Having served or worked in the republic of Zambia in almost every province, I have come to understand that the Zambian aggregate culture and ethnic sub cultures are very similar to the many cultures of the Bantu speaking people of southern Africa. In a typical black community, cultures for Mozambique, South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Angola, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Uganda, Kenya, Parts of Tanzania, Rwanda and the Katanga province of Congo are not significantly different according to an Independent observing European friend that traveled with me to the said countries. We further observed that culture can be influenced by religion and that Christianity and Islam were the major drivers in determining certain norms and behaviors.
When I compared my years of residence in Monze, Mazabuka, Choma, Katete, Chipata, Lundazi, Chama, Mwinilunga, Senanga, Sesheke, Isoka, Mongu, Mbala, Luwingu, Gwembe, Ndola and Lusaka, I observed that rural Zambian citizens do not segregate or favor any Zambian based on tribe. Everyone is treated the same. Each time I went to teach farmers, paying them under FRA, delivering relief food aid, distributing agro inputs and monitoring and evaluation of projects, I was treated like any other of their sons and daughters in my age group in that locality and no one talked about tribe. They gave me chickens, sugar cane, bananas, vegetables, fish and other foods to take home without me asking for them. They visited my home randomly without appointment and that was perfect for me. If anything a lot of them were so glad to teach me their languages. For example, I learnt Bemba in three months and Lozi in two months. But I feel the onus is on you the visitor to live a liberal interactive life to be accepted easily in a particular community.
When I came back to the urban areas, it is when I heard of people talking of tribe and also using Chimbuya (tribal Cousinship) as a tool for political mileage. In urban Western Province, anyone who is not a Lozi is called Manyukunyuku, In Urban Eastern Province, anyone who is not a native is called an expatriate, in urban Southern Province, anyone who is not one of the Bantu Botatwe is called Mulumbu and so on. According to me, tribalism is an urban problem. Dr. Kaunda did a lot of work in trying to integrate Zambia through the one Zambia one nation Motto and sending young people to either receive education or start their careers in a province which is not their home province. Through that kind of staff posting in the civil service, intermarriages arose and thus Zambia got significantly united. For example, Mr. Anderson Mazoka of Monze (late president of the UPND) received his secondary education at Mungwi Secondary school where he was the school headboy in 1964. Perhaps this explains why the UPND had a national character and broader national membership. For example, Mr Mazoka got a very high number of votes in Northern Province than what the UPND is receiving nowadays. Honorable Panji Kaunda of Chinsali received his Secondary school education at Canicius Catholic Secondary School in Chikuni, Monze in Southern province. There are several people alive today, holding senior positions who received their education in a totally different province.
I feel a more integrated Zambia is still possible today if we embrace the one Zambia, one nation slogan which Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula taught us.