Abel Mambwe

Sharp shooter; photojournalist Abel Mambwe on a boat ride from Laelui back to Mongu.

Photographers

Photographers focusing their lenses as they aim to for the best shots of the departing Nalikwanda.

Royal peddlers

Royal peddlers flex their muscles as they push the Royal boat from Lealui to Mongu.

Royal Peddlers

One of the young lucky peddlers pondors his next move before the Royal boat took off during the Kuomboka ceremony.

The Nalikwanda

Royal peddlers preparing for the King to board the Nalikwanda (The Royal boat).

Royal pedllers

A royal peddler on the Nalikwanda prepares to showcase his talent. The peddlers are selected by a special committee and they have to apply to peddle on the Royal boat. The committee receives scores of applications and only a certain number is accepted and it is an honour to peddle the King.

Nalikwanda

The Litunga (King) boarding the Nalikwanda (boat)

Mpombo and King

Defence minister George Mpombo and the King of of the Lozi People emerge from the palace before boarding the Nalikwanda, the boat that transports the King from Lealui to Limulunga.

Last week, the Lozi people of western province in Zambia commemorated the annual Kuomboka traditional ceremony. This ceremony is all about migration from lower land to higher land.
The Litunga (King) moves on the Nalikwanda (big boat) with all his belongings from Lealui (low land) to Limulunga (upper land). He is escorted by a flury of smaller boats and the whole journey, which lastst almost the whole day is characterised by what some people may decide to call pomp and splendor.
When he reaches Limulunga, he is welcomed by a large multitude of his subjects and other visits from different parts of the world. Here, the Litunga performs a few traditional rituals before proceeding to the palace grounds where official speeches are made. The dancing and singing continues over night after the speeches. The Kuomboka ceremony has been commemorated for several years now. It is one of Zambia's major ceremonies and contributes greatly to Zambia's tourism development efforts.

Chiefs

Some of the chiefs that attended the Kuomboka traditional ceremony of the Lozi people.

Boat ride

Tourists on a boat ride on the plains in Mongu.

Boat ride

A boat ride from Mongu to Lealui plains where the King of the Lozi people boards the boat to Limulunga.

Reveller removed

Alert security personel drag a reveller from the stage during John Chiti's show in Mongu.

Reveller

A reveller hopes onto the stage during John Chiti's show in Mongu.

John Chit-2

John Chiti surveying his audience. As an albino, has revealed that his family rejected him saying he was a curse to the family. This included his own father. John come from the Copperbelt town of Ndola where he was raised but migrated to the capital, Lusaka to ply his musical talents. He is a good singer who has a good voice for the kind of Zambian music of thie generation and race has proved not to be a barrier in such endeavors.
This shifts my thoughts to Tanzania where albinos were being killed for ritual purposes. Here in Zambia, albino are being stigmatised but John Chiti had proved that they are people too.

John Chiti-1

Zambia's new music sensation John Chiti performing in Mongu. He has attracted a good crowds during his shows. He is a unique figureowing to his race. He has done a number of songs including the famous Valako chabe door (just close the door of my heart), Ifindingile (what suits me) etc. I have also observed that quite a number of albinos frequent his shows where ever he goes. I think they find a sense of belonging his music because he has done some work that speak out for the albinos.

Mampi

Zambian music diva, Mampi entertaining revellers during a show in Mongu last week. She had done a number of tracks such as the famous chimo ni chimo (a sin is a sin). Literally translated to mean a sin is a sin whether it is adultery, rape, burglary etc,).

Mampi reveller

A reveller saves an images after capturing Mapmi live on stage during the Kuomboka ceremony in Mongu.

