The Nsenga, not to be confused with the Senga, are a Bantu ethnic tribe of Zambia and Mozambique. In Zambia, they are found in two districts of Eastern province namely Nyimba and Petauke. They are also dialects with the Nsenga Luzi of the Luangwa valley in Chief Nyalugwe, Mboloma and Lwembe and the Chikunda of Luangwa Boma (Feira). Their Senior Chief is Kalindawalo M'ndikula, who resides in Merwe 10 kilometers from Petauke Boma. The following are Nsenga Chiefs: Chiefs Mwape, Nyamphande, Nyanje, Mumbi, Sandwe, Nyalugwe, Ndake, Senior Chief Lwembe, Senior Chief Mboloma and Mwanjaw'anthu. They are well known for their culture and artwork which includes bead work and basketry. They also grow groundnuts, maize, millet and sorghum for consumption and cotton (Thonje) as cash crop, and are popular for their Mbewa (Mice), a practice which they are often teased for. The Nsenga language (also called Chinsenga) spoken by people of this tribe has been adopted by many groups in Zambia and diluted to Zambia’s widely spoken language Chinyanja or Nyanja.
Origin
The Nsenga people are believed to have migrated into Zambia around the 14th century from the Luba – Lunda kingdom of Congo, the current Democratic Republic of Congo, as distinct language. Nsenga means journey in reference to the tribe's long trek from Luba Kingdom. The Nsenga people share much more same culture with the lala, Lamba, Aushi, Swaka, Bemba and Bisa people due to strong historical links to the same pattern of migration movements as the lamba, swaka, Bemba lala and Bisa speaking people as they left Luba Kingdom in search for more fertile land. Nsenga dialect has much similarities to Bemba, Bisa and lala compared to Chichewa.
A typical vocabulary analysis on selected tribes with links to theLuba Kingdom, further proves that Nsenga was indeed a distinct language and clearly dispels the assumption that Nsenga could have been an off short of Chewa speaking people. Nsenga people originate from Luba Kingdom alongside other tribes such as lala, Bemba, lamba and the Bisa people. The Nsenga people are among the earliest tribes to migrate into modern day Zambia after the Tonga speaking people. It is believed that the Nsenga speaking people embarked on the trekking journey (Nsenga) almost at the same time with Bemba, Bisa, Lala. During this long journey, the Nsenga people had an intimate encounter with the Bemba people. Under the instruction of their leader Chitimukulu, the Bemba fighters ambushed a beautiful Nsenga woman (Lumbwe) whom Chitimukulu took as one of his wives upon capture. In retaliation, the Nsenga hunters were also ordered by heads of family clans (Tumvi) to hunt down Bemba women. At the time the Nsenga people had no Chiefs but organised under clan system of governance such as "enetembo, enemwanza, eneng'oma, enelungu, enemumba, enemvula" headed by Tumvi. It was this hide and seek tribal game, captivity of Bemba and Nsenga women that produced some similarities. Today, we have, for instance, some Bemba names such as Nkonde, Mwape, Ngosa (Nsenga call Ngoza), Lumbwe among the Nsenga people. While the Bembas will greet their visitors "mulishani", the Nsenngas will do the same by saying "mulityani). These are some of the many dialect similarities between the two tribes.
Chewa Influence
Despite historical review that shows the Nsenga people were to a large extent influenced by the Chewa people interns of language, culture and way of living, the Nsenga tribe remains distinct in its dialect, traditions and cultural practice. To the contrary, the Nsenga tribe is a Bantu ethnic tribe of Zambia and Mozambique. In Zambia, they are found in districts of Eastern province namely Nyimba, Lusangazi, Petauke and Sinda while in Lusaka province they are found in Luangwa district. There are three Senior Chiefs namely Senior Chief Kalindawalo in Petauke, Senior Chief Lwembe in Nyimba and Senior Chief Mbuluma in Luangwa district. Other Nsenga Chiefs are: Chieftness Mwape, Chief Nyamphande, Chief Nyanje, Chief Mumbi, Chief Sandwe, Chief Nyalugwe, Chief Ndake and Chjieftainess Mwanjabanthu. They are well known for their culture of hunting and artwork which includes bead work and basketry. They also grow groundnuts, maize, millet and sorghum for consumption and cotton (Nthovu) as cash crop, and are popular for their Mbeba (Mice), a practice which they are often teased for by their Bemba traditional cousins. The Nsenga language (also called Chinsenga) spoken by people of this tribe has been adopted by many groups in Zambia and forms part of the widely spoken language Chinyanja or Nyanja. This suggests that the Nsengas could have been settled in the eastern province of Zambia much earlier than the Chewa. This was actually done before the Chewa people had actually moved toward Malawi and Mozambique.The Nsenga people are also well-known for their ceremony called Tubimba which is held every last Saturday of the month of October. During this ceremony, the Nsenga people pray to their Ancestors for good rain and other calamities.
Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bordered to the north by Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique to the southeast, Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south, Namibia to the southwest, and Angola to the west. The capital city of Zambia is Lusaka, located in the south-central part of Zambia. The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province to the north, the core economic hubs of the country.
The Bemba language, ChiBemba, is a Bantu language spoken primarily in north-eastern Zambia by the Bemba people and as a lingua franca by about 18 related ethnic groups.
