higher Learning.

The recognition of TjiKalanga as one of the official languages in the new constitution of the republic of Zimbabwe has exposed a literary gap that needs the effort of academics and writers to fill. Ntandoyenkosi Dumani, Belthazor Mlalazi, Nontobeko Sibanda and Nomathemba Ndlovu have risen up to that challenge and will on that day unveil the fruits of their work to the public.

Date: 17 June 2016

Venue: TMB Hall, Plumtree Twon Council

Time: 0900hrs

Guest of honor: Prof Jonathan Moyo (Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education)

Please confirm your attendance on or before Tuesday 14 June 2016 by email: info@kalanga.org or by phone : 0775 962 762

Brief information about the books;

1. Zwitunho nezwitetembelo zweBaKalanga (Kalanga totems and praise names) by Ntando Dumani

   About the author:

Ntando Dumani is a budding writer having published three books in 2015, two of  which are currently used by Great Zimbabwe University as set books for their  teacher capacity building program for TjiKalanga. (Articles and Mentions –  Plumtree writer publishes three Kalanga books    Kalanga Books Launched )

 About the Book:

The book traces the totems and praise names in Kalanga surnames. It goes on to   touch on praise names for BuKalanga Kings and their Chiefs from King Tjibundule   up to King Nitjasike as well as praise names for ‘Mwali of Njelele’. This book has a  wealth of knowledge about Kalanga political, settlement and economic history  from a clan level, which is embedded in age old praise names and frozen over time. The 90 page book has a rendition of 26 praise names including commentary and analysis of the praise names. This is a culmination of 2 years of research reaching out to hundreds of Kalanga elders and other knowledgeable people.

2. Gombalume Pedzani (The Hero, Pedzani) by Belthazor Mlalazi

 About the author:

Belthazor Mlalazi is an experienced teacher having taught Literature in  English for decades. He has a passion for TjiKalanga and has written various  works most of which has not yet been published. Mlalazi is currently  studying towards an Honors Degree in Education (Secondary) majoring in  TjiKalanga at Great Zimbabwe University.

 About the Book:

Gombalume Pedzani tells the story of colonialism and the liberation  struggle. While the story has been told by various authors, he endeavors to  tell it from a perspective of how it unfolded in BuKalanga, a perspective  which has not really been explored. The book unravels the pains borne by  the communities from the ire of colonialism and the sacrifices they made  during the liberation struggle. The book is written in rich language which displays the convergence of skill and experience.

3. Matukuta, Malopa Nemihodzi (Sweat, Blood and Tears)  by Belthazor Mlalazi                       

  About the book:

‘Matukuta, Malopa neMihodzi’ is a continuous poem in the fashion of ‘The      Song of Lawino’. It traces the hardships that befell the nation at different times  of the history of Zimbabwe. The whites came into the land like a stalk borer  which ate into the nation and destroyed its sovereignty, destroying its heritage  taking them into servitude. This is where the first chapter of the book ‘Lukonye  Gutjena’ (The white stalk borer) derives its meaning.

There came a time where the blacks fought back, liberating the country from  the chains of colonialism after the shedding of blood and tears. The painful  narrative was the emergence of tribalism and ethnic tensions which almost  destroyed the nation. The chapter, ‘Malopa nemihodzi’ (Blood and tears)  endevaours to remind the nation that hard times have befallen us, some of  those wounds are yet to heal. It also reminds the leadership that tribalism and  ethnic intolerance is a poison in the nation.

The last chapter ‘Eke ntolo’ (The good old days) portrays the writer looking back, yearning for the life that he lived long back. He reminisces the good old days when our culture and traditions were not yet eroded.

4. Kwakati Kulintolo (Once upon a time) by Nontobeko Sibanda, Nomathemba Ndlovu, Ntando Dumani

 About the Authors:

This book was written by Nomathemba Ndlovu and Nontobeko Sibanda  with guidance from Ntandoyenkosi Dumani

Nontobeko and Nomathema are emerging Kalanga writers who have  been involved in various Kalanga projects and are finding their way into  the literary arts. Nontobeko is also involved in the Bible Translation  project while Nomathemba is involved in the Secondary Schools  Textbook writing project..

 About the book:

Kwakati kulintolo is a collection of 16 folk tales written for all age  groups. The folktales contain moral lessons which mould a society as  well as wisdom embedded in the age old tales.

5. Kalanga Basic Vocabulary

About the Authors:

Same as above

About the book:

The Kalanga Basic Vocabulary contains the first words you need to learn in TjiKalanga. They have been chosen for their everyday usefulness. The book is useful for beginners in TjiKalanga and those who work amongst BaKalanga and need to master the spoken language in a short time. It gives the English word and its Kalanga equivalent.

This booklet is a useful tool for all those that wish to learn the language for various purposes.