APRIL 2008; A TRYING MOMENT FOR THE SDA IN ZAMBIA

The month of April this year has been a very trying moment for the Seventh Day Advestist church in Zambia.
This is the month when the church in Zambia and indeed the world over lost a man of God in the name of Dr Cornelius Matandiko. People from all walks of life across the world mourned this great orator who preached the word.
"The demise of Dr Matandiko is a great loss to the church in Zambia and the world at large, Said SDA southern Africa and Indian ocean region president Dr Paul Ratsara.
But just before tears could dry, the SAD church in Zambia suffered another major setback when a team of pathfinders was involved in a fatal road traffic accident. Five of the church members died on the spot and 10 others were rushed to hospital in a critical condition. Three days later half of those victims died.
The other survivord are still admitted to the University Teaching Hospital in Zambia, Zambia's largest hospital.
However, the mourning and loss of Dr Matandiko and those pathfinders did not stop the SDA community in Zambia from hosting the second women's ministries conference in Lusaka.
This event drew participants from Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa, Mozambique, Angola and Zimbabwe.
First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa was the guest of Honour.
This event provided an opportunity for the SDA church in Zambia to get over the losses suffered during the month of April.

Maureen arrival

First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa arrives for the Seventh Day Adventist Church second women's ministries conference which was held at the Mulungushi international conference centre in Lusaka on Tuesday, April 15, 2008. Mrs Mwanawasa arrived just before 11:00 hors and went for a briefing. She was dressed a a dress called Misisi, from one of the Zambian tribes called Lozi. During her address, the First Lady called for the casting away of gender inequalities even in the church. She said women were also able and capable people to perform the same tasks as their male counterparts.
THere was so much jubilation in the conference venue as the delegates expressed so much satisfaction with their contribution to the church.

Delegates entering the conference centre.

Women jubilating

Delegates from South Africa lead other particpants into the venue for the conference.

Women singing

Delegates from different countries participate in hymns before the start of the conference.

Zim women

Although their country is embroiled in a post-election crisis, these Zimbabwean delegates were bold enough to prepare and lift their national flag high.

First Lady and Dr Ratsara

First Lady maureen Mwanawasa with Seventh Day Adventist church president for southern Africa and Indian Ocean Islands Dr Paul Ratsara before officiating at the second women's ministries conference in Lusaka.

Zimbabwean Women

SDA delegates from Zimbabwean introduing themselves inside the Mulungushi international conference centre in Lusaka.

SDA women

The only two delegates from Mauritius and Madagascar, carrying their flag during the conference.

THE RAILWAYS SYSTEMS OF ZAMBIA PASSENGER TRAIN

A woman is helped to disembark from the Railway Systems of Zambia (RSZ) passenger train through a window at Kafue station.

Offloading cargo

A woman offloading her bags through a window of the RSZ train.

Snack on board

An unidentified girl has just bought a cob of maize and cakes to see he through the journey on the RSZ train. It is not possible to buy any snacks on that train because the service does not exist. Passengers have to jostle through congested windows and door ways to get food food when the train reaches a station.

Boarding RSZ train

Some passengers wait to board the RSz trains through the window because of congestion and overloading at the doors. One passenger having a gulp of Shake-Shake (a local alcoholic opaque brew) before jumping on the locomotive.

Dora Siliya on RSZ train ride

Transport and communications minister Dora Siliya having a feel on the RSZ train from Kafue to Shimabala. She was on a fact finding mission on allegations aginst the RSz that it had failed to run the railway system, which was concessioned from the government. A ministerial committee had submitted a report to her office and she was verifying those details. However, she discovered that some things were not in order and these included, the lack of a time schedule, poor water and sanitation, congestion and just general lack of standards on the coaches.

Over loadded train

PAssengers on an RSz train from Livingstone.

Train ride

Passengers from Southern province of Zambia crowded on the train. There was no space anywhere because all the places were occupied by human beings and cargo.

Stranded passengers at Kafue

A mother and her children are stranded at the RSZ Kafue station because the train was delayed. They had been waiting from 10:00 hours to 17:55 hours when the passenger train pitched up. The RSZ schedule for the locomotives is not reliable because the train never keep time.

RSZ locomotives

Transport and Comunications minister Dora Siliya inspecting the Kafue RSZ station.

Railway Systems of Zambia train

A locomotive engine leaves the Kafue station

Dr Matandiko

Photographers jostling to take the last images of Dr Matandiko in his casket after the funeral service.

