Mutumba Mainga, a Zambian historian and politician, died on February 20, 2026.
Born in 1938, she was the first Zambian woman to gain a PhD, the first Zambian woman to lecture at the University of Zambia, and the first Zambian woman to serve as a full Cabinet Minister in Zambia. She came from Nalikolo in Mongu District and was the daughter of Induna, Paramount chief of the Lozi people.
Mainga was elected to parliament in 1973 as MP for Nalolo Constituency in Western Province and served as Minister of Health from 1973 to 1976. She also held various positions in UNIP before retiring from active politics in 1991.
Mutumba Mainga or Mutumba Mainga Bull (1938 – 13 February 2026) was a Zambian historian and politician. She was the first Zambian woman to gain a PhD, the first Zambian woman to lