PREDECESSORS AND SHORT SHORT HISTORY:
The
Bemba tribe comprises 18% of Zambia's population. Succession to the
title of Chitimukulu was
in the female royal lineages of the
Crocodile, or Bena Ng’andu clan. No
coronation of the successor can take place until after the funerary
ceremony.
During the pre-colonial era his word was law and he had the power of
life and death over his subjects. Chitimukulu was also the highest
spiritual leader and overlord of the Bemba country including the land
which was conquered from the neighbours and occupied. The process of
the election of Chitimukulu had inherent negative and
positive features owing to its democracy which allowed many legitimate
Bena Ng’andu claimants to contest for consideration by the royal Lamfya
council at Lubemba. On the positive side the system led to the election
of capable leaders who succeeded to the throne, especially in the 19th
century of which Chitapankwa 1 was the most outstanding. Again, since
the defeated claimants were not liable to any sanctions by the new
Chitimukulu but returned to their districts to continue on their
thrones, the Bemba political system promoted unity and allegiance to
the supreme ruler. It gave the losing candidates the challenge of
improving their performance with a view to recontesting the succession
next time. Finally, the system prevented secessionist tendencies. Title
holders were...
- CHILUGFYA MULENGA CHITIMUKULU
I
- CHILYAMAFWA CHITIMUKULU II -/1820
- SUSULA CHINCHINTA CHITIMUKULU III 1820/1827
- CHILESHYE CHEPELA CHITIMUKULU IV c1825(1827)/c1860
- BWEMBYA I CHITIMUKULU V c1860 or 1860/1866
- MUTALE MUTUKA CHITAPANKWA I CHITIMUKULU VI (nephew)
c1860(1866)/1883, died
1883
- MULENDA SAMPA KAPALAKASHYA CHITIMUKULU VII 1883/1896,
died May
1896.
- CHIMFWEMBE MULENGA MAKUMBA CHITIMUKULU VIII 1898/1911,
died 1911.
- MUTALE CHIKWANDA
LWANGA CHITIMUKULU IX 1913/1916,
died 1916.
- PONDE CHISOWA CHITIMUKULU X 1916/1923, died 1923.
- MAKUMBA KANYATA CHITIMUKULU XI 1923/1943, died
1943.
- MUBANGA CISUPA CHITIMUKULU
XII 1944/1945
- KAFULU MUSUNGU CHITIMUKULU
XIII 1946/1965
- MUSENGA CHITIMUKULU XIV 1966/1969, his mother was
held as a hostage after the Ngoni, and Eastern tribe was defeated at
Mbala in Bembaland. The father was a Ngoni royal. He died 1969.
- BWEMBYA II CHITIMUKULU XV 1970/-
- MUTALE NG'ANDU CHITAPANKWA II CHITIMUKULU XVI [né
Lakement Mukutu Ng'andu] 1981/2004, nephew of Kafulu Musungu
Chitimukulu
XIII, a politician and technocrat, Member of the Legislative Council
under the British before Northern Rhodesia became independent. He died
11th August 2004, buried 15th July 2005 at Mwalule in Chinsali district.
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