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The Mayeyi Tribe
The Mayeyi Tribe[1] is one of the caprivian tribal groups,they speak yeyi as their mother tongue, Around 1750 the community of the Yeyi (Mayeyi) lived in present-day Caprivi Strip. They moved from Diyeyi (land of the Yeyi) in the area of Linyanti under the leadership of three group leaders Shikati Hankuze, Shikati Qunku together with his brother Qunkunyane and Shikati Matsharatshara into the Okavango Delta in present-day Botswana. Later they moved back into the Caprivi Strip, to Linyanti and Sangwali.The Mayeyi people live in the very southern tip of the Caprivi, and they are very little in numbers.(Qunku, Mayeyi Chief)
History
[edit]The Mayeyi are believed to be originally from Congo or north-west Zambia. The language contains a series of clicks indicating an associate with the Khoi-khoi, But it is commonly classified as close to Otjiherero (Herero), and less frequently as close to Sisubiya and Thimbukushu, all Niger-Congo languages. Culturally, the Mayeyi share many customs with the Mbukushu and architecture with the Subiya and Mbukushu.
The Mayeyi, after migrating south to the area of the Chobe River and Linyanti River, end up being pushed further south and west by the Mbukushu and Masubiya, who were on the move west and south, respectively, in about 1750 to avoid the wrath of the expansionist Lozi. As the Mayeyi moved southwest, along the west side of the Okavango, they encountered and clashed with the Herero. Possibly to minimize this conflict the Mayeyi largely settled along the rivers in the delta. David Livingstone called them river people. He described the Mayeyi as the "Quakers of Africa", because of their peace-loving nature.[2]
Mayeyi tribe farming practices
[edit]The Mayeyi tribe are mostly subsistence farmers, meaning they farm in a small scale to survive. they cultivate their crops near the rivers beds, they catch fish, and all have a few cattle, goats and chickens. They make small little farmlands where they plant mainly Mahangu, which is a grain sort and can be stamped into a fine powder that they use to make porridge with; they also plant mealies. They plant vegetables like Spinach, Cabbage, Chomolia and Marog, which is all leavy green vegetables like the spinach and they are Cattle headers.[3]
Their culture
[edit]They like dancing while they play drums while other clap their hands and have reed skirts that plays a very “talkative” part in the dance routines. Certain dances plays out certain happenings in their traditional way of life.
Customs
[edit]As a manner of respect, Mayeyi People will clap their hands (Curled hands, not flat hands) and bend their knees slightly. Ladies may not wear any pants they desire to wear when they are going to be in the presence of Indunas, the Ngambelo, Natamoyo and especially the chief (Litunga). They have to wear a Sitenge (wrap-around cloth) over pants should they be wearing pants in an emergency. Ladies also may not look the chief in the eyes. The Mafwe, Mayeyi, Mbukushu and Lozi people west of the line on the Caprivi region map fall under the Linyanti Royal Authority (Kuta) of Litunga George Simasiku Mamili (chief).[4]
Rather they fall under their own tribal authorities led by their own tribal leaders the few that fall under Chief Mamili are either jurisdictional or by choice and not by tribal connections. The Mayeyi under Chief Shufu of Mayeyi and some Mafwe under Chief Tembwe Mayuni of the Mafwe since 1992 and 1994 respectively.
Traditional Governing & Court Systems
[edit]The people are governed by the Linyanti Royal Authority (kuta)[5] , the governing body of that area. A lot of petty crimes is sort out by the traditional Court, where the Kuta decides what to do with the people if found guilty. The punishments is mostly paying damages to the plaintiff, fees to the Kuta, community service etc. For larger crimes, the normal laws - police and Regional Court are contacted.
Active History has it that the Mayeyi abandoned the Linyanti Tribal Khuta in 1992 and the Mafwe in 1994. In Namibia there is no traditional authority that is under another traditional authority, saying so is a distortion of facts.