“Not a Time for Joy”: Bemba Royal Establishment Cancels Ukusefya pa Ng’wena

10 Views MUNGWI — For thousands of people who had been preparing to travel to Mungwi this month, the annual Ukusefya pa Ng’wena will not take place. The Bemba Royal Establishment has cancelled the 2026 ceremony, saying the mood across UluBemba is too sombre for what is traditionally one of the region’s biggest celebrations of […]

10 Views

MUNGWI — For thousands of people who had been preparing to travel to Mungwi this month, the annual Ukusefya pa Ng’wena will not take place.

The Bemba Royal Establishment has cancelled the 2026 ceremony, saying the mood across UluBemba is too sombre for what is traditionally one of the region’s biggest celebrations of culture, heritage and identity.

The decision was made on Friday, September 4, during an Icilye ce Lamfya meeting held at Chitimukulu Palace in Mungwi District.

The meeting, which ran from 10:00 to 12:00 hours, effectively brought an end to preparations for the ceremony that had been scheduled for September 17 to 19.

In announcing the decision, the Royal Establishment gave a strikingly simple explanation — this is not a time for celebration.

“Icilye ce Lamfya observes that the prevailing mood in UluBemba is not conducive for ukusefya (joyful festivities).”

It consequently cancelled the planned three-day event with immediate effect.

The statement does not identify any particular incident or group of events responsible for the sombre mood, leaving the significance of the decision to speak largely for itself.

Ukusefya pa Ng’wena is not simply a social gathering. The annual ceremony is a major expression of Bemba heritage, celebrating the migration and history of the Bemba people while honouring the Chitimukulu.

The event normally brings together thousands of people at the Chitimukulu’s palace grounds, including traditional leaders, government officials, political figures, diplomats and members of the public from across Zambia and beyond.

Its cancellation therefore represents more than the loss of a three-day cultural celebration.

It is a decision by the Bemba Royal Establishment that the prevailing circumstances are sufficiently sombre that a ceremony built around ukusefya — joy and celebration — would be out of place.

The Royal Establishment has, however, assured sponsors and other stakeholders that money and other support already received for the 2026 ceremony will not be lost.

All sponsorships and donations already received will be carried forward to the 2027 Ukusefya pa Ng’wena and properly accounted for.

The palace has also apologised for the inconvenience caused by the cancellation.

The announcement was signed by Richard Mukuka, Secretary to the Chitimukulu.

For now, there will be no dancing, no large gathering at the palace grounds and no September celebration of Ukusefya pa Ng’wena.

Instead, the Bemba Royal Establishment has chosen to wait for a more appropriate time.

The 2027 ceremony is expected to revive the annual tradition.