Chief Mukuni disputes status with Litunga in paramountcy legal battle

A legal and traditional dispute has emerged in Zambia between the Bene Mukuni Royal Dynasty Committee and the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) regarding the status of Chief Mukuni. The Mukuni Royal Dynasty Committee has filed a petition in the Constitutional Court challenging the Zambian government’s classification of Chief Mukuni as an ordinary chief. The committee seeks a court declaration that Bene Mukuni customs and traditions vest the office of Munokalya Mukuni with the status of paramount chief and king.

The Litunga, through the BRE, has applied to join the legal proceedings. The BRE argues that the outcome of the case could potentially destabilize long-established traditional authority structures and chieftainships across Zambia. In response, the committee’s director general, Jonas Shakafuswa, has challenged the BRE’s intervention, asserting that the dispute is strictly between the Bene Mukuni and the State and that the BRE has no legal or customary connection to the Bene Mukuni traditional institution.