REWRITING HISTORY AND TELLING OUR OWN STORIES

Photo credit: Kafula Mwila

Teaching history to adolescents can attract a lot of questions. A few years back in one of the junior secondary school history classes, a debate started and within a short time escalated into a heated discussion on who discovered the Victoria Falls.

‘There were people already living there’, came one argument.

‘Maybe they lived there and they did not see it’, said another.

‘Or they didn’t know what it was’.

‘They knew what it was’, the first one said, ‘that is why they called it ‘Musi-o-tunya’ in SiLozi or ‘Shungu Namutitima’ in ChiTonga.

I waited for their passions to abate and then it came, the question that was always directed at teacher, ‘what about you madam, what do you think? Did Dr. David Livingstone discover the Victoria Falls?’

Photo credit: Kafula Mwila

 It is such and many related subjects that have distorted the historical picture of Zambia and probably many African nations. On the one hand, those children needed to pass an examination based on wrong information that had been authenticated in a text book. On the other hand, facts had been written from a perspective of triumphant discovery rather than respect and awe of a great wonder around which indigenous people had built a life.

Another type of misrepresentation rallies around heroes and heroines who made significant contribution to the historical development of Zambia. These great men and women have gone down unheard or information about them is unclear. One case in example is the history of Alice Regina Mulenga Lubusha also known as Alice Lenshina. Her religion has been deemed a cult and her activities termed rebellious and counter-productive. Well, only one side of her story has been heard. The truth behind her actions will never really be known as what is mostly available are impressions that others had about her.

Photo credit: Kafula Mwila

Therefore, how can a writer begin to retell stories from such a background? Creative art that draws from historical themes is faced with several problems. Is it possible to change Zambia’s narrative to one of triumph and victory and glory? For instance, is it possible to rewrite the victorious battles of the wonderful tribes of Zambia in a way that shows skill, power and knowledge rather than defeat and great loss? Can a writer outline the religious and traditional practices of old without demonizing the people that were associated with it?

Photo credit: Kafula Mwila

What sort of information does a modern day creative writer use then? With a lot of inaccurate facts and in most cases unavailable information, one would then have to take advantage of oral narratives and fill in gaps. For instance, the names of some traditional rulers and names of tribes were mispronounced by outsiders and the names have stuck to this day. Is it Mwene Mutapa or Mono Mutapa? Is it Mwata Kasembe or Mwata Kazembe? The Bemba or Lunda do not have ‘z’ in their language, so how has the country ended up with ‘Kazembe’ and not ‘Kasembe’, which is the word for ‘axe’ in ChiBemba? The Victoria Falls in Livingstone is a marvel. The surging of the mighty Zambezi River over the huge gorge is an attraction. Tourists come in hordes, especially between December and April, when the Zambezi is pregnant with a lot of water, to witness one of the mighty wonders of the world.  This is the most significant point of the winding journey of the river before it continues on to empty itself in the Indian Ocean. The geographical feature has put Zambia on the world map more than football has. It is amazing that the journey of the Zambezi that starts as a small spring hundreds of kilometers away in North-western Province, transforms into such a powerful force of nature. It was named after the Queen of England by missionary and explorer, Dr. David Livingstone. In his honour a large statue stands adjacent to the falls. There are two Africans who were with the explorer at the time of the ‘discovery’, Chuma and Susi. They are only lucky enough to be named after a lodge. Susi and Chuma were natives of Central Africa, probably hailed from the Yao tribe but very little is known about them. The couple were only heard of after the passing of Dr. David Livingstone in that they helped to transport his body for burial back in England. If we are to head ‘Toward a Zambian genre’, then these are some of the areas of history that need to be clarified, even rewritten.

ZAMBIA'S LITERARY LEGEND- Stephen A. Mpashi

We ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’. Pioneers who defy odds to show the world that there is nothing impossible or too hard if you put your heart and mind to it.  The late Stephen Andrea Mpashi (1923-1998) is a literary legend. His great works continue to speak about his strength and giftedness in the use of the oral narrative. His writing career started in the 1950s and Mpashi is one of the founding fathers of creative writing in Zambia. Between 1950 and 1978, this legendary writer penned both prose and poetry. The originality and authenticity in his creative purpose have made his work relevant to this day. He wrote in his mother tongue, Chi Bemba, a language that is widely spoken in Northern, Muchinga, Luapula, Copperbelt, Central and Lusaka provinces. This represents a large audience. Mpashi was born in northern Zambia and did his education at Lubushi Major Seminary in Kasama, after which he proceeded to the University of Exeter in England, where he studied Creative Writing. His feats were not restricted to pen and paper because Mpashi is said to have joined the Northern Rhodesian army and fought in the Second World War. He shared his military experience in a book he titled, ‘Cekesoni aingila ubu soja’ published in 1950.

After the war he taught at Central School in Luanshya, a mining town on the Copperbelt Province. By the time he was 45 years old, Mpashi retired early from the teaching service and settled in Lusaka to focus on his writing. Mpashi is said to have been a kind, compassionate and principled man. One of his daughters narrates how he declined an offer made to him by the Frist Republican President, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, to become Minister of Education. Mpashi’s reason was that he did not wish to mix politics with the values that he had placed on education. He turned his energy to writing and by the time of his passing, his books were well read in schools and by the public.  His books, listed below are still on sale in local bookshops and on Amazon.

·         1950: Cekesoni aingila ubu soja

·         1951: Uwakwensha ubushiku (detective story, which was republished in 1957)

·         1951: Ubusuma bubili (Advice to women on their appearance and conduct, which was republished in 1955)

·         1952: Umucinshi

·         1955: Uwauma nafyala

·         1955: IciBemba cesu na mano yaciko

·         1956: Uwakalema takaleka

·         1956: Pano Calo

·         1956: AbaPatili bafika ku ba Bemba (Republished in 1968)

·         1957: Pio akobekela Vera

·         1958: Bakutemwe (republished in 1972)

·         1960: Akatabo ka baice (republished in 1971)

·         1962: Amalango (a collection of Bemba poems)

·         1962: Ukupoka icisendo

·         1963: IciBemba na mano yaciko

·         1968: Pio na Vera (republished in 1996)

·         1978: Tusobolole iciBemba

If we are to head ‘Toward a Zambian genre’, literary heroes like Stephen Andrea Mpashi (MHSRIP), should never be forgotten. We should proudly sing about their victories and continue to promote their work. These legends have given the Zambian writer a foundation that can be used to grow the literary industry.