Total population | |
---|---|
310 000 in Zambia | |
Languages | |
Lenje, English | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Lukanga Twa, Tonga people |
Lenje people (also known as Bene Mukuni, Balenje, Balenge, Benimukuni, Ciina mukuna, Lenge, Lengi [1] [2]) is an ethnic group in Zambia. They are loosely bound with its spatial and cultural boundaries shifting, depending on whom you talk to. [3] They live mainly in the Central province but also in Lusaka and Copperbelt province. It is not clear when they arrived to the area where they live today [2] but they are believed to be among the first people to come to Zambia from the Cameroon region.[ citation needed] It has been claimed that they have been in the area at least since the 17th century. [4] The Lenje chiefdom comprises one senior chief and seven subordinate chiefs and chiefdoms. [5] They are about 240 000[ citation needed] - 310 000 [6] and are considered to be part of the Bantu, Central-South people cluster within the Sub-Saharan African affinity bloc. [6] They are related to the neighboring Tonga people [7] [8] and have also been said to be related to the Twa (or Batwa, Awatwa) of the Lukanga Swamps. [9] [10]
Travellers who visited Lenje in the beginning of the 20th century writes that they were mainly farmers but hunting and fishing was also important. [11] Present day Lenje are generally subsistence farmers growing maize during the rainy season and vegetables during the dry season, They burn charcoal as well as keep a few cattle, goats, chickens etc. Some, especially those closer to the edge of the Lukanga swamp, fish or are involved in fish trade. [2]
Total population | |
---|---|
310 000 in Zambia | |
Languages | |
Lenje, English | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Lukanga Twa, Tonga people |
Lenje people (also known as Bene Mukuni, Balenje, Balenge, Benimukuni, Ciina mukuna, Lenge, Lengi [1] [2]) is an ethnic group in Zambia. They are loosely bound with its spatial and cultural boundaries shifting, depending on whom you talk to. [3] They live mainly in the Central province but also in Lusaka and Copperbelt province. It is not clear when they arrived to the area where they live today [2] but they are believed to be among the first people to come to Zambia from the Cameroon region.[ citation needed] It has been claimed that they have been in the area at least since the 17th century. [4] The Lenje chiefdom comprises one senior chief and seven subordinate chiefs and chiefdoms. [5] They are about 240 000[ citation needed] - 310 000 [6] and are considered to be part of the Bantu, Central-South people cluster within the Sub-Saharan African affinity bloc. [6] They are related to the neighboring Tonga people [7] [8] and have also been said to be related to the Twa (or Batwa, Awatwa) of the Lukanga Swamps. [9] [10]
Travellers who visited Lenje in the beginning of the 20th century writes that they were mainly farmers but hunting and fishing was also important. [11] Present day Lenje are generally subsistence farmers growing maize during the rainy season and vegetables during the dry season, They burn charcoal as well as keep a few cattle, goats, chickens etc. Some, especially those closer to the edge of the Lukanga swamp, fish or are involved in fish trade. [2]