What is in a Name ?

During the week I travelled to Lusaka to attend to some personal and business matters.

Whilst in Lusaka, I made contact with a Mr. Zulu whom I wanted to get in touch with for some business during the coming week.

On my return trip to Kitwe, on Saturday 19 June 2010 around 19.30 hrs., I saw an in coming call on my Mobile phone from "Mr. Zulu" as I was getting into Kitwe.

On answering the call "Hello Mr. Zulu! ", I was surprised to hear a female voice on the other side. "How do you know Mr. Zulu ? Do you work together ?" . I replied that yes I knew him after meeting him during my visit to Lusaka. I knew that he was working for a security firm.

Out of curiosity, I demanded to know who the lady was and where she was calling me from? She told me that she was Mrs. Zulu and was calling from their home. She soon hang up.

On reaching home, I rang Mr. Zulu to find out what the problem was. He told me that there was no problem at all. The wife only wanted to find out who the "woman" called Nasilele found in his phone book was ?

Nasilele is a Lozi name which is usually given to females.

Before the arrival of Christianity in Barotseland, people had faith in Diviners and Spiritual mediums.

When a baby was born and given a certain name and cried a lot soon after being given the name, the parents would seek advice from a Diviner.

After "consulting" the child's ancestors, the Diviner would advise the parents to give the baby a name of one of its ancestors.

He would tell them that the ancestor was not happy at the given name of the infant.

After being given a new name the child would stop crying !

The given name to the child did not necessarily match its gender!

Hence, nowadays, you would come across Lozi men called "Nasilele", "Mwangala" , "Namasiku", etc !

My surname of "Nasilele" originates from my paternal grandfather. It is a tradition in our family that the first born male child should use the surname of "Nasilele" !

What is in a name ?