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| name          = Chris Mukkuli
| name          = Chris Mukkuli
| image        = Chris Mukkuli.jpg
| image        = Chris Mukkuli.jpg
| image_size =
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1964|8|21}}
| alt          =
| birth_place  = Nabuzoka Village, Pemba, Zambia
| caption      =
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|2025|3|31|1964|8|21}}
| birth_name    =
| death_place  = Zambia
| birth_date    =   {{birth date and age|1964|08|21}}
| nationality   = Zambian
| birth_place  = [[Pemba]], [[Zambia]]
| occupation    = Writer, filmmaker
| death_date    =  
| known_for    = ''Nkumbula: Liberating a Nation''
| death_place  =
| death_cause  =
| spouse        =
| children      =
| relatives          =  
| other_names   =  
| occupation    = Writer, filmmaker  
| years_active  =
| known_for    = [[Nkumbula: Liberating a Nation (film)|Nkumbula documentary]]
| notable_works =
}}
}}


'''Chris Mukkuli''' (born 21 August 1964) is a [[Zambia]]n writer, film and documentary maker. In 2016 he made a documentary ''[[Nkumbula: Liberating a Nation (film)|Nkumbula: Liberating a Nation]]'' celebrating the life of [[Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula]] and his contribution to the liberation struggle.<ref>[https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=71575 Documentary on Nkumbula to premiere], Zambia Daily Mail</ref>
'''Chris Mukkuli''' (21 August 1964 – 31 March 2025) was a Zambian writer and filmmaker best known for producing the 2016 documentary ''Nkumbula: Liberating a Nation''.  


==Early life==
== Early life and education ==
Mukkuli was born 21 August 1964 at [[Nabuzoka Village]] 11 kilometres west of [[Pemba]] in [[Southern Province]], [[Zambia]]. He is the third born child of Elizabeth Muleya and Andrew Chaambwa. His parents had two sons (Muntanga, the first born and himself) and two daughters (Macleanor, his immedaite elder sister and Mildah, his younger sister). His parents divorced when he was five or six and he stayed with his father. Andrew loved the brew and he was rarely home, going wherever someone had brewed the local beer known in [[Tonga people|Tonga]] as [[Gaankata]], often spending nights at the drinking places and leaving the little boy to fend for himself for days at times.
Mukkuli was born on 21 August 1964 in Nabuzoka Village, 11 kilometres west of [[Pemba]] in the [[Southern Province]] of Zambia. He was the third child of Elizabeth Muleya and Andrew Chaambwa. His parents divorced when he was young, and he lived with his father, who was often away, leaving Mukkuli to care for himself. At age seven, he moved to Chikonga Village (about seven kilometres north of [[Chikuni Mission]]) to live with his mother's cousin in a polygamous household.


At age 7 in 1971 his mother's cousin got him to go live with her in [[Chikonga Village]], about seven kilometres north of [[Chikuni Mission]]. His aunt lived in a polygamous marriage as the second wife of four.  
In 1971, he began his education at [[Charles Lwanga Primary School]], where he was also responsible for herding cattle. His exposure to storytelling during this period developed his love for narratives. He later attended St. Mark's Secondary School in [[Mapanza]], [[Choma District]], from 1979 to 1983.


==Education==
After two years of seeking further education, Mukkuli enrolled at [[Evelyn Hone College]] in 1985, studying marketing. Upon graduation, he worked as a trainee lecturer at the college.
The same year he started school at [[Charles Lwaanga Primary School]]. Every morning he ran to and from school and spent his weekends herding his uncle's cattle. As a boy growing up in the village, TVs were unheard of and the family had one radio set which was in the control of his uncle. Most of the time they entertainment came in the form of [[twaano]] (folktales) and [[tulabiko]] (riddles) sitting by a crackling fire in the night. He was fascinated by the fairy tales and became the toast of his school where he developed a reputation as one of he best story tellers. This early exposure to storytelling was seminal and was to later shape his career choice as am independent filmmaker.


In 1979 he qualified to [[St. Mark's Secondary School]] in [[Mapanza]], [[Choma District]] where he did his high school from Form 1 up to Form 5. He graduated from St. Mark's in 1983 and spent the next two year trying to get admission to college. In 1985 he was accepted to Evelyn Hone College, a higher learning institution that was the brainchild of the man who liberated Zambia from colonial rule Mr. Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula when he became the country's first Minster of Education at independence. At Evelyn Chris studied for a diploma in marketing and was then taken on by the institution as a trainee lecturer when he graduated three years later. He taught for a year before resigning to join the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) as marketing executive selling airtime. In 1990 he left ZNBC and went back to lecturing at the Zambia Institute of Management (ZAMIM) where he was marketing course director for three years before joining Population Services International (PSI) an American non-profit organisation as Condoms Marketing Manager. He worked for PSI, later renamed Zambia Social Marketing Project, until 2001 when he left holding the position of Corporate Marketing Manager. It was during his tenure at PSI that Christ started writing for film. He wrote a number of film and television series, most famous of which were The Lawyer, a very successful feature film produced and directed bu Dominic Chisembele and Konstable TV series, both produced by Muvi TV. He then joined the Zambia Communications Programmes (ZCCP) as Executive Director in charge of the organisation's operations.
== Career ==
Mukkuli's career spanned multiple disciplines, including education, marketing, and media. After lecturing at Evelyn Hone College, he worked as a marketing executive at [[Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation]] (ZNBC), where he sold airtime. He later became a course director at the [[Zambia Institute of Management]] (ZAMIM) and worked at Population Services International (PSI), where he was initially the Condoms Marketing Manager before being promoted to Corporate Marketing Manager.


