THE 2006 Nc'wala ceremony of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province held at Mtenguleni in Chipata last weekend of February was as spectacular as the solar eclipse witnessed by the Ngoni warriors in 1835 as they crossed the Luangwa river at Zumbo to go and settle in present day Chipata.

The event which is held annually in February, for the first time showcased the high level of development which has taken place in the telecommunications industry in the country as a whole.

The ceremony attracted a record crowd of over 25,000 people. Interestingly, the majority of the crowd had mobile phones, adding a touch of modernity to an ancient ritual.

And thanks to the competition between Zambia's three mobile phone service providers (CELTEL [Zambia] Limited, Zambia Telecommunications Company (ZAMTEL and MTN) the sounds and sights of the ceremony will have been transmitted live to all corners of Zambia and beyond to friends and relations unable to make the trip to Mtenguleni.

However, perhaps because of the heavy presence of these phones there were some network problems experienced by users at certain intervals especially those on the CELTEL network.

As echoed by the guest of honour President Mwanawasa that traditional ceremonies were there to unite the 72 tribes of Zambia, it was gratifying that his royal highness Chief Mukuni of the Tonga people of Southern Province attended the 2006 Nc'wala ceremony at Mtenguleni.

Chief Mukuni's presence at the ceremony was indeed an honour to Inkosi Yama Nkosi Paramount Chief Mpezeni IV and his subjects.

Surely, traditional ceremonies cut across race, culture, tribe, borders and nations in uniting people.

This oneness exhibited by his royal highness Chief Mukuni should be emulated by all chiefs and their subjects in Zambia.

Since Zambia is for all Zambians it will be nice to see many Ngoni chiefs attending say the Kuomboka in Western , Umutomboko in Luapula, Kulamba Kubwalo in Central , Ukusefya pa Ng'wena in Northern Province and so on to enhance unity among the people of Zambia.

It must be stated here that it is because of the unity and selflessness among the over 72 tribes of Zambia that the nation has managed to maintain peace since Independence.

This is what it should be and it must be encouraged.

Zambians from the all the 72 tribes are asked to continue loving and supporting one another through interaction during traditional ceremonies.

At the main arena [NKHUZYENI] the Nc'wala ceremony organising committee led by Angela Chifire the national chairperson and the Ngoni Royal Establishment chairman general George Mwanza did precisely what was expected of them by the people in many years the ceremony has been going on.

The motorists as well as pedestrians were quite happy and relived that the arena which for years had no alternative entry and exit roads around it this time had roads constructed around it by the Zambia National Service [ZNS] personnel.

The development cheered many motorists who for years had to go through the agony of waiting for hours in a traffic jam queue as traffic slowly cleared away at a snail's pace.

According to Chifire the roads were constructed or the very purpose of decongesting traffic and this is a welcome move and development that added some beauty to Mtenguleni in the eyes of all who attended the event which was revived in 1980.

On the one hand, it was also interesting to see permanent structure being erected and not yet completed which was used as a cash bar.

This structure ,though , small once finished will surely change he face of Mtenguleni in the years to come.

It provided a good , hygienic and health environment for people especially those who enjoy alcohol.

It is hoped that the putting up of this structure will see a lot more others being built as Chifire put it that her committee was for looking for cooperating partners from the corporate world to partner with to ensure Mtenguleni had permanent structures built for the ceremony .

If this is done then no doubt Mtenguleni will live up to the expectations of and status as a tourist destination.

By virtue of the fact that since Mtenguleni is the permanent home of the Nc'wala Ceremony, then it is only wise that permanent structures of modern art are built for the future generation and ceremonies after all UNGONI SIUNGAPERE[ the Ngoni tradition and culture shall not end].

On the other hand , because of the large crowd that attended the ceremony there was a critical shortage of accommodation so much such that people who could not find rest houses in Chipata town and around Mtenguleni spent their nights in the cold dancing and drinking beer at either Mwabombeni , Struggle or Mtenguleni bars.

The D-day was Saturday 25 th February , 2006 and Mtenguleni was turned into a sea of people as early as 07.00 hours in morning.

As word went round that President Mwanawasa was coming to grace the occasion the mood of the people became pregnant with great expectations and their spirits were lifted high.

Meanwhile, the Laweni [Mpezeni's dormitory] grounds were parked with Ngoni impis dancing ngoma [the Ngoni Warriors war dance].

There were several vibaya [kraals] dancing ngoma from Lubanga, Fumbe, Chiphinga, Ndyelo, Mtengula, Shanaganani[Lusaka] and many others too numerous to mention who were out there trying by all means to out-do one another.

Finally, the Presidential motorcade arrived much to the excitement of the expectant crowd.

After the welcoming remarks from the organisers it was time for the guest of honour to address the occasion .

The crowd was sent into a frenzy of excitement when the President announced that his administration will from effective April 1 this year scrap all use-fees in all rural health centres and that children would have access to free education up to grade seven and that the government was considering extending this facility up to grade twelve level.

There was more jubilation when President Mwanawasa informed the gathering that the MMD government would continue with the policy of subsidising farming inputs such fertilizer to enhance food security in the nation.

At this stage one Ngoni man failed to control his emotions and excitement at the news and stood up and then started praising that President Mwanawasa should be allowed to continue to rule the nation as he had very well during his reign . But surprisingly the man was whisked away by security officers much to the disapproval of the crowd.

At the end of his speech everybody was convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that in President Mwanawasa Zambia had found a quality leader who could help improve the lives of many Zambians.

The defining moment, however, for the ceremony finally arrived.

This is the slaughtering of a bull [Mnikelo]. The bull was tied to a rope in the centre of the main arena [Nkhuzyeni].

With the whole focus of attention on Mnikelo the Ngoni warrior assigned to spear the animal did a bad job as his spear was not precise and the animal did not die with a single strike.

In full view of everybody the animal charged at its assailant who ran for his life but quickly returned with two quick strikes much to the amusement and amusement of the watching crowd.

Under normal circumstances the animal is supposed to be struck once and not three with a spear. So this was another bizarre experience of the day.

The Ngoni impis then quickly collected the fresh blood from the animal as it was dying on a plate called Chingwembe and presented it to the chief Mpezeni who in turn drank it amid flashes from the cameras .

This ritual was then followed by another called Msamulo [the eating of partially roasted meat from the slaughtered animal] by the chief.

Against all this drama , excitement , surprises and joy before and during the ceremony one can conclude that indeed the 2006 Nc'wala Ceremony was a spectacular one.