zwangendaba

"Can you spell that? -" The doctor's receptionist obliged. " Z-W-A-N-G-E-N-D-A-B-A. There. Do you need me to repeat it?".

After nine years in southern Africa, I pride myself on being able to spell a lot of local names, both in Shona and Ndebele. I read them in the paper every day, for one thing. But Zwangendaba, my newish doctor's first name: that was one name I hadn't come across. I'd seen the initial Z on his gold-embossed plate and presumed it was Biblical (especially as he doubles up as a pastor): Zaccheus, maybe, or Zephaniah.

Turns out I should have heard of Zwangendaba. He was a famous African king who broke away from the rule of the Zulu king Shaka and (starting in the 1820s) led his people on a 20-year long migration from Swaziland to what's now Tanzania. His people were the Jere tribe.

Back on the Africa desk 10 years ago we had a Lusaka correspondent named Jere: Dickson is now Zambia's presidential spokesman.