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 Remembering
The Elephant
by Yuyi
K Libakeni
Attractions of the Litunga's annual Kuomboka ceremony
are many but I believe many Kuomboka visitors would agree that the
three key attractions are the Litunga himself, his Nalikwanda state
barge and the towering elephant riding high on the white canopy of
the Nalikwanda. But has anybody said a word concerning their
origins? Well, the Lozi say lusimo imbwa nji matundwelelo (each
song has its beginning). It is the aim of this article to throw some
light on the historical origins of the elephant as the official
emblem of the Litunga and Barotse Royal Establishment in Zambia's
Western Province. But first a word on the Litungaship and Nalikwanda.
The Lozi believe, not unlike many others elsewhere in
the world, that the institution of the Litunga has been established
by God, Nyambe; just as fire is a gift from the sun as embodied in
the Siluyana saying mulilo ni musiala bali liywa, mbumu ni
musiala bali Nyambe. The Nalikwanda's origin is briskly given in
the saying kwa mbumu bo ku kale nanyi to no tanga Njonjolo? Mboo
Mwanasilundu to no litanga (which of our old chiefs originated
Nalikwanda, Mboo did it) Unfortunately there is no such categorical
response in respect of the adoption of the elephant, especially as
it symbolises the authority and presence of the Litunga. It is
however generally agreed that the elephant has been associated with
Lozi royalty from time immemorial. Like the cowrie shell that is
worn by the chief as a mark of distinction; the hippo whose teeth
provided a head piece for princes; the lechwe whose hide was the
high class dress material and eland providing the namaya, the
royal flyswitch; ndopu or elephant has been providing the
ivory bracelets that until recently was the monopoly of Lozi royals.
No doubt the Lozi had always admired the overwhelming powers of the
elephant, the king of the jungle - in line with their
characterisation of their king as kakwisa maci mbumu ni wa maci,
the all powerful. The notion of the elephant representing the
image of the Litunga, the Barotse nation (the land, for that is what
Litunga means)_is consistent with the saying ndopu wa selesaye,
something which belongs to everyone, for the Litunga belongs to all
and what hurts him hurts all, friends and enemies. Lutando lwa
ndopu no kuwaa - na akwae na afubalume, when it is time for
skinning an elephant one needs the assistance of all, friends and
rivals alike.
But the story of the elephant on the Nalikwanda is
said to start with Mulambwa Santulu to whom we owe so much about
Kuomboka. Mulambwa, Lewanika's grandfather, ruled from around 1780
until the 1830s. As a prince, Mulambwa was assgined by his brother
Litunga Mwanyanda Liwale to supervise the resettlement of the people
now commonly called Mankoya within today's Kaoma District. However
upon return Mulambwa learnt that some of his brothers and his own
mother had been murdered on the orders of the Litunga and that a
price had been placed on his own head. He escaped back to the Nkoya
who gave him protective medicine, which included riding a magical
elephant into his brother's capital. The sight by the Litunga of
Mulambwa riding the elephant, with the white cattle egret beside
him, sent everything in the capital helter-skelter; the Litunga
dying in the ensuing melee. Mulambwa became the undisputed heir and
in praise of him his people say ba ku funduka ni ba maulu bo ba
kukauka ni ba ndopu mukulwa malambo. He, Mulambwa, left on
foot but returned riding an elephant, the king of the jungle!
 Mulambwa
reigned for a long time and in peace. The nation was tranquil and
made progress. He reorganised the legal system for which he was
called the law giver. He fought against the slave trade urging his
people to trade in dogs not humans, hence his name Mulambwa from
muuleambwa. In honour of this great leader and to commemorate
his triumphant entry Lewanika decided to adopt the elephant as the
Litunga's emblem or standard. Observers will also note that the
Nalikwanda's canopy is made in the shape of the elephant and the
white cover of the canopy is in remembrance of the white egret who
sat in companionship with Mulambwa...
When the British colonised Northern Rhodesia, the
above arrangements were in operation although they were not
formalised with the new rulers until late in the 1930s. In 1937 the
Litunga applied to the Governor for authority to fly a flag carrying
an elephant. In supporting the application the then Provincial
Commissioner, Mongu, Lane Poole wrote the "native government (ie
Barotse Native Government or BNG) is now advanced to a stage when it
merits a flag..." The Governor with the approval of the Secretary of
State authorised three types of flags viz. the Litunga's royal
standard (black elephant on yellow background), National (Barotse),
and the Barotse National School (BNS) flags. Approved drawings were
made by the Director of Publicity of the Livingstone Publicity and
Travel Bureau. The draft standard had the inscription Lufuluhe,
laba ka tata, an exhortation to paddle harder. In the event,
only the standard was finally printed, apparently due to cost
considerations. For although the new Provincial Commissioner had
agreed with the Litunga and Kuta that "the flag will be the property
of every succeeding Paramount Chief it is essential that it ought to
be borne by the Native Treasury (ie the Barotse Native Treasury) the
(then) Assistant Chief Secretary in charge of Native Affairs, RS
Hudson, thought otherwise, though illogically. He ruled that the
Paramount Chief Yeta III should personally meet the cost because the
flag will be passed to his heirs with the remainder of his personal
possessions."
Well, every succeeding Paramount Chief has used the
standard and none of Yeta's family has claimed it! This writer has
had sight of a rifle, a Rigby Special 416 Bore for big game,
engraved with the standard ie the elephant, and the inscription"
Yeta III Paramount Chief of the Barotse Nation".
So next time you see an elephant on a pennant, the
Litunga's standard or simply flying , remember tou i nyemile,
the elephant is upset and Mulambwa's triumphant return.
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March 2004