NGONGO LUHAKA

Ngongo Luhaka (circa 1860-July 15, 1919) worked as the principal assistant of Ngongo Leteta. After Leteta’s death, Luhaka succeeded his master as ruler over the Tetela people, living around Katako Kombe, located 350 km (210 mi) northeast of what is now Kananga.

Luhaka was the son of Epunga, and the nephew of Mutohembe, chief of Mulamba Lowa, a Tetela village east of the Lomami River. At the time of the invasion of Swahili slavers into the Maniema region, in an attempt to prevent plundering in his territory, chief Mutohembe dispatched Lühaka to Ngongo Leteta, an African auxiliary of the Arabs.

At that time, Ngongo was among the Songye people of Imbiadia, southeast of Ngandu in the region between the Lomami and the Lualaba rivers. Finding Ngongo at the village of Chief Dibwe, Luhaka made offers of submission which were accepted.

Shortly afterward, Luhaka who was then about 16, went into Ngongo Leteta’s service, accompanying his master on slave-raiding expeditions. Some years later, as a reward for his services, Luhaka was appointed to a rank immediately under that of Ngongo Leteta himself. From that time on, having received men, arms, and ammunition, Luhaka was a leading member of Ngongo’s raiders.

He led many expeditions for his master among the Ahinas, the cast of the Lomami, and among the Eninga a Ndjovus, west of the river in what was to become later the territory of Katako-Kombe. On his return to Ngongo Leteta’s headquarters at Ngandu on the Lomami River, 325 km (200 mi) northeast of what is now Kananga, Luhaka was again sent on an expedition against the Luba in the Lubilash river region.

After Ngongo Leteta’s submission to the Congo Free State on September 19, 1892, Luhaka, under the orders of Ngongo Leteta, participated in the campaign against the Arab slave and ivory merchants in the eastern Congo (now Zaire). After Ngongo Leteta was executed for treason on September 15, 1893, Ngongo Luhaka was sent to the Konde people in the present zone of Lodja, 300 km (180 mi) northeast of what is now Kananga.

From there he was recalled to Ngandu to succeed Ngongo Leteta in 1896. From that time on, he sent his subordinates to subdue and occupy the Tetela’s land, extending from the 5th to the 1st parallel south. These operations made him a great Tetela chief.

In January 1904, as a result of jealousy, and numerous complaints from some of his subjects, Ngongo Luhaka was removed from office by the colonial government. At first, he was relegated to Libenge in the region of Equateur and then was sent to Lusambo, where he remained a prisoner until 1907. Pleas from those subordinate chiefs who had remained loyal to him, however, induced the government to release him.

Once he had returned home, Ngongo Luhaka tried to rule as in the past, without taking into account the profound changes which had taken place. European agents had set up a state station at Katako Kombe (May 1904), had freed the local population from Asambala tutelage (1905 and 1911), and were in the process of establishing chiefdoms according to the terms of government decrees of June 3, 1906, and May 2, 1910.

Eventually, illness and the actions of his enemies resulted in his removal from power. In June 1912 Ngongo was stricken with temporary paralysis. In July 1919, he had two apoplexy fits resulting in a general paralysis of his left side. Thus, the Tetela nicknamed him “Ngongo with the moving leg.”

Finally, he was killed by Shinga I (alias Luhaka), near the Katako-Kombe station, on the night of July 15, 1919. He was buried north of the Lunga River, 9 km (6 mi) south of the present Katako-Kombe station. His son Senga Raphael, who had attended the Lusambo Colonial School, succeeded him, taking the name of “Pene Luhaka.”

DIMANDJA LUHAKA