Dr David Livingstone visited this village on more than one occasion, sitting under a giant mango tree in the middle of the square, to meet with the current chief.As the Chief viewed David Livingstone as an unbeliever, he was not allowed into the chief’s compound.
 It was also two men from this village, long time retainers of David Livingstone, who carried his body all the way to the coast after he died near Lake Bangweulu.The descendants of these men still live in the village.The population numbers
approximately 7000 and one is invited as a guest to view
how the local people live, work, build and decorate their huts.
All tours are conducted by a guide who lives in the village.
When Dr David Livingstone or Munali as he was known to Africans, met with Munokalya Mukuni (Royal of Royals), neither of them realised they shared one thing in common – the name “Livingstone”. One of the rituals during coronation transforms the Mukuni title holder into the “Living Stone”. And when he dies his death is officially announced as the “Living Stone is Shattered”.
Chief Mukuni jointly rules the Victoria Falls region with a queen known as Be Dyango.Thus the Mukuni monarch practices a dual kinship system between male and female lineages. Because of this dual rule arrangement which is present even at village level, gender imbalance is on a comparatively small scale in this culture.It is found in family management level but is well balanced in rural power sharing.In this culture, it is the women who decide and manage the cultural issues including land allocation whereas men carry management of the day
to day running of the village.
The current Chief Mukuni is a modern and enterprising man who is promoting tourism in his area while trying to minimise the adverse impact it might have on his people’s way of life.
Remember to respect local customs and for further guidance on social conventions ask your guide.
Chief Makuni invites visitors to his village, home to the Leya people.This is a unique opportunity to see how the local people live in a working village, not one built for tourists.Approximately 6000 people live here and a visit is a fascinating insight into their life style.A member of the village shows visitors around and they can see how traditional huts are built and decorated, take a look inside, meet the residents and see the locals at work.
Information:
- Tours take approximately 2 hours (including transfers).
- Curios made in the village are for sale so visitors should take some local currency.
- Transfers to and from the Waterfront are included in the price.
There is also a curio market in the village where clients are able to buy curios made by the villagers at reasonable prices.The tour is approximately 2 hours long including transfers to the village.Transfers to and from the village are included in the price.Soft drinks and water are included in the tour. |
