From the many history stories and sites in Zambia, the one i find most interesting is the somewhat love story of a god who was separated from his goddess by a wall of the building of a dam which till date is still powering the nation with hydroelectricity. This is the story of the construction of the largest ever, man-made Lake in Africa and the World at large! THE KARIBA DAM. The place was believed to be the home of a god called Nyami-Nyami who strived to not see its completion come to pass.
In the Zambezi Valley of Zambia lived the Tonga people. They were simple and content with their lives, until civilization threatened their peace. It was believed that a river god resided in the Zambezi River under a rock which fishermen would not dare get close to or they would disappear for good in a whirlwind. The river god was known as Nyami-Nyami. He protected the Tonga tribe from evil and he ruled the river alongside his queen.
In terms of appearance he was believed to be a dragon like creature, having the head of a fish and the body of a snake. More like a loch Ness monster.
However when civilization came to the valley, the residents were reluctant and skeptical of the idea. The resistance became even more stiffened when the building of a dam was proposed. This meant chaos and separation of Nyaminyami from his wife.
Residents of the valley had told stories about Nyaminyami but it always ended in mockery and laughter by outsiders. Well this mockery was short lived. When construction of the dam began, a wall was built and it was believed to have separated Nyaminyami from his wife.
A cyclone from the Indian Ocean then swept up the valley, and this was almost impossible and nonsensical for a land locked country. It did not seem to add up, heavy rains driven by a hurricane fell and destroyed the foundation, all due to his anger it was thought. Time passed and another disaster struck, this time leaving people dead. Others lost in the river and couldn’t be traced.
The elders of the valley suggested the bodies could only be found if a sacrifice was made to appease Nyaminyami, they didn’t believe this but in being desperate decided to make the sacrifice of a black calf, it was slaughtered and placed at the river Bank, the next morning it was not there, the bodies were there instead. Though it could be that the calf was taken by crocodiles as others would like to believe, where did the bodies come from? After striking again and again the project finally succeeded and hydroelectricity power scheme was put in place to supply Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Nyaminyamis existence is still talked about when minor earth tremors occur, it is believed it is him trying to see his wife. A statue of the creature is carved at the Kariba dam site and placed on ornaments, jewelry. Nyaminyami is still one of the significant gods of the Tonga tribe till date. He was no monster and was actually believed to be very selfless during the period of harmony before civilization came to the valley.
BY TAPIWA CHABINGA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 9 AUGUST 2023