Every nation has what brings it together, we might be out of Bukalanga land, but being Kalanga will always be part of our being. The Kalanga community in South Africa will once again hold a second, of its annual cultural festival in Johannesburg.

Date: 13^th of August 2016

Venue: Hillbrow Theatre

Theme: “Our language, Our Culture, Our Pride”

Admission: R30.00

The festival has grown from the first edition which attracted more than a thousand participants in 2015 and is set to attract a lot more this year. The event promotes and celebrates the Kalanga language and culture through a series of vibrant performances that include poetry, traditional music, dance and modern genres such as rhumba and gospel music.  Established and upcoming artists will line up to entertain the audience, with hundreds who attended the festival in 2015 eagerly waiting, as the clock ticks down.

A special feature at this year’s event is the highly anticipated Mr and Miss Bukalanga Beauty Pageant. This is expected to attract contestants from amongst young migrant workers and students based in Johannesburg. They will showcase a unique Kalanga, fashion, art and excellence including a presentation in Kalanga language. Various prizes and opportunities will be won, musi sale balume, nhanga ndeyenyu. Dobi, mahonja, tjimoni, hadza lezembwge, lemapfunde, Nhopi, Hanga (nhakula) and many more Kalanga dishes will be on sale at the venue. The previous event offered these foods, but demand exceeded the supply, not this time around, Bakalanga banowo wana zwodliwa. Banon’wa our home made brew will also be available.

Invited guests include high profile delegates from cultural organisations from South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The organisers have made efforts to invite a diverse range of guests including representatives from tribes and nations that relate to Bakalanga. To this end, BaVenda, Balobedu, VaShona, amaNdebele and amaZulu groups will be represented at this event.

Kalanga language, and culture form an integral part of the rich heritage that the Kalanga Language and Cultural Development Association (KLCDA), the organisers of the event, seek to promote through a variety of activities.

This year has seen an achievement of notable milestones in the promotion of Kalanga including the launch of a highly popular internet based radio station named Radio Bukalanga hosted in Johannesburg, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom. Prominent features on radio are the hilarious entertainers, Shaz na Gogole, who dish endless humour and educative entertainment to the ever growing base of listeners.

The association recently launched five books for use in teaching primary and secondary school learners. Tahangana Secondary School in Mangwe District is credited with being a pioneer in teaching of TjiKalanga for Form Ones. KLCDA is looking forward to rope on board more schools in 2017, as the association tirelessly works to facilitate the implementation of government’s policy of teaching local languages at schools. However, issues such as funding for books printing are pushing KLCDA to work tirelessly around the clock, to live the dream.

Kalanga dance, such as wosana, woso, kwayara and mabhiza have found a place in hearts of many South Africans, as they have been performed at events held at international venues such as the FNB Stadium in Soweto.  The Kalanga drum reverberated across an estimated audience of over 80 000 people and the crowd was mesmerised as the performers received thunderous ovations.

Abroad, The Bukalanga gathering scheduled for later this year will be the first ever cultural event for the community overseas. It is billed to be a historic placeholder in the cultural calendar the Kalanga community based in the United Kingdom.

Speaking about the event(s), chairman of the KLCDA Johannesburg Chapter, Liverson Mdongo wa Habe said;

‘’This years’ events marks yet another milestone in the renaissance of TjiKalanga. Our nation is witnessing significant strides in the revival of our heritage as we set a solid foundation for our future as a proud BaKalanga people. We are set for bigger achievements as we grow from strength to strength’’

Bakalanga will be kept on their toes by poets and artists such Hwehhu yeBukalanga, Bukalanga Gwamuka Tradinional Group, Tedzani and Bakalanga Traditional Group, Ithemba le Nsindiso Gospel Group, Nkedile Super Sounds, Progie & Kumbudzi Sounds, Bakalanga,  Goba Dzantolo to mention just a few.  The event is also to empower Bakalanga and those who do business with the community in South Africa by proving merchandising stalls for enterprises at the venue.

Sedzelani Bakalanga akuna nlume unomusa lukuta gomwe!

For more details contact;

Liverson Mdongo waHabe: +27 78 563 6797

Embassy Mahumba: +27 78 090 2873

Gerald Mantseye: +27 73 671 4974

Luswingo heritage site lies 36 km North of Plumtree Town in Zimbabwe on a hill by the riverbank of Thekwane River at Tokwana Village in Bulilima. Luswingo was built by BaKalanga in their distinguished workmanship in the fashion of Maswingo  and Kami heritage sites in Zimbabwe as well as Mapungubgwe and Domboshaba heritage sites in Southa Africa and Botswana respectively amongst others.

