SILENCE OVER ULUBEMBA
…. as Royal council halts Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena
By DAVID KANDUZA
THE drums of the Bemba will remain silent this September after the royal establishment decrees that the prevailing mood cannot allow for the legendary celebration of history and heritage.
The vibrant, earth-shaking rhythms that annually breathe life into the plains of Mungwi District will not sound this year.
In a sudden decision that has cast a quiet somberness across the kingdom, the Bemba Royal Establishment (BRE) has cancelled the 2026 Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena traditional ceremony, declaring that the current mood of the land cannot support joyful festivities.
The historic cultural showcase, which was meticulously scheduled to ignite the Northern Province from September 17 to 19, 2026 was dismantled in a single afternoon.
Following a solemn sitting of the Icilye ce Lamfya—the supreme council of the Bemba kingdom—at the magnificent Chitimukulu Palace, the royal authorities determined that the heart of UluBemba is too heavy for celebration.
In an official statement released on Friday, September 4, Richard Mukuka, secretary to the Paramount Chief Chitimukuku, delivered the decree with heavy solemnity.
He noted that after evaluating the state of the kingdom, the council chose to put heritage on pause.
“Icilye ce Lamfya observes that the prevailing mood in UluBemba is not conducive for ukusefya,” the statement read, utilising the profound Bemba term that encapsulates deep, unbridled communal joy and triumphant festivity.
“Therefore, the Bemba Royal Establishment has forthwith cancelled the earlier-planned 17–19 September 2026 Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena,” read the statement.
The Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena is far more than a festival; it is a living reenactment of the Bemba migration from Kola, a sacred remembrance of finding the dead crocodile—the omen of their permanent home—and a fierce display of royal prestige.
For months, subjects and tourists alike had been preparing for the grand entrance of the Chitimukulu, carried aloft in the Imisanya the royal hammock amidst a sea of ululating women, warrior dances, and praise singing.
Now, those open-air arenas will remain empty.
The elaborate costumes will stay packed away, and the royal spears will remain unlifted.
While the BRE did not explicitly elaborate on the exact grievances or circumstances souring the atmosphere of the chiefdom, the weight of the Icilye ce Lamfya’s word is absolute.
When the highest council of the palace speaks, the kingdom listens.
For now, the crocodile totem remains guarded in quiet reflection, awaiting a time when the sun shines brightly enough on UluBemba to dance once more.