I have decided to add more images from Dr matandiko's funeral owing to the numerous requests that have besieged me, especially from the Zambian community in the dispora.

I am quite humbled by the response and especially requests because they highlight the kind of man Dr Matandiko was.

I thought I should response favourably to the resquests because I take them to be my humble contribution to Dr Matandiko's works- serving humanity.

I would like to salute all the people that have visited my website and shall ever remain indebted to them.

HAMBA KAHLE DR MATANDIKO.

Best regards

Hamba Kahle Matandiko (go well Matandiko in Zulu)

DR Matandiko lays in state during the funeral mass.

Hamba Kahle Matandiko (go well Matandiko in Zulu)

Some SDA members escort the hurse caryying the casket for Dr Matandiko after a funeral mass. The scores of people that gathered for the funeral waved at the passing vehicle amid yelling and shouts of 'go well'.

Farewell

A hurse from Ideal funeral home carrying the casket for the late Dr Matandiko drives through the crowd as sobbing thousands who witnessed the funeral bid farewell the the fallen hero.

Pallbearers

Pallbearers carry the casket for the late Dr Cornelius Matandiko, whi died last week.

Hakainde Hichilema

United Party for National Development leader hakainde Hichilema (left) goes to pay last respects to Dr matandiko.

Dr Matandiko-RESPONSE

First lady maureen Mwanawasa goes to pay last respects to Dr Matandiko.

Matandiko's daughters

The late Zambia Seventh Day Adventist Union president Cornelius Matandiko's dauthters Charity (left) and Tina preseting a eulogy in honour of their late father during a funeral mass in Lusaka.

Dr Matandiko died on wednesday last week. Dr Matandiko has been described as an influencial man of God who loved God. During the fuenral service, which was characterised by sobbing women, men and youths, several speakers said Dr matandiko's demise would be hard to absorb.

Dr Matandiko was a popular speaker in his church and on fora such as on Zambia's public national broadcaster ZNBC, where he presented a religious programme 'Voice of Prophecy'. On this programme, Dr Matandiko's preaching prowess transformed many people's lives both with and across the boundaries of Zambia. He knew the Bible better than he knew the back of his hand. He was an eloquent speaker, who talked about God's kind ways. He would be remembered for many religious speeches such the 'PRAY', which he presented several years ago, but it still continues to change people's attitudes towards God. First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa, Health minister Dr Brian Chituwo, first Zambian president Dr Kenneth Kaunda and many other notable people were present at the funeral service. Dr Matandiko's funeral service was earlier earmarked for the SDA church in the suburbs of Lusaka's Libala twosnhip, but the large number of people from different parts of Zambia forced the church elders to move the venue to the show grounds, where the stadium terraces and every available spaces where packed to the brim. A somber atmosphere characterised the mood of the people and this crowd was often sent into tears by various speakers and singers who eulogised Dr Matandiko.

One such speaker was US based Dr Pardon Mwansa who said Dr Matandiko's life history was hard to prsent because he did so many things. He said if this history was to be written, then that book would be bulky. He said Dr Matandiko travelled round the world spreading the word and that was why many people were crying.

Dr Mwansa, whose speech was interrupted by sobs eulogised Dr Matandiko as a pillar that the SDA church would find hard to move without.

May his soul rest in peace.

Sister Victoria

Sister Victoria Matandiko leaves the stage after presenting the life history of her late brother Cornelius during a funeral service. The late Matandiko was a staunch Seventh day Adventist church member but the sister is a catholicnun.

Brian Chituwo

Health minister Brian Chtiuwo walks to the dias to present a government speech.

Flag

An SDA pathfinder flag hovers in front of the late SDA priest Cornelius Matandiko during a requiem mass in Lusaka.

Mourners

Part of the crowd that attended the funeral service.

Matandiko's coffin

Some SDA youths in Zambia lowering flags over the coffin of Cornelius Matandiko during a funeral service.

Chief Nyamphande

Chief Nyamphande browsing his mobile phone in Petauke district. There were also succession wrangles in his palace.