Paramount Chief Mpezeni

Paramount Chief Mpezeni is a chieftainship of the Ngoni people of Zambia's Eastern Province and Malawi's Mchinji district.

Overview

The chieftainship was founded by Zwangendaba, a former general of King Shaka of the Zulu, who fled the mfecane. It is named after the Ngoni warrior-king Mpezeni (also spelt Mpeseni) who rose up in 1897 with over 4000 warriors against the British who were taking control of Nyasaland and North-Eastern Rhodesia, and was defeated. He signed a treaty which allowed him to rule as Paramount Chief of the Ngoni and his successors use his name in the title to this day. [1][2]

Paramount Chiefs or Inkosi ya makosi (1815 to date)
  • Zwangendaba (1815–1848)
  • Regency (1848–?)
  • Mpezeni I (1848–1900)
  • Mpezeni II (1900–1928)
  • Mpezeni III (1928–1981)
  • Mpezeni IV (1981 to date)

Zulu King Dynasty

Mr Agaton Mvunga holds the hand of Princess Makrina Jele in the photo below.

Now Makrina Jele was the daughter of His Majesty, King Gabriel Chiloah Jele who reigned as the second Mphezeni after the death of his grandfather, Nthutho, the first Mphezeni in 1900. Princess Makrina's mother was a European woman named Diana Parker.

To the uninitiated, Princess Makrina Jele was in fact the grandmother of Agaton Mvunga. The Mvungas are a distinguished family in Zambia having public faces such as the renowned lawyer Professor Patrick Mvunga and Bank of Zambia Governor, Christopher Mvunga. But this family is also notable for having royal Ngoni blood.

It was Makrina who was the mother of Professor Mvunga.She was married to Mphanza Mvunga of Mushamunye Village in Mpezeni area near Nthombimbi Village along Jenda road to Chipata from Luangeni-Feni villages.

Indeed the resurrection of the Incwala story is incomplete without mentioning Professor Mvunga. He immensely helped his uncle, King Pontino khuzwayo Jele to rebirth an ancient traditional ceremony in 1980 after a more than 70 years hiatus.

These days, it's Christopher Mphanza Mvunga (Mphanza is the Mvungas family name too) who is a regular feature at the Ncwala, often being in the same car and entourage with his cousin, King David Njengambaso Jele (current King Mpezeni).

Agaton Mphanza Mvunga too is following in the families tradition of serving the larger community by vying to represent the residents of Lusaka's Kalingalinga compound as a civic leader..

References
  1. T W Baxter: "The Angoni Rebellion and Mpeseni." The Northern Rhodesia Journal, Vol I, No. 2, pp14-24 (1950). Website accessed 29 April 2007.
  2. "NGONI CHIEFTAINCY". The Awakening of the Angoni.
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