Though much smaller in size, the stone walled settlement exhibits the combination of both structural and civil engineering skills of early civilization. It  is situated near a water source (Thekwane River) and was established  to also serve for the purposes of security as a fortress. The top of the hill which makes the inner enclosure can only be accessed from the western side of the hill whilst there is a secret exit through a cave to the east towards the river. It is impossible toclimb the mountain from the secret exit.

‘Luswingo’ is a Kalanga word which means ‘stone wall’. Praise names of the famous Kalanga Kings, Mambo Tjibundule Hhowu and Mambo Tjilisamhulu Nitjasike Moyo glorify their security consciousness of constructing stonewalled fortresses asfollows:-

Mambo Tjibundule Hhowu;

‘Mbaki wamatombo asingangin’we tjita

Tjinoodla nkoma tjoongina naponi?’

‘Builder of mountains that can not be entered by enemies

From whence would the attackers enter?’

Mambo Tjilisamhulu Nitjasike Moyo;

‘Mhulu yonsikanyika

Isingabakigwe ngelupango gunopfusiwa ngelukonye

Koga inobakigwa neluswingo gwamabgwe’’

‘Calf of the creator of the earth

Whose kraal can not be built with logs which can be eaten by stalk-borers

But is built with a stone wall’

Luswingo seems to have been one of the key settlements of BaKalanga in Bulilima as it is between Dombodema and Tokwana areas which are the areas of origin for most BaKalanga in Bulilima who later dispersed to settle in various parts of Bulilima and beyond.  These areas consist of Nhope, which was controlled by the Habe clan, Lulo which was controlled by the Gonde clan and Ndzidzime which was controlled by the Nikuwana clan.

To the west of Luswingo is the famous Malitikwe mountain which has a secret cave whose opening was sealed like a granary compartment which suggests that it was a communal grain storage facility for use during times of famine and wars.

Luswingo, like all other similar structures had a spiritual significance with the famous whosana, ‘Njenjema’ having been linked to the site when he was in charge of a small rain shrine (daka) known as Zondani not far from Tokwana School in Bulilima District. Zondani rain shrine later relocated to Manyangwa at the time when Njenjema was still spiritually operational. To date, the rain shrine is still located at Manyagwa with whosanas from all over BuKalanga in Zimbabwe and Botswana making a pilgrim to the shrine every year in October to pray for rain.

The occasion of the  LUSWINGO CULTURAL FESTIVAL is like a retracing of steps by most BaKalanga to their cradle in Bulilima.

The walls of Luswingo are collapsing!

Could it be symbolic of the the collapse of our language and culture?

Luswingo gokolomoka!

Kungabe kulikolomoka kwelulimi nemilenje yedu kene?

Koobe lini tilumbidza matula emizi tletja edu emunywa nentjenje epfusiwa nezwipfusi!

Published in the Sunday News | Sunday, Apr 20, 2014 |

Cultural Heritage  with Pathisa Nyathi
LAST week we dealt with some characteristics of African dances. We did see that dances are rooted in their communities from which and within which they derive the meanings and messages that they communicate. The messages that they carry emanate from the community within which the messages derive their meanings.

We are now in a position where we can deal with the preliminary work on the symbolism behind the rain dances associated with the Njelele Shrine and other related shrines found mostly within the Matobo Hills. The two dances are hoso (amabhiza) and hosana. At the time when the Njelele shrine is open to supplicants, in August-September the two dances were performed. Supplicants came from different parts of the country. They arrived at different times of the open period.

They all headed for the shrine keeper’s homestead not far from the shrine. They will have brought with them various gifts that they presented at the shrine. Wild dancing ensued at the homestead while groups that arrived earlier proceeded up the hill to the shrine. There more dancing took place. The various local groups performed the hoso dance which precedes the hosana.

Both dances are drum-based. In the hoso dance the three drums have Kalanga names. Indeed, the dances associated with rain-making are of Kalanga origin. The big drum which is played first and provides the timeline, is called tjamabhika (literally, what you have cooked). The basis for the name has been lost over time. But noting that the dance is about rain-making which guarantees good agriculture, the resulting grain is cooked as staple for the people in question.

The next drum, the medium-sized one is called shangana neshumba (meet the lion). The senior spirits of the land are the humba/mondolo. Perhaps this is a reference to them. The third and last drum, the smallest of them all is called dukumo. Among the BaNyubi within the Matobo Hills the drum is generally referred to as mandobo (see Nyathi and Chikomo: 2012).

In this article our concern is not the technical side of musical production. Rather, our emphasis is on the underlying symbolism that is invoked to cause rain to fall. It is within this realm that beliefs and the worldview of the people are found. It is to these that we now turn.

Hoso dancers are males. They have distinctive kilts that they put on. What will be clear in their costumes is the absence of the colour red. As explained in an earlier article, red is associated with death which is the antithesis of life which lies at the heart of the Njelele concept.

