By Namwanja Margaret ChikwabiHistorian and educator Mutale T. Mazimba-Kaunda (MA) has crafted a fascinating and eye-opening read in A History of the Unga People of the Bangweulu Swamps (pre-colonial times to 1953). She takes us on a sweeping journey through time of this small ethnic group called the Unga who inhabit part of Luapula Province in northern Zambia. In the book, Mazimba-Kaunda delves into pre-colonial Unga society, the colonial experience of the Unga from 1890 and lastly, the impact of colonialism on the Unga people until 1953.So, who are the Unga and where did they come from? Originally, the Unga were a branch-off of a large family of the Ng’oma totem (drum clan), separating due to the desire for autonomy by adult males. They came from ancient Kola in present-day Kabongo, Shaba Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Their movement to present-day Bangweulu swamps was over several years and they travelled in different […]
BOOK REVIEW: A HISTORY OF THE UNGA PEOPLE OF THE BANGWEULU SWAMPS
