Namwala

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Coordinates: 15°45′S 26°26′E / -15.75, 26.433 Namwala is a district in Southern Province of Zambia covering an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometers, the rural district has an estimated population of some 91,000 people. Namwala town has a population of over 5,000 people. Other major settlement areas in the district are Kabulamwanda, Muchila, Maala, Mbeza and Chitongo. It lies on the southern bank of the Kafue River at 996 metres above sea level. It houses the administrative offices of Namwala District and is the principal town of the Ila people who inhabit the district. They are famous for their large herds of cattle with livestock farming, not surprisingly, their main economic activity. The district is also well known for, its Shimunenga traditional ceremony. This spectacular event that takes place around September/October of every year at Maala village. The Ila people, the traditional inhabitants of Namwala District, engage mostly in cattle herding, fishing, hunting and subsistence farming. As a symbol of prestige, the traditional Ila do not routinely eat their cattle, but it is a major source of draught power.However, drought and disease have taken their toll on the cattle population.

The Ila are closely related in language and culture to their more numerous Tonga neighbours in Southern Province. The Ila speaking people of Zambia reside mainly in the administrative districts of Namwala, Itezhi-Tezhi and Mumbwa spread over seventeen chiefdoms.

The Shimunenga Ceremony of the Ba-Ila people of Maala is celebrated on the weekend of the full moon in September or October. Early in the morning of the first day, people gather at the shrine of Shimunenga, where traditional songs are chanted. There is also a cultural march past of women and girls in traditional attire, after which people are treated to performances by traditional dancers. On the following morning, the drum is sounded and animals are taken to the river, where cattle is displayed in the traditional manner. The first cattle to cross the river will be those of the custodian of the shrine. This is followed by a demonstration of a mock lion hunt and pelican fishing. The occasion is marked with traditional songs in honour and praise of the Shimunenga ancestral spirits. Celebrations continue in the village with pit-stops for traditional beer at different places. The 2007 ceremony is scheduled to take place on October 20-21.