Red is the colour associated with war where blood is spilled. To the contrary, Njelele is associated with peace, life and regeneration. Death goes against regeneration and the continuity of life. It is no wonder therefore, that the colour red is taboo during the rain-making ceremonies.

Even when the rains fall, the red colour is concealed as it is thought to attract lightning. When one is struck by lightning their life is either threatened or terminated. Either way, the colour red is associated with the termination of life – just the opposite of what Njelele stands for.

The male dancers, in addition to their kilts, put on characteristic head dresses comprising ostrich feathers, black and white with the two long ostrich feathers resembling horn formations. The two are white in colour. Each dancer holds in one hand a hand rattle made from a hollowed-out gourd into which seeds or stone pebbles are added. A handle is provided.

In the other hand a dancer holds a fly whisk usually of a horse or wildebeest. Invariably, its colour was black, making it align with the Njelele colour scheme, that of black.

The rest of the people form a circle with the central space forming the arena or stage where the dancers showcase their dancing prowess. It should be pointed out that the dancers from time to time, at different times, join the circle. Only some of them do this while the rest will still be on the stage. This is in line with the characteristic unity that is cherished within the community.

The persons forming the circle are either singing, clapping or lurching themselves into the arena to cheer on the male dancers. Some will be ululating wildly. The drummers decide when to push the dance to a higher level till it reaches the crescendo. The dancers advance in an artistic manner as they charge towards the drummers.

It is within this complex ensemble that symbolism and its related manipulation is played out, a symbolism that is associated with rain formation as understood within the context of the worldview of the people in question. Natural phenomena are understood differently by different communities. What may be touted as scientific explanations and interpretation may be nothing more than humbug in a different community, and vice versa.

When we identify and interpret the requisite symbolism we shall be doing so in a holistic manner; by dealing with the attire, the dance routines, the lyrics associated with the dance, the rattles, (hand and leg) the whistle and the drums themselves. The net result is a wholesome complex whose theme is rain. We could say it is rain operationalised when the various facets of the ensemble work collectively to create the conditions of rain or rain ambience.

November 4, 2015 Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu

Opinion Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu
AN aspect of our lives that many leaders usually talk about at various public meetings but practically do very little about is our culture. Zimbabwe comprises almost 20 different cultural communities many of which are differentiated by their languages or dialects as is the case in the Shona groups and also between the Xhosa and the Ndebele.

One cultural aspect that identifies a community is its various dances. There was a time when Hwange Colliery Company used to hold a massive cultural occasion yearly when each tribal group, headed by its “umfumo” exhibited its traditional dance or dances.

The Bulawayo City Council also used to organise such an occasion at the Stanley Square, and a large number of various cultural communities would turn up to participate in song and dance.

At the height of his political popularity, the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo’s successive parties, especially the National Democratic Party (NDP) Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) and the People’s Caretaker Council (PCC) organised more or less similar cultural occasions, a part of which was the consuming of traditional dishes and beverages prepared by each cultural group.

Today we seem not to show much pride in our cultural roots. I recently attended the official opening of the TG Silundika Community Cultural Centre (TGSCCC) at the Gala sector of Bulilima District’s Nata area and noticed that the local community did not have any traditional dancers or traditional song performers.

A couple of years ago, a cultural occasion was held at Luswingo, a stone’s throw away from Tokwana School in another part of the same area whose major cultural and historical background is Kalanga. At both events, cultural dances were most beautifully performed by Matjinge School pupils, a well-known young group of artistes that has represented Matabeleland South Province nationally.

Gala Primary School pupils presented an adaptation of an old Zulu classic composition, “Niyamazi uMnwana”, a four-pulse measure piece first sung and recorded by Hope Fountain Teacher Training Institution under the baton of Zero Chaba Kombani way back in 1956.

The unfortunate impression one gets at such occasions is that the local communities have nothing to offer in cultural terms. We should differentiate schoolchildren from communities in that in their daily lives, communities are guided by local traditions, culture and mores, while schoolchildren strictly follow their syllabuses.

Community leaders should show pride in keeping various cultural activities alive. It is very embarrassing to be a Tonga out there at Pashu without knowing a single Tonga traditional song, or to be a Kalanga out there at Kuwana (Nguwanyana) or Bhango, Hingwe, Madlambudzi, Kwiyani (St Joseph’s), Nopemano, Mhuke and Ntoli without knowing a single traditional tjiKalanga dance.

It is all well that we sing and dance to mbaqanga, house music and other music genres but those who regard the above music as being native to their own countries or regions do not sing in our languages or dance our hhoso, ndazula, peru and kwayara which are all Kalanga.

Taking the Kalanga community as an example, we can say it is possible to form small village-based cultural groups which can be visited and trained on how to perform one or more of the tribal traditional dances. At Hingwe, for instance, there must be someone who can still perform peru, a kind of dance in which Muriye Pamani Khupe was an expert.

At Masendu, it is possible to identify someone who can train others how to perform hhoso, a type of dance in which a man by the name Mabhange excelled. Mabhange’s counterpart at Tokwana was Bheleduna Khupe. At Bango, especially the Hhowuyawa area, there surely must be somebody left who can show young people how kwayara is performed. In 1960, children at Lugoti’s village (kaNlondo) were adept at that dance.

Nhopemano had the rain-dancer, Baka Mandiziba Bhoki Bhulu Khupe, whose village was a centre of convergence. It is very likely that there is somebody else who can teach some members how to perform that complicated specialist dance. It is important to remember that dances are not only a part of traditional performing art, but they are also a cultural means of communication.

Some Nguni dances communicate that community’s military skills. The Mwali (uNgwali) rain dance is a way of worship in which the whole body is involved, and is in the possession and control of supernatural powers during which it (the body) can roll, climb and wriggle far beyond its natural capabilities.

We should bear in mind that rain dancing is performed seasonally, starting in September and ending in November or early December. The most important part of that season is September when people converge and dance at their shrines in their respective regions.

It is, strictly speaking, traditionally improper to perform rain dances for political or merely social entertainment. They are a part of the traditional worshipping rites of the Kalanga people in which the Malaba house of Lubimbi plays the leading role.

Peru is for people who are at the height of their sexual virility. It is believed to have originated in the land of the Rotsi, Lozwi, Rozvi, Lozi of Lewanika (Luwananyika) and was introduced into the western region of the Mambo country through cultural and social contacts.

Some dances are meant to demonstrate the dancer’s pedal, bodily and even manual skills, that is to say, the dancers’ ability to make the relevant parts of his or her body perform as required. But other dances (hhoso, ndazula, kwayara) are for virtually any social occasion. The only difference is that some of them are performed by particular age groups. Ndazula, for example, is performed by elderly men.

Hhoso, what some isiNdebele speaking people refer to as amabhiza, is virtually for all age groups. The well-known Kalanga traditional dancer, Ntongwa Dube, performed that dance until his death, at well more than 70 years, at his home at Ramaquebana siding in Botswana.

He had led his wonderful troupe at the historic first Botswana independence anniversary in 1966. His magnificent performance was televised all over the world, from America to Vietnam.

People who live in regions neighbouring Botswana such as Dombodema Resettlement Area can certainly establish cultural exchange programmes with Ntongwa Dube’s descendants. Such programmes can include the training of some community-based groups in various types of Kalanga dances by some survivors of Ntongwa Dube’s troupe.

The importance of a community’s culture is fundamental to the community members’ self-esteem. Self-esteem is one of the human rights we derive from our national independence.

Dancing expresses that self-esteem.

Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu is a retired, Bulawayo-based journalist. He can be contacted on cell 0734 328 136 or through e-mail. sgwakuba@gmail.com

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TO suggest that Kalanga is a dialect of Shona is like suggesting that Zulu is a dialect of Ndebele, Emmanuel Moyo, the author of The Rebirth of BuKalanga said Sunday in an online presentation facilitated by Kalanga Language and Cultural Development Association.

Moyo, a  Kalanga twenty-first century researcher and author was responding to key questions pertaining to the history of the Kalanga people in a WhatsApp based Webinar.

Below are excerpts of the key questions and responses compiled by the moderator and rapporteur of the session, Divine Bhango Dube.

Some questions by members of the Kalanga WhatsApp platform and responses by the guest presenter have been standardised for clarity.

Question: Is there any similarity and relationship between the Njelele in Mesina, Matopo and Gokwe and is there a common deity for all of these?

Response: Njelele/Nzhelele refers to key centers of historic worship dze BaKalanga. Historically, BaKalanga, VhaVenda ne BaNambya ibanhu ban’ompela kakale mhili dzehango yabo ndiyedzi:

Zambezi to the Makhado Mountains (north to south) and originally from the Phungwe River (somewhere in central Mozambique today, but later pushed to morden-day Gweru (Gwilo) by Arabic and Portuguese slave-trade) up to central Botswana today. This all explains the various religious and cultural practices amongst these peoples.

Question: Bakalanga banobva poni? Bamwe banoti tibanhu ba Mambo related to the Rozvi bamwe bakati early Nguni group dzakabuya mbeli kwe Matebele, bamwe bekati tozwalana nema Pedi.

Response: BaPedi banozwalana be BaKalanga ibana ba Mambo bakatihha na Queen Modjadji (babe BaLobedu) nasi nentha yomwana wake azwagwa nezila ino yila (azwalisiwa ne hama ipedlo)

BaLozwi (corrupted to Rozvi) are central Kalanga people bunji gwabo bali baka Moyo) and you cant get any more Kalanga than that. Historically there is no direct relation between BaKalanga ne Matebele (Nguni) besides geographical proximity and conquest).

