Mpezeni’s Death Robs Chief Waitwika of a Brother Months After Historic Bond
By Christabel Chulu
Chieftainess Waitwika of the Namwanga people of Nakonde says the death of Paramount Chief Mpezeni IV has left her deeply saddened, describing the Ngoni leader as a wise king, a heritage carrier and a brother whose friendship had only recently been cemented through a historic reunion of two peoples linked by nearly two centuries of shared history.
Speaking during a press briefing at her palace on Tuesday after officially receiving notice of the traditional leader’s death from the Ngoni Royal Establishment, Chieftainess Waitwika has reflected on the special relationship she developed with Mpezeni IV in the final months of his life.
“He became my brother,” she said, recalling the words the Ngoni king spoke when he visited her palace in Nakonde on February 18 this year.
The bond between the two leaders started from discussions surrounding the final resting place of King Zwangendaba Jere, the founding Ngoni king whose grave lies in Nachipeta Village along the Nakonde-Mbala Road.
King Zwangendaba fled present-day South Africa with his followers in the early 1830s during the Mfecane wars before leading one of Africa’s most remarkable migrations across southern and central Africa.
He crossed the Zambezi River into present-day Zambia in November 1835 and died in 1848 before reaching his intended destination further north.
He was buried in what is now Nachipeta village, located along the Nakonde-Mbala road about 30 kilometres west of Nakonde CBD in Nakonde District.
For generations, the Namwanga people of Nakonde have safeguarded and preserved the gravesite.
Chieftainess Waitwika reveales that in January this year, emissaries from Mpezeni IV approached her seeking guidance on whether the remains of King Zwangendaba could be exhumed and taken to the Ngoni kingdom in Eastern Province.
However, she advised against the move, arguing that nearly 180 years had passed since the king’s burial and that the site had been preserved with dignity and respect throughout that time.
The matter was referred back to Mpezeni IV and his advisers for consideration.
After deliberations, the Ngoni monarch made what Chieftainess Waitwika now regards as one of the wisest decisions of his reign.
Rather than relocate the remains, Mpezeni IV resolved that King Zwangendaba would continue resting in Nakonde and that the site should instead be formally recognised and honoured as part of Ngoni history.
To Chieftainess Waitwika, that decision revealed the character of a leader determined to preserve history.
“There were other leaders before him, but he is the one who saw the need to honour their forefather in this way,” she said.
A delegation was subsequently dispatched to improve the gravesite and transform it into a memorial location before Mpezeni IV himself travelled to Nakonde in February.
The visit marked several firsts, it was Mpezeni IV’s first visit to the grave of his ancestor since ascending the throne in 1982 and the first public remembrance ceremony for King Zwangendaba since his death in 1848.
During the ceremony, the Ngoni king donated cattle to Chieftainess Waitwika in appreciation of the role the Namwanga people had played in preserving the burial site for generations.
But it was a conversation between the two leaders that remains most vivid in Waitwika’s memory.
“On a lighter note, I asked him who their real tribal cousins were between us and the Bemba people because we had looked after this site for all these years,” she recalled.
“His answer melted my heart, he told me that because of what the Namwanga people had done for his people and for King Zwangendaba, we cannot be regarded as cousins.”
According to Chieftainess Waitwika, Mpezeni IV told her, “from today onwards, you and us are one, we are your brothers. I shall remain your brother. We shall continue visiting each other.”
The declaration transformed what had been a historical connection into a personal bond between the two traditional leaders.
It is that promise, she said, that makes his death particularly painful.
“We had just cemented this relationship and had plans for our people, but God had His own plans,” she said.
“We cannot question God. We can only thank Him for giving him to us and celebrate the life he lived.”
She has described Mpezeni IV as a leader who understood the importance of preserving culture and history, noting that some of the most important cultural milestones recorded during his reign focused on reconnecting the Ngoni people with their origins.
Apart from overseeing the growth of the Nc’wala Ceremony into one of Zambia’s most recognised traditional events, Mpezeni IV recently led historic commemorations retracing the journey of the Ngoni people from southern Africa into present-day Zambia and championed the recognition of King Zwangendaba’s burial site in Nakonde.
His death on Sunday at the age of 75 has ended a reign spanning more than four decades, making him one of Zambia’s longest-serving traditional leaders.
As the Ngoni kingdom and the entire nation mourns, Chieftainess Waitwika says the people of Nakonde stand with them.
“To his descendants and all the Ngoni people, know that although we are in Nakonde, we mourn with you. Our prayers are with you,” she added.
She urged the royal famiily and subjects to remain united, saying unity would be the greatest tribute they could pay to a leader who dedicated his life to preserving culture, promoting peace and bringing people together.
Chieftainess Waitwika is expected to travel to Eastern Province to pay her last respects to the late traditional leader.
He will be put to rest on Tuesday next week, June 9, 2026 and president Hakainde Hichilema has since declared this day a national mourning.
In the picture are Chieftainess Waitwika and Paramount Chief Mpezeni IV during his visit to Nakonde on February 18, 2026, when he travelled to Nachipeta for the first-ever remembrance ceremony of King Zwangendaba.
Also shown is the gravesite of King Zwangendaba in Nachipeta.