Monze

For the town in France, see Monze, Aude.

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Location of Monze

Monze is a small town (population 30,000) in the Southern Province of Zambia and is about 180 km south-west of Lusaka. It is the administrative centre of Monze District.

The town is named after Chief Monze, widely acknowledged as the spiritual leader of the Tonga people who inhabit the district. His palace is south of the town near a place called Gonde where a ceremony called Lwiindi takes place. This annual festival is a thanksgiving ceremony which attracts a lot of people from around the country.

The main industry in the district is agriculture with maize being the most important crop. At one point in the past, the district used to produce more than 25% of the maize crop in Zambia. It was at that time known popularly known as the 'home of Zambia's granary'. Although its status as the leading maize producer has declined over the years, the most prominent feature in the town is still the grain silos to the north of the town.