And a major falsehood that we quickly need to get out of the way is the one championed by certain Shona scholars and activists (and by the way even Ndebele ones), is the one that claims that BaKalanga are a “hybrid of the Ndebele an Karanga” who came out of intermarriage.

Thats a gigantic falsehood bearing in mind that all these groups found BaKalanga already in existence for centuries in this region. If need be we can then explain the Kalanga-Karanga relationship.

Question: What’s the relationship between the Karanga and Kalanga?

Response: The Karanga are the one who are a true hybrid of the Kalanga and Shona proper groups (the Zezuru-Manyika) alliance.

The languages and surnames are self explanatory.

The Kalanga had been in occupation of this whole land and Shona groups started moving in in large hordes in the 1700s onwards and there being no L in their language, Kalanga in regions they settled inevitably became Karanga and the language got diluted.

An immediate question lots of people raise once they hear this explanation is: but how about the numbers?

Check this out: over the last 170 years, what is now called Matebeleland was transformed (through conquest and other methods) from a predominantly Kalanga speaking region to Ndebele speaking.

Hence, the majority of people speaking Ndebele, Karanga and Setswa (northen Botswana) are actually Kalanga people. If you look at it that way you’ll immediately see that the Kalangaean groups are easily the 2nd or 3rd largest population group in Southern Africa after the Nguni groups and perhaps Sotho-Tswana groups.

Our language suffered the same fate as that of Hebrew (which at one point was the language of the most powerful empire.

Our language suffered a similar fate as that of Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin and Greek which were all languages of great empires but have over the years reduced to minority languages with the breakup of the empires.

Question: Who were traditional rainmakers kuBaKalanga?I grew up knowing its the Lubimbis and Malabas.

Response: Ilebeswa kuti Kalangaean society had clear demarcations of responsibilities. Baka Lubimbi were the Priests, first baka Hhowu (Ndlovu) an later Moyo the political class, etc. This is one aspect various writers in the field have used as a pointer to Semitic world origins of these people for Mwalism, the Kalangaean religion, has striking similarities with the Semitice religions of the Ancient Near East (ANE).

Question: Bakalanga ne Balilima beku Botswana banhu banimpola kene?

Response: (Laughs). Interesting question. I always say its like asking are the English of America, England and Australia related? Of course they are.

TjiLilima is just a dialect of TjiKalanga Group which includes Nambya, Western Venda, Pfumbi, etc. To distinguish TjiLilima from the dialect spoken in Bulilima-Mangwe (besides Talawunda) I use the term TjLozwi as it is closer to the last major center of Lozwi power – Nkami, now known as Khami.

Question: Is tjikalanga a dialect of shona?

Response: TjiKalanga has been spoken in Southern Africa for at least 500 years before anything called Shona was ever heard of. To suggest that Kalanga is a dialect of Shona is like suggesting that Zulu is a dialect of Ndebele.

Question: Bakalanga nebakhwa are they related?

Response: BaKalanga ne BaTjoa (so-called abaKhwa) bakagala for a long time bali ba bakidzani. Inevitably they intermarried hence bo Nibukhwa.

Question: What is the relationship between bakalanga and the Arabs and from which part of Africa did baKalanga originate?

Response: Arabs came into the region as traders and also did intermarry (most travelers were man).

BaKalanga originate in North East Africa (now Egypt-Sudan-Ethiopia region). Religion and archeology testify to this (Mwalism and the Nzimabgwe masonry).

No other African peoples South of the Sahara are known to share these attributes with Ancient Semitic Races as the Kalanga.

Question: Banhu baka Khuphe bakhwa kene BaKalanga dumbu?

Response: Bo Khupe BaKalanga who are ‘Pedified’, originating in Sekhukhuneland in whats called Khopeng.

Question: Kulebeswa kuti zwiboko zose zwemuka ndema body parts like *Nhliziyo* baKalanga?

Response: Excellent question. This is the most distinguishing feature of BaKalanga.

Just like Jews will be easily identified as Yehudah, Stein, Berg, Meyer, etc, so are the Kalanga easily identified by their animal name and body parts surnames, whatever language they speak or region they live – from Tanzania to the Cape Coast.

Question: Can you give us the list of Kalanga kings from the first to the last one.

Response: This is an incredibly difficult task since Kalangaean Mambos predominantly used dynastic titles more: e.g, Mambo, Tjibundule, Tjangamire, etc. some of them having originally started off as a name of one Mambo.

Secondly, the Portuguese recorders tended to write names as they understood or gave their own, clouding the whole thing.

