Municipality of Luchazes (Kangamba)

Luchazes is a municipality in Moxico province, Angola. It is one of the four Municipalities predominantly occupied by the Mbunda in Angola. Its principal town is Kangamba, a name derived from a Mbunda Chief who ruled the area before their resistance to Portuguese colonial occupation.^[1]

The Municipality is now under the traditional authority of a Mbunda Paramount Chief Mwene Kangamba, who ascribes to the Mbunda Monarch, His Majesty, King Mbunda III Mbandu Lifuti restored on 16 August 2008, in Moxico, Angola. The Mbunda prefer calling it Municipality of Kangamba.

History

The Portuguese colonialists thereafter named it Luchazes, in appreciation of the support they received from the Luchazi people and various other ethnicities^[2] against the Mbunda resistance.^[3] The Municipality hosted the most traumatizing violent offensive, coined as Battle for Kangamba, between thousands of UNITA troops trained and armed by the racist South Africa army against forces loyal to MPLA-Angolan government, and a group of Cuba fighters and advisers, in the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002). As of 2004, more than 1,000 families spontaneously returned from Zambia, causing serious humanitarian issues.

Due to the Mbunda displacement caused by their resistance to Portuguese colonial occupation,^[4] and later because of the impact of the Angolan War of Independence (1961–1974), the decolonization conflict in Angola (1974/75),^[5] and the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002), the Mbunda language area is now said to be in between the Lunguevungu River to the north and the Cuando Cubango River to the south.^[6] This position has supposedly reduced the Mbunda language area but not the Mbunda people territory of influence.

District of Kangamba

Chief’s Name                                                                                        River Area Location

1)   Principe Mwene Kangamba                                                       Kalilonge

2)   Mwene Nkumbwa Kasavi                                                          Kuthsiyi 

3)   Mwene Chinyundu                                                                   Kuthsiyi

Kangombe District

Chief’s Name                                                                                        River Area Location

1)   Regedor Mwene Kangombe Ka Xapeyo                                       Kuando

2)   Mwene Liwanika                                                                     Kuando

3)   Mwene Kantama                                                                     Kuando

4)   Mwene Lyangongama                                                              Kuando

5)   Mwene Katakala                                                                     Kuando

6)   Mwene Limbuti Lya Mungindu                                                   Kuvanguyi

7)   Mwene Muzaza                                                                       Kuvanguyi

Muie District

Chief’s Name                                                                                        River Area Location

1)   Regedor Mwene Mbambo ya Lyavenga                                       Chikuluyi

2)   Mwene Kalimbwe ka Nando                                                      Chikuluyi

3)   Mwene Ngandalo                                                                    Muie

4)   Mwene Kalyata                                                                       Chikuluyi

5)   Mwene Chinjenge                                                                    Mulunduyi

6)   Mwene Kawesa                                                                       Mulunduyi

Kasamba District

Chief’s Name                                                                                        River Area Location

1)   Mwene Soma                                                                          Kasamba

2)   Mwene Chambatwa                                                                  Kasamba

Tembwe District

Chief’s Name                                                                                        River Area Location

1)   Mwene Muwawa                                                                     Tembwe

References

^[1] René Pélissier, Les Guerres Grises: Résistance et revoltes en Angola (1845–1941), Montamets/Orgeval: Éditions Pélisier, 1977

^[2] Robert Papstein, 1994, The History and Cultural Life of the Mbunda Speaking People, Lusaka Cheke Cultural Writers Association, ISBN 99 820 3006X, page 95

^[3] René Pélissier, Les Guerres Grises: Résistance et revoltes en Angola (1845–1941), Montamets/Orgeval: Éditions Pélisier, 1977

^[4] René Pélissier, La révolte des Bunda (1916-1917), pp. 408 - 412 (French for "the Mbunda revolt"), section footnotes citing sources: Luís Figueira, Princesa Negra: O preço da civilização em África, Coimbra Edição do autor, 1932.

^[5] Franz-Wilhelm Heimer, Der Entkolonisierungskonflikt in Angola, Munich: Weltforum Verlag, 1979 ISBN 3-8039-0179-0

^[6] A área linguística do MBUNDA tem-se modificado

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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