Bemba people

AbaBemba (the Bemba people) of Zambia in Central Africa are Bantu. The history of AbaBemba did not begin in the 15th Century, but the historiography of AbaBemba did. It is from the historical literature on the Portuguese expansionist project of human-stealing and direct territorial extensions on the African continent, particularly starting with the Diego Cam (also known as Diogo Cão) 1484-1485 expedition from the mouth of the Congo River to the Kongo Kingdom, that we begin to recognise the names of the ur-ancestors of AbaBemba.

Currently, there is no textus receptus of Bemba history; so, much of what is known about AbaBemba, especially about their early formative years, is a reasoned synthesis of scattered bits of history. Such history includes Bemba oral traditions (Mushindo, 1977; Tanguy, 1948), historical texts on early imperialistic ventures and post-Berlin conference European undertakings in the region (Bandinel, 1842; Richards, 1939; Roberts, 1970; Tweedie, 1966), inferences from historiographical mentions of well-known Bemba ancestors (Bandinel, 1842; Gondola, 2002; Reid, 2012), tie-ups with the historical writings on other Central African kingdoms (African Elders & Labrecque, 1949; Gondola, 2002; Reid, 2012), and Bemba-focussed historiographical endeavours of the past century (Mushindo, 1977; Roberts, 1970; Roberts, 1973; Tanguy, 1948).

Those familiar with the Portuguese ‘expansionist enterprise’ on the African continent will remember that around the year 1484, Diego Cam came across the Congo River on the Atlantic central African coast (Bandinel, 1842). He explored the river and found the Kongo Kingdom, a vast Bantu Kingdom that spanned the present countries of Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo-Brazzaville. The ruling monarch of the Kongo at that time was Nzinga a Nkuwu (Gondola, 2002). Locally, the monarchical title was Mani Kongo or Mwene Kongo which translated as ‘the owner of the Kongo Kingdom’. Nzinga (known by AbaBemba as Nshinga) was Mwene Kongo VII. ‘Nkuwu’, with the grammatical prefix ‘a’, is a patronymic: Mwene Kongo Nzinga was son of Nkuwu.

Through Catholic missionaries, the imperialists “Portugalised” the Kongo Kingdom: Mwene Kongo VII Nzinga a Nkuwu was baptised in 1491 as João I (John I) the name of a Portuguese king (Gondola, 2002; Tanguy, 1948). Mwene Kongo Nzinga died in 1506[1] and was succeeded by his son Mvemba a Nzinga (Mvemba son of Nzinga). Mwene Kongo VIII Mvemba (also known as Muhemba, Mbemba or Mubemba) also underwent the Christian-cum-imperialistic baptism and got, for his baptism name, a Portuguese regal name: Alfonso I (Reid, 2012).

Shortly after the 1543 death of Mwene Kongo VIII Mvemba a Nzinga (Alfonso Mubemba), the proto-ancestors of AbaBemba rebelled against the Portuguese imperialistic advances that were tearing down the foundations of the Kongo Kingdom: Christianisation, slavery, Portuguese encroachment, and European education. The ‘rebels’ broke away from the Kongo Kingdom, went east and became an integral part of the Luba Kingdom in present day Democratic Republic of Congo (Tanguy, 1948).

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