Mpulungu & Lake Tanganyika - Zambia

LOCATION
Mpulungu District lies between latitude 9° south of the equator and longitude 31° east of the prime meridian. The district shares international boundaries with Tanzania and district boundaries with Mbala District in the east, Mporokoso District in the south and Nsama District in the south west.

Mpulungu was established in 1997 under statutory instrument No. 118 and 127 of 1997. Before its establishment the district was a sub-district under Mbala since 1927.

The district is 1008Km from Lusaka the capital city of Zambia and 210 Km from Kasama the provincial capital of Northern Province and is 38 Km from the nearest district-Mbala. It lies between. The district covers a total land extent of about 10,170 Square Km²,

POPULATION
According to the 2010 census report, the population of Mpulungu stands at 98 073 with about 50.4% females and 49.6% male and an estimated growth rate of 3.8% and population density of 9.6 persons per square kilometer.

CLIMATE
The district’s altitude arises from 800 meters to 1250 meters above sea level. There are some places which are 800m below sea level, such as Iyendwe valley. Generally temperatures are between 24 and 34ºC. The highest temperatures are experienced from October to December with average maximum temperature of 29ºC. Temperature drops to as low as 20ºC between June and July, with an average minimum temperature of 22.2ºC.

The district lies within the agro-ecological zone receiving mean annual rainfall of 1000mm to 1200mm. The climate is tropical, cool and dry from May to July, dry and hot from August to October and wet and hot from November to April.

TOPOGRAPHY
The Chibulula and Mwenda hills form part of the Chilingala Escapement which extends from Musende Bay to the west and Chansamaka Escapement along Lufubu River to Lake Tanganyika forming part of Iyendwe Valley and Muchinga Escapement in the south. Generally, the district is rocky and interspersed with attractive bays along the lakeshore and sandy beaches. The upper land is a plateau dominated by rugged rocky hills, deep valleys and rocky outcrops.

VEGETATION
The district’s vegetation is generally savanna woodlands both in the valley and the plateau. Some parts of the district are covered by open grassland and woodlands. Many streams have dambos and some flood plain on the Lufubu basin around Chinakila area.

LAKE TANGANYIKA AS DRAINAGE SYSTEM
Lake Tanganyika is one of the Great Rift Valley lakes. Its origin is thought to date as far back as 9 to 12 million years ago. It is the deepest fresh water body in Africa and second deepest in the world after Lake Baikal in Russia. It is the second largest lake in Africa after Lake Victoria. Mpulungu district has two islands on Lake Tanganyika namely Mutondwe (Crocodile Island) and Mbita Island.

FISH SPECIES
Lake Tanganyika has about 350-400 described fish species. The main fish species of economical importance includes Buka Buka fish (Lates stapersii) and two cluiped species locally known as Kapenta (Liminothrissa miodon) and Stollothrissa tanganicae. Other fish species of minor importance include Tellipia (Oreochromis tanganicae) known as well as Tanganyika breams, Nkupi popularly known as English fish (Bulengerochromis microlepis), Pande (Hemibates stenosoma) and three species of Nile perches locally known Pamba and Nyumvi.

TRADITIONAL CEREMONIES
There are two predominant traditional ceremonies celebrated in Mpulungu district namely;

UKWALAMA
The Lungu people celebrate this ceremony at Walamo Traditional space which originally extended from Andreas fishing company and the current Gwenya Market along Lake Tanganyika shore. The ceremony is linked to the succession of Senior Chief Tafuna, by crossing the strip of water from the bank of Lake Tanganyika to Mbita island with the chief’s arms leaning on two boats (with the right arm resting on one boat and the lift arm resting on the left boat. While this is done, the chief’s body is partly submerged in water up to Mbita Island. Its is upon reaching Mbita Island that the Senior Chief Tafuna seeks permission from spiritual ancestors Kapembwa, Mbita and Namukale to rule over Lungu land (Mpu-u- lungu).

MUTOMOLO WANYIMBWA
Mambwes and Lungu celebrate this ceremony. The ceremony is association with an Agricultural harvest season time. At the ceremony the Chiefs from both Mambwe land and Lungu land bless and taste the first fruits of an agricultural season, after which the rest of the subjects are free to eat the season’s firstling produce. The ceremony usually takes place between April to June each year. The fate of any family eating the firstlings of the season before the chiefs at Mutomolo, is that such a family risked suffering a lot of turbulent and calamities, which in the long run might spread to the community at large.