Who Are the Bemba?
The Bemba are the largest ethnic group in Zambia, numbering approximately 4-5 million (about 21% of the population). They speak Bemba (Chibemba), a Bantu language that serves as a lingua franca in northern and central Zambia. The Bemba inhabit the Northern, Luapula, and parts of Copperbelt and Central provinces. They trace descent from the Luba-Lunda kingdoms of the Congo basin, migrating to their present homeland around the 17th century. The Bemba established a powerful chieftaincy under the Chitimukulu (paramount chief), who remains culturally significant today. Their matrilineal kinship system shapes family and succession.
The Chitimukulu
The Chitimukulu is the paramount chief of the Bemba, a position tracing to the founding of the Bemba kingdom. According to tradition, the Bemba ancestors migrated from the Luba-Lunda region led by Chiti and Nkole, sons of the Luba king. The crocodile (ng'wena) became their clan totem. The Chitimukulu's authority was spiritual as well as political, with control over rain-making rituals and ancestral ceremonies. British colonial rule reduced the paramount chief's political power, but the position retained cultural importance. Today's Chitimukulu presides over traditional ceremonies, represents Bemba interests, and maintains cultural heritage. The ukusefya pa ng'wena (annual ceremony) celebrates Bemba history and unity.
Migration and Copperbelt
The development of Zambia's Copperbelt in the 20th century transformed Bemba society. Young Bemba men migrated to copper mines seeking wage labor, creating new patterns of work, residence, and identity. The anthropologist Audrey Richards documented this transition in her classic studies. Bembaland itself remained an agricultural hinterland, while remittances from miners supported rural families. Urban Bemba communities developed in mining towns like Kitwe and Ndola. This migration pattern made Bemba language and culture influential across northern Zambia. Trade unions and political parties drew heavily on Bemba-speaking miners, giving the group political weight in independent Zambia.
Contemporary Bemba
Modern Bemba remain numerically and politically significant in Zambia. Bemba-speaking politicians have frequently held the presidency and other high offices, though Zambia's politics are not purely ethnic. The language serves as a lingua franca in much of northern Zambia, used by non-Bemba speakers. Agriculture—particularly millet, cassava, and maize—remains important in rural areas. The Copperbelt economy has contracted with mining declines, challenging Bemba workers. Traditional ceremonies, particularly ukusefya pa ng'wena, attract large gatherings affirming Bemba identity. Christian churches are widespread; the Catholic Church has been particularly influential. How the Bemba maintain cultural identity while adapting to economic changes shapes Zambia's largest ethnic group's future.
References
- Richards, A. I. (1939). Land, Labour and Diet in Northern Rhodesia
- Roberts, A. (1973). A History of the Bemba
- Moore, H. L. & Vaughan, M. (1994). Cutting Down Trees: Gender, Nutrition, and Agricultural Change in the Northern Province of Zambia