(But nonetheless, I will give a list of some of them. Need to charge a phone in which I once prepared that list and share it here).

Also, remember this dynasty existed for some 1000 years, much of the time without any record since the days at Maphungubgwe around 1000AD, not to even mention earlier Mambos dating back, as some archeologists suggest, as back as 500 AD.

Question: Why do some Moyos n Dubes collude in Mangulanenkaka totem?

*Response*: Mangulanenkaka is a common praise for almost all BaKalanga, not limited to Moyo and Dube. I am at this time not sure what the origin of that is.

Questions: Any idear why Bakalanga moved away from Khami/Nkame ruins?

Response: Khami, occupied from about 1450 to 1650, was abandoned largely due to resource depletion just like Great Zimbabwe. Maphungubgwe had been abandoned as a result of a famine and fire that broke up in sometime in 1400, archeology tells us.

Question: Maswingo ekuGreat zimbabwe akatiwa exactly nezila yeKuLuswingo, can it be that Kalangas copied or they once lived there?

Response: Luswingo is simply singular for Maswingo. Great Zimbabwe, Khami and Maphungubgwe simply happened to be the more majestic and larger cities whereas smaller ones were spread all over the place from Venda to Hwange (Dzata,  Luswingo, Domboshaba, Bumbudzi, Nhalatale, so-called Dlodlo, etc).

Question: I have noted that maTebele despise and hate Bakalanga with a passion. Does this have historical connection to the way these tribes related to each other?

Response: The alleged Ndebele nation was built on conquest of BuKalanga. Any rise of the Kalanga nation is an existential threat to the alleged Ndebele nation. I cannot confirm the “hate with a passion” though.

Question:When I grew up ndandiwha badala beti timadamara takabva ku Namibia, bayapo BaKalanga  kuNamibia?

Response: I am not aware of that, but neither can I dispute that kungabe ne banhu be ludzi gwe Madamara (a Namibian people) bangabe bakahha beka gala pakati kwe BaKalanga bebva bazwidana BaKalanga bo.

Question: Kulebeswa kuti baKalanga bakatongogala ku Khami Ruins?

Response: BaKalanga abazogala koga mu Khami, baka baka Khami just as they did Maphungubgwe, Great Zimbabwe and all other Nzimabgwe masonic cities spread from Venda to Victoria Falls.

Dama ilo linoti Khami is a corruption of Nkami, a praise name from zwitetembelo with the phrase “nkami wedzisina mhulu”.

Question:Kobvani kuti ‘kalanga’ according to research findings??

Response: There are two major definitions we know of:

1) People of the North.
2) Good and wise people.

The first one is recorded in 1926 by a Swedish missionary who claims to have interviewed elderly men in their 80s at that time, who would have been born about the mid-1800s.

The second one comes from a medical doctor and Kalanga enthusiast of the BaSongye people (an offshoot of the Kalanga now found in the DRC).

Closing remarks: For fuller and more detailed explanations, check out Moyo’s  book, The Rebirth of BuKalanga which is freely available online.  Download pdf here

Extracted from the Chronicle
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
THE Kalanga Language and Cultural Development Association (KLCDA) will tomorrow host the 2016 edition of the Luswingo Kalanga Cultural Festival at Luswingo Heritage Site in Tokwana Village, Bulilima District.

KLCDA executive secretary Ntando Dumani said the festival, being held under the theme: “Tolumbidza milenje nemipanga yedu (Promoting our culture and traditions)”, was part of efforts by the association to preserve Kalanga traditional and cultural practices.
Some of the activities include traditional music and dance, poetry, drama, Kalanga jazz and an exhibition of traditional foods, cultural ruins and artefacts.

Artists from Botswana and South Africa are expected to attend the fete where local dance groups and poets will also perform.

Maretha Dube from the Zimbabwe Indigenous Languages Promotion Association will be the guest of honour.

“KLCDA will also facilitate a lecture on Kalanga history relating to Luswingo while the highlight of the day will be a guided tour of Luswingo Heritage Site,” said Dumani.

Luswingo heritage site is located 36 kilometres north of Plumtree Town on a hill by the banks of Thekwane River in Bulilima.

It was built by BaKalanga in their distinguished workmanship in the fashion of Masvingo and Khami heritage sites as well as Mapungubgwe and Domboshaba heritage sites in South Africa and Botswana respectively.

Though much smaller in size, the stone walled settlement exhibits the combination of both structural and civil engineering skills of early civilisation. ‘Luswingo’ is a Kalanga word which means ‘stone wall’. The heritage site was established to serve as a fortress for the purposes of security.

Luswingo Heritage Site was one of the key settlements of BaKalanga in Bulilima as it is between Dombodema and Tokwana areas which are the areas of origin for most BaKalanga in Bulilima who later dispersed to settle in various parts of Bulilima and beyond.

“Luswingo, like all other similar structures had a spiritual significance to the Kalanga people.

“The site had however, become a neglected place and we want to revive it so that people can realise its significance once again. We want to turn the site into a renowned artefact,” said Dumani.

He said the Luswingo Cultural Festival was a way of retracing the steps of the Kalanga community to their cradle in Bulilima District.

@DubeMatutu.

WHEN: 06 – 08 October 2017

TIME: 0800hrs kudza kuyedza daily!

WHERE: LUSWINGO HERITAGE SITE, Tokwana village, Bulilima

ADMISSION: Freee – Ndlanizwenyu

THEME: Lulimi gwedu, Milenje yedu, Buhe gwedu!!!

TRANSPORT: Available from Plumtree town, $5 round trip *Buy tickets in advance at T n’ T Restaurant..

ACTIVITIES: Lubahhe, Workshops, mayedziso, music and dance, Poetry, High School Kalanga Debate Contest, Traditional food shows and sales, Books, CDs, cultural artefacts and curios  as well as a GUIDED TOUR OF THE LUSWINGO HERITAGE SITE!

The Luswingo festival is part of various activities and festivals by the Kalanga language and Cultural Development Association (KLCDA) which are aimed at promoting the revival and growth of TjiKalanga Language and Culture as well as celebrating our identity and heritage.

Learn more about Luswingo Heritage Site here

For more information, please call Thamani +263 772 321 575, Lydia +263 772 899 133 and  Ntando +263775962762

Budziwa whunyimiwa baKalanga, bhuzwani bakabona gudo gulu Ndingo Jowha liloba katari limwemetela koga “Wasudza ukalinyima vula gudo ……. zana ujali utendeleka”. Nozana nebanana bebuKalanga bakabezana lumbo igogu bejali beposa Bhato betendeleka. Kwakazipa tjose kuLuswingo.

Ndati ndimutole ndimukumbudze hule mugole la 2019 Luswingo Festival.
Kana banhu banjinji banogala bezwibhuzwa kuti hha baKalanga benda kuLuswingo banobe betani ikweno mubhani lakajeya linamatombo. Ndotongowha bamwe beti ndiko kunotiwa mithanithani yose yebaKalanga. Saziba ulufu gamugulu wakatongobona Sotja Moyo etjulukana ehunama pasi emimila eti ndooboka makamu angu ndiyo mithanithani yebaKalanga inolebgwa, ndisikangan’we bana bana bantogwa yemeweee bana bano biga gumbo pasi abeya bepesuka bejeya ungati Tjibundule naTjilisamulu bamuka ntja. Ndiyo mithanithani inoyemugwa bon’wa nebanhu.

Bakalanga ibanhu banabunhu kwazo atelikuti hha bethama mizano yabo abatokoka dzimwe njudzi, banobakoka kuti bewohwa bezwifalayidza nemilenje yeTjiKalanga. Gole leli takakumbiwa nebezi be Zim Digital bewotola ma Vidiyo nemifananidzo bekubunganya luzibo nekweludzi.

Nyambi dzihhele kubaKalanga kuna bana bekwele bakathama nhetembo dzetjiKalanga kukadonela mumoyo, dzimwe dzisekesa kwazo. Ndokumbula mbisana wakati  banamabende simani mumande , ndati nditjebuka hule kwangu ndibona kadzikulu tjibhata nlomo tjinyikinya n’holo kuleba kuti tjinamabende. 

Nzano weLuswingo wegole la 2019 wakabe uzipa kwazo. Banoyemula swika kuLuswingo kumatongo swikani zwenyu tikudze milenje nemipanga yebaKalanga.

Banoyemula bengabona mavidiyo eLuswingo.

Yakwagwa na Shelton Lubimbi

*The effects of language marginalisation to its speakers*
_By: Shelton K. Lubimbi_
_19 FEBRUARY 2020_

“TjiKalanga is a dead language,” said a retired teacher who once taught at different schools in Mangwe which includes Kwite and Hobodo primary schools.

The most amaizing thing is that she could speak fluent Kalanga, yet she kept saying Kalanga must not be taught because it has no impact at all in our lives.

She boasted that TjiKalanga has no Teachers, no content and no resources. She even alleged that all the Kalanga teachers who were enrolled at Colleges had not performed well in their ‘O’ Levels, hence not qualified to teach in Zimbabwe.

I am so disappointed as a TjiKalanga unemployed teacher to hear such news from an elder who can speak TjiKalanga yet she is against the language .

_Mhembgwe Ludzi._ This proverb says it runs in the family like father like son like mother like daughter. l wonder what her children think about the language. She must have taught them not to dare speak or learn TjiKalanga.

If we continue looking down upon ourselves nobody is going to look at us.