He resigned from ZCCP in 2006 to pursue his passion in film and has been an independent film maker since.
He later became involved in scriptwriting and filmmaking, contributing to projects such as ''The Lawyer'', a feature film directed by Dominic Chisembele, and ''[[Konstable TV series|Konstable]]'', a television series produced by [[Muvi TV]].  


In 2006, Mukkuli resigned from his position at [[Zambia Communications Programmes]] (ZCCP) to focus on independent filmmaking. His most notable work was the 2016 documentary ''[[Nkumbula: Liberating a Nation]]'', which detailed the role of [[Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula]] in Zambia’s independence movement.<ref>[https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=71575 Documentary on Nkumbula to premiere], Zambia Daily Mail</ref>
==Advocacy==
Beyond filmmaking, Mukkuli was also a strong advocate for Tonga folk music and supported artists such as Jerry Chilanga and Bana Mpongo.<ref name="ZambiaDaily">{{cite web |title=Zambian Film Icon Chris Mukkuli Remembered |url=https://www.zambiandailynation.com/2024/04/02/zambian-film-icon-chris-mukkuli-remembered/ |publisher=Zambian Daily Nation |date=2 April 2024 |access-date=2 April 2025}}</ref>
== Personal Life and Death ==
Mukkuli was the father of actor [[Bulongo Mukkuli]], who stars in the TV series ''[[Zuba TV series|Zuba]]''. His death on 31 March 2024 was confirmed by National Association of Media Arts (NAMA) publicity secretary Abel Silungwe, who described him as a “pillar of the Zambian film industry.”
==See also==
*[[:Category:Zambian writers|Zambian writers]]
*[[:Category:Zambian filmmakers|Zambian filmmakers]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:2025 deaths]]
[[Category:Zambian writers]]
[[Category:Zambian writers]]
[[Category:Zambian filmmakers]]
[[Category:Zambian filmmakers]]
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:People of Zambia]]
[[Category:People of Zambia]]
[[Category:People from Southern Province]]
[[Category:People from Southern Province]]
[[Category:Zambian television producers]]
[[Category:Zambian television writers]]
[[Category:Zambian documentary filmmakers]]

Latest revision as of 14:02, 2 April 2025

Chris Mukkuli -
Born (1964-08-21)August 21, 1964
Nabuzoka Village, Pemba, Zambia
Nationality Zambian
Occupation Writer, filmmaker
Years active
Known for Nkumbula: Liberating a Nation
Notable work
Awards
Children


Chris Mukkuli (21 August 1964 – 31 March 2025) was a Zambian writer and filmmaker best known for producing the 2016 documentary Nkumbula: Liberating a Nation.

Early life and education

Mukkuli was born on 21 August 1964 in Nabuzoka Village, 11 kilometres west of Pemba in the Southern Province of Zambia. He was the third child of Elizabeth Muleya and Andrew Chaambwa. His parents divorced when he was young, and he lived with his father, who was often away, leaving Mukkuli to care for himself. At age seven, he moved to Chikonga Village (about seven kilometres north of Chikuni Mission) to live with his mother's cousin in a polygamous household.

In 1971, he began his education at Charles Lwanga Primary School, where he was also responsible for herding cattle. His exposure to storytelling during this period developed his love for narratives. He later attended St. Mark's Secondary School in Mapanza, Choma District, from 1979 to 1983.

After two years of seeking further education, Mukkuli enrolled at Evelyn Hone College in 1985, studying marketing. Upon graduation, he worked as a trainee lecturer at the college.

Career

Mukkuli's career spanned multiple disciplines, including education, marketing, and media. After lecturing at Evelyn Hone College, he worked as a marketing executive at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), where he sold airtime. He later became a course director at the Zambia Institute of Management (ZAMIM) and worked at Population Services International (PSI), where he was initially the Condoms Marketing Manager before being promoted to Corporate Marketing Manager.

He later became involved in scriptwriting and filmmaking, contributing to projects such as The Lawyer, a feature film directed by Dominic Chisembele, and Konstable, a television series produced by Muvi TV.

In 2006, Mukkuli resigned from his position at Zambia Communications Programmes (ZCCP) to focus on independent filmmaking. His most notable work was the 2016 documentary Nkumbula: Liberating a Nation, which detailed the role of Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula in Zambia’s independence movement.[1]

Advocacy

Beyond filmmaking, Mukkuli was also a strong advocate for Tonga folk music and supported artists such as Jerry Chilanga and Bana Mpongo.[2]

Personal Life and Death

Mukkuli was the father of actor Bulongo Mukkuli, who stars in the TV series Zuba. His death on 31 March 2024 was confirmed by National Association of Media Arts (NAMA) publicity secretary Abel Silungwe, who described him as a “pillar of the Zambian film industry.”

See also

References

  1. ↑ Documentary on Nkumbula to premiere, Zambia Daily Mail
  2. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1 at line 4515: attempt to index field 'date_names' (a nil value).
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