07/06/2026
THE Ngoni Royal Establishment has announced that Paramount Chief Mpezeni IV will be buried in his cattle kraal at Ephendukeni Palace in keeping with Ngoni tradition.
The burial site, currently under preparation, will serve as the final resting place for the late monarch, who died at the age of 75 at the University Teaching Hospitals (UTH) in Lusaka.
Chief Madzimawe confirmed that the paramount chief will not be laid to rest at the old graveyard at the Feni Sub-Centre but at a newly designated site within the palace grounds.
“As per Ngoni tradition, the king is buried at his cattle kraal. The chieftaincy originates from the kraal, therefore, the transition to the afterlife must also begin there,” he explained.
Preparations are being carried out jointly by the State and the royal establishment, with Zambia Army officers working alongside indunas and impis to excavate the grave.
The work is expected to take two days.
The royal establishment expressed gratitude to President Hakainde Hichilema for according Inkosi Mpezeni IV an official funeral and declaring June 9 this year a day of national mourning.
Leaders emphasised that the burial will not only honour Ngoni tradition but also reflect the unity between State and traditional institutions.
