Chief Munokalya Mupotola IV Siloka III Mukuni His majesty Munokalya Mukuni XIX sits on the Board of Directors of Royal Mukuni Management Ltd and plays an important role in its developments. As the patron of the Mukuni Development Trust, the Trust was an initiative of His majesty and formed to promote poverty alleviation through the development and upkeep of local schools, clinics, aids prevention programmes, rural roads and the like - all within the Mukuni Kingdom. A strong spokesman and international businessman, Chief Mukuni has a reputation for pioneering tourism development in Zambia while ensuring benefits for community-driven projects for the local people. From his successful business ventures in Zambia’s capital, Chief Mukuni was called back from Lusaka to take up his ancestral duty as chief of his Royal village Mukuni outside Livingstone when the former chief died. The 19th Chief of the Leya people, Chief Munokalya Mupotola IV Siloka III Mukuni, returned to his palace in the centre of Mukuni village, currently home to 7,000 people. The local people, the Leya, can track their descendants back to the Congo, arriving in Livingstone around the 13th Century. Chief Mukuni’s strong business background has influenced many of the community-driven projects in Livingstone. His powerful ethic to return revenues to local communities has led to projects such as The Mukuni Big 5 animal encounter initiative,
which allows tourists to interact with lions, elephants and cheetahs. A percentage of the profits are ploughed back into the area, and the initiative ensures that the community thrives by providing employment and enticing tourists. The chief was instrumental in ensuring the establishment of the luxury five-star Royal Livingstone Hotel and its sister hotel the Zambezi Sun – which attract business and leisure clients from all over the world. As a hotel board member, he is still an active decision maker, whose shrewd business acumen allows the local business community to flourish while preserving local values and the environment. With a vision to promote conservation in the area, the chief has encouraged sustainable development of local assets such as the 80,000 hectare wildlife sanctuary in his stewardship. Chief Mukuni presides over three major traditional ceremonies every year: the Bene Mukuni in July, which enacts the trek of his tribe from the Congo in the 17th Century; the Basilombelombe Festival in December, which celebrates the spray of the Victoria Falls; and the Chandaule ceremony, the rainmaking ceremony to give thanks for the rain. “As a country we have huge potential to be a top tourist destination - all year round we have traditional ceremonies across the country with 72 ethnic tribes and a rich cultural heritage. We must develop demand for our ethnic products and goods, and make everyone welcome to Zambia, so that we are a gateway to Africa.
“But we must build our future without neglecting our past,” the Chief notes, highlighting his ethic to ensure that tourism projects are undertaken with a strong focus on preserving and building upon the heritage of the local people.
Royal Mukuni Villa Estate Livingstone, Zambia Email: tony@royalmukuni.com www.royalmukuni.com Best of Zambia
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