Bemba People: The Bemba (BaBemba) are a Bantu people living in southern Africa, in the region stretching from Eastern Katanga (DR Congo) to Zambia.
Some communities are also established in Angola. The Bemba ethnic group is composed of tribes which include; Bemba, Lamba, Tabwa, and each tribe is subdivided into a clan called “Mukowa”.
The passage of power among the Bembas follows a matrilineal line, from the maternal uncle to the nephew.
The Bembas and Bazelas have been mining copper since time immemorial in Katanga. Copper craftsmen called themselves “copper eaters”.
Source: ANISH-MEDIA INTL
Bemba Wedding Traditions
Bemba traditional marriage was contracted by gradual steps, a series of stages, generally marked by ritual, by which a young man became incorporated into his wife’s family and exchanged his services for food and general support from his relatives-in-law.
After the marriage agreement has been reached, the husband gives the bride a betrothal present (nsalamo), a token such as a copper bangle or, nowadays, a small coin.
If accepted, the bridegroom makes small payments to his relatives-in-law. The principal payment is the mpango which formerly consisted of two or three bark cloths but is now a sum of money.
The mpango is given to the parents during the preliminary negotiations or later to legitimize a union not contracted formally.
For the Bemba people of Zambia, marriage is a painful process with several stages that must be completed before the couple is declared married! The subsequent paragraph would entail some common Bemba wedding traditions, each with cultural significance.
Bana Chimbusa
Before the young woman gets married, she goes for lessons with a ‘Bana Chimbusa’, a teacher who trains young women on all they need to know about marriage and running a home.
Kitchen Party
The kitchen party, also known as the bridal shower, is another essential part of Bemba wedding traditions. At this ceremony, the bride sits between two elders, keeps her head down and does not talk or smile as a sign of respect to all present.
The guests then come up to her, give her advice, and tell her what their gifts are for and how she must use them.
Uku Chesham
At this ceremony, the bride summarises what she has learnt in the form of song and dance, or dance. She does this till midnight in front of a group of married women.
Icisumina Nsalamu
This ceremony connotes acceptance of the marriage proposal. The bride’s family prepares a meal consisting of one plate of Nshima (traditional thick porridge made from maize meal) and a plate of a whole chicken.
Amatebeto
Amatebeto is a thanks offering by the bride’s family and is delivered to the groom after the marriage.
Through this act, the bride’s family acknowledges that the groom can look after his wife, appreciates that the groom has kept the marriage trouble-free, and reaffirms their blessing of the marriage. This ceremony can be done two or more years into the marriage.
Ukunkonkola
This is one of the more interesting Bemba wedding traditions. The groom is invited to have a meal at his in-laws’ house, prepared by the bride’s parents.
This meal symbolizes the authority given to the groom to make decisions concerning his wife’s side of the family and on behalf of the elders of the bride’s family.
At the end of this ceremony, the bride’s family declare that they are ready to accept the groom’s decisions and consider them binding.
Lobola
Lobola is an appreciation fee the groom must pay to the bride’s family for raising her well. The lobola payment is usually done pre-wedding and is usually in the form of money in urban areas and livestock in rural areas.
Ama Shikulo
Ama Shikulo comes at the tail end of the wedding ceremony. The two families merge officially, after which people go to the front to give congratulate the couple and give words of advice.
Most of these Bemba wedding traditions are practiced today, as many couples see the relevance and fun in having them as part of the wedding ceremony.
The Bemba marriage is an elaborate socio-cultural event involving a long bond between the couple. The value of the bride price payment is variable and depends on the status of the families.
However, Bembas, who are too poor to pay the bride price and the wedding expenses, contract a Service marriage, where the groom stays at the bride’s house and offers his service to the household for a specified time.
