Kgosi Sinvula’s 53- year-reign ends
The Coronation of Kgosi Munitenge Liswani Sinvula III, will bring to the end his father, Munitenge Moffat Maiba Sinvula’s 53-year- reign.
According the outgoing Sinvula who’s also the tribe’s representative at Ntlo Ya Dikgosi, the name Basubiya was given to them by other tribes.
“Ne go twe re tsamaya re subiya-subiya, (we were pushing and prodding)” he said.
“We’re Veekuhane and we speak Chiikuhane,” he said in an exclusive interview with The Voice.
According to Wikipedia the name Subiya was given to Veekuhane in 1700 by the invading Lozi tribe under Chief Mwanambinyi. Subiya is said to be derived from the Lozi word ‘subalala’ which means to ‘push a kingdom’ because the Veekuhane were active in governing and running the Lozi kingdom. It was derived from the ‘subiyanokusubalalaumulonga’ meaning ‘the Subiya are trying to push the kingdom’.
In a brief interview with The Voice, Kgosi Sinvula who’ll see his son ascend to the throne next Saturday said he announced his retirement to his tribe in 2020.
“I felt my time was up, and that I should hand over the baton to my son as per our tradition,” he said.
The senior Sinvula took over the reigns in 1968 following the death of his father Kgosi Sinvula Nkonkokwena.
“We’re a tribe from the east, and when we arrived in Botswana we first settled in Parakarungu,” he said. He said the tribe later moved to Munga near Kachikau in Chobe West.
“In 1948 we experienced heavy floods forcing us out to our next settlement called Shorobe between Kachikau and Munga,” Sinvula told The Voice.
Their stay in Shorobe only lasted seven years, as in 1955 flooding in the area sent them on their way to their present location Kavimba.
“Kavimba is a common tree in the area, which the village was named after,” explained Kgosi Sinvula.
He said his tribe is known for their arable farming. “That is why from time immemorial we’ve always followed the river. We prefer to farm closer to the river bank where’s there’s moisture throughout the farming season,” he said.
The proud King said he was happy with the process of the coronation, and the efforts put by the tribe to ensure his son’s smooth ascendency to the throne.
Kgosi Sinvula III
“Unlike other tribes, we don’t have regiments to help my son hunt for the leopard whose skin he’d be draped in. Volunteers will join the Wildlife Officers to hunt the leopard,” he said.
The event at the Kavimba kgotla is expected to be attended by dignitaries from countries such as Namibia and Zambia. It’ll be officiated by Ntlo Ya Dikgosi Chairperson and Batlokwa Paramount Chief Kgosi Puso Gaborone.