Chewa is a Bantu language spoken in Malawi and a recognised minority in Zambia and Mozambique. The noun class prefix chi- is used for languages, so the language is usually called Chichewa and Chinyanja. In Malawi, the name was officially changed from Chinyanja to Chichewa in 1968 at the insistence of President Hastings Kamuzu Banda, and this is still the name most commonly used in Malawi today. In Zambia, the language is generally known as Nyanja or Cinyanja/Chinyanja '(language) of the lake'.
Maravi was a kingdom which straddled the current borders of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, in the 16th century. The present-day name "Maláŵi" is said to derive from the Chewa word malaŵí, which means "flames". "Maravi" is a general name of the peoples of Malawi, eastern Zambia, and northeastern Mozambique. The Chewa language, which is also referred to as Nyanja, Chinyanja or Chichewa, and is spoken in southern and central Malawi, in Zambia and to some extent in Mozambique, is the main language that emerged from this empire.
Northern Province is one of Zambia's ten provinces. It covers approximately one-sixth of Zambia in land area. The provincial capital is Kasama. The province is made up of 12 districts, namely Kasama District, Chilubi District, Kaputa District, Luwingu District, Mbala District, Mporokoso District, Mpulungu District, Mungwi District, Nsama District, Lupososhi District, Lunte District and Senga Hill District. Currently, only Kasama and Mbala have attained municipal council status, while the rest are still district councils. It is widely considered to be the heartland of the Bemba, one of the largest tribes in Zambia.
The Chewa are a Bantu ethnic group found in Malawi, Zambia and few in Mozambique. The Chewa are closely related to people in surrounding regions such as the Tumbuka and Nsenga. They are historically also related to the Bemba, with whom they share a similar origin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As with the Nsenga and Tumbuka, a small part of Chewa territory came under the influence of the Ngoni, who were of Zulu or Natal/Transvaal origin. An alternative name, often used interchangeably with Chewa, is Nyanja. Their language is called Chichewa. Internationally, the Chewa are mainly known for their masks and their secret societies, called Nyau, as well as their agricultural techniques.
Petauke is a town and seat of Petauke District located in the Eastern Province of Zambia.
Eastern Province is one of Zambia's ten provinces. The province lies between the Luangwa River and borders with Malawi to the east and Mozambique to the south, from Isoka in the northeast to the north of Luangwa in the south. The provincial capital is Chipata. Eastern province has an area of 51,476 km2 (19,875 sq mi), locally shares border with three other provinces of the country and is divided into fifteen districts.
Lusaka Province is one of the ten provinces of Zambia. Its capital is Lusaka, which is also the national capital. It is the smallest province in Zambia, with an area of 21,896 km2. Lusaka is also Zambia's most populated and most densely populated province, with a population of 3,079,964 and density of 140 persons per km2 as of 2022. It is the most urban province, with the most doctors and fewest malaria-related incidents. The province is bordered by Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and separated by the Lower Zambezi National Park.
The Bemba belong to a large group of Bantu peoples, primarily in the Northern, Luapula, Muchinga and the northern Central Province of Zambia. The Bemba entered Zambia before 1740 by crossing the Luapula River from Kola. Several other ethnic groups in the northern and Luapula regions of Zambia speak languages which are similar to Bemba, but have different origins. The Bemba people are not indigenous to Copperbelt Province; they arrived there during the 1930s due to employment opportunities in copper mining.
Zambia has several major indigenous languages, all members of the Bantu family, as well as Khwedam, Zambian Sign Language, several immigrant languages and the pidgins Settla and Fanagalo. English is the official language and the major language of business and education.
The Chitimukulu is the King or Paramount Chief of the Bemba, the largest ethnic group in Zambia. All Chitimukulus, as well as lesser Bemba chiefs, are members of the Bena Ng'andu. Potential successors to the ruling Chikimukulu are chosen from the various Bemba chiefs.
Zambia, officially known as the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west. The capital city is Lusaka, located in the southeast of the country. The population is concentrated mainly around the capital and the Copperbelt to the northwest.
Nsenga, also known as Senga, is a Bantu language of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, occupying an area on the plateau that forms the watershed between the Zambezi and Luangwa river systems and Western Malawi land overshadowing Kachebere mountain called Mchinji.
The Senga are an ethnic tribe of Zambia, distinct from the Nsenga.
Ngoni is a Bantu language of Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. There is a 'hard break' across the Tanzanian–Mozambican border, with marginal mutual intelligibility. It is one of several languages of the Ngoni people, who descend from the Nguni people of southern Africa, and the language is a member of the Nguni subgroup, with the variety spoken in Malawi sometimes referred to as a dialect of Zulu. Other languages spoken by the Ngoni may also be referred to as "Chingoni"; many Ngoni in Malawi, for instance, speak Chewa, and other Ngoni speak Tumbuka or Nsenga.
Lamba people are a Bantu ethnolinguistic group mainly located in the Central, Copperbelt, and North-Western provinces of Zambia. Lamba people speak the Lamba language, with Lamba and Lima the major dialects recognized.
The Lala people are a Bantu ethnic group found in the Serenje District of the Central Province of Zambia.
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