SWAMPY TALES

My great-grandchild will probably wonder who a mail runner was. Unless we excavate and thoughtfully unearth hidden layers of civilization to see where this indispensable service provider then belonged. While mail runners in other parts of the world were in the ancient or mediaeval times, we had ours in colonial and modern times. Yes, as late as the fifties. For us born frees, we are accustomed to current courier services, including today’s bus driver/conductor arrangement. Everything looks so simple and automatic. You can send your parcel or documents from the Mwami border to Kasumbalesa within a day and almost effortlessly track its movement. It was not that easy a few decades back. In Ng’ungwa lived a speed walker nicknamed Nkana.  Why Nkana? “Nkana is a section of the city of Kitwe, Copperbelt Province, Zambia which started in the early part of the 20th century as a railway station to support the growing complexity of copper mining operations. It was named after Chief Nkan...

  MAANE MEKA It happened one evening. I was returning from school, bypassing an old man's hut in the village. My path passed near his hut, overshadowed by long, tall grass. I heard a faint, hoarse voice following me through the grass. I stopped and stooped to see where the voice was coming from. I realised there lived a very old but cunning man who was not well looked after by his relatives. Reason? He is the number one suspected witch in the community. Sweet honey I fought and defied my fear of meeting him. I had heard terrifying stories about him bewitching people and conning unsuspecting adults and children. People believed he gave people charms for ailments and funny problems, such as failure to hook up with the desired girl. He was also known to have been a hilarious storyteller. I approached him, his walking stick in one hand and an empty hard-rind gourd in the other, by the tattered mat on which he sat helplessly in the remnants of his veranda. He asked who I was, and I ...

  Happy and privileged to celebrate  World Fish Migration Day with the children of Mambilima this year. Be part of the fun by joining us via radio on various radio stations in Luapula. The event will be broadcast live on Luapula, Bangwela, Yangeni, K-FM and Lukwanga radio stations. Check out the details  HERE Meanwhile sing along, watch and dance with us as we Connect Fish, Rivers, and People  in the song  BWENKA UBUNE

In the wee hours of a Thursday morning,  Kabwibwi  (no real name) and a group of anxious women wait for the helpless  Sensele  (no real name), a blameless boy who has been sick for months. Sensele’s condition has worsened after they inflict his skinny body with a round of tattoos with which a concoction of tree roots’ and leaves’ powder was administered to cure the ‘thing that crisscrossed his abdomen.’ A reasonable quantity of his remaining little blood from his anemic malady oozed out during the curing process making him weaker, earlier in the day. Shore in Bwalya Mponda- Lunga The entire village is on its tentacles waiting to hear the bad news about Sensele. He has been in this critical condition for days. Today, everyone who is adult enough to know the difference between life and death knows that Sensele’s days on earth are over. His uncle’s hut is burned accidentally at a fishing camp, a sure signal for a pending misfortune.   They are now waiting for...

Sometime in October 2021, we woke up to the news that a combined team of village scouts and Zambia Wildlife Authority officers got into bitter combat with the villagers of Muwele, in which about 24 people got injured. The informer said ZAWA officers used live ammunition in the nasty exchange that erupted over the villagers’ protest against officers’ arresting one of them, who they allegedly found with game meat. Mpika Radio and other media later confirmed the sad news. Bangweulu Black Lechwe- Source of conflicts Such conflicts are common in Muwele, Lavushi Manda, part of the Bangweulu Swamps Game Management area. Lavushi Manda GMA is home to large herds of black Lechwe and other species. From time immemorial, people here have lived with and hunted animals for food. Since the introduction of Protected Area status, sporadic conflicts between the indigenous people and conservationists have become familiar occurrences in this highly volatile community.  This incident reminded me ...

   INSHITA 1 KU MATUNDACA “Muleteni tumulimune, acilamo. Ni mpulamafunde uyu! Mwikateni, mwileka abutuke! Uyoo! Mukunkunikeni! Iyee, kaatipo na ulubilo kankulungwe! Niko keene, eko basangile mwa Mwinga wa mfumu. Bushe kacilacitanshi mwabeene na muka-mfumu? Kabula na umucinshi na umwenso ka Mwambwenenekwi!” Layoti asantamuka. Apibile nga ubutonge mu meenshi. Alepemeseka nga akabwa kalekunkunika akalulu. Amona umushitibeti wakwe uwa maluba-maluba uko ulongene panshi ku mbali ya busanshi. Umusao nao uponene mupepi na akalimba ka Championi, akaafwa, lwa kukuso nga filya. Ubulangeti bwakusendamapo nabo nabwansuluka, nabutentemukila panshi lubali, asendemekofye pali citika lwa kumpela. Mu ng’anda mwena muli icibuutubuutu kwati muli inyali ku mulandu na umweshi. Alolesha uko akobeka ifyakufwala, amona fyonse filifye umo fyaabela. Filya aafwele mailo fyena fili akamwina lwa ku mitwe. Cilya apukunya umutwe, abyola, aumfwa iceena ca Kancina. Aibukisha ukuti eyo alekeleshe ukunwa. Elyo...

There are a million reasons why marriages fail. In addition, failed matrimonial unions have partners accusing each other of causing the break-up. Usually, consideration of the fate of children does not bother lovers-turned-enemies at all. Ultimately, innocent children pay the heavy price. Do you appreciate the value of growing up in a loving family? How much gratitude do your parents deserve if they endured so much to give you protection and a chance to grow up into a responsible person?  Lunga kid gazing at a doubtful distant future- Pic by LDA To understand why you must count your blessings if you had that tender loving care from both parents, think of those whose parents deprived them of that chance.  Every normal and responsible person knows that children brought up in broken homes face serious challenges. Usually, they do not only miss that vital affectionate care but also many opportunities because of the lack of necessities of life. But what does it mean to be brought...