Ethnic construction in central province of Zambia: A case study of the Kaonde-Ila people of mumbwa district

The central theme of this study is ethnic construction. It focuses on the meeting in Mumbwa district of some sections of the Kaonde who migrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C) briefly settled in North-Western Province of Zambia and some Ila groups from Namwala in Southern Province which resulted into a new ethnic group called Kaonde-Ila. Through a process of intermarriages and intermingling new linguistic, cultural, customary and socio-political characteristics that came to constitute a new Kaonde-Ila society were acquired by the two groups. The study shows that the physical setting, climate, environment and ecology of Mumbwa district were very instrumental in the settlement, evolution and formation of the Kaonde-Ila. The study therefore, concludes by highlighting the extent to which the environmental pattern of Mumbwa district provided an area of economic transition thereby enforcing a system of economic activities with which the Kaonde-Ila were identified. As a result of the changed physical and social environment there were some modifications in the socio-cultural and economic activities of the Kaonde-Ila