M’mbelwa backs distorted university name

Inkosi ya Makosi M’mbelwa  V has said he is comfortable with the university of veterinary services in Mzimba District being called Mombera, a distorted name for M’mbelwa.

There has been debate on whether the institution should be called University of M’mbelwa or University of Mombera.

Mombera is a mispronunciation of M’mbelwa by the colonial masters who went ahead to adopt the name.

However, when President Peter Mutharika laid a foundation stone for the university, the plaque indicated the University of Mombera.

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, M’mbelwa said he has no problem with the university being called Mombera.

He said his late father already nodded to the name Mombera and he would not go against his father’s decision.

Historian Desmond Phiri said Mombera is a distortion of the name M’mbelwa. M’mbelwa means “the buried one”.

The name was given to Zwangendaba’s son because their children had been dying when they left Kwazulu Natal. However, when the Ngonis reached Mabiri in Mzimba in 1839, the wife gave birth to a son who was named M’mbelwa.

Phiri said a number of tribes found it difficult to pronounce the name M’mbelwa. Chewas and Tongas, pronounced it as Mombera while Tumbukas were saying Mwambelwa.

Mzimba District was named Mombera in 1904 when it became part of the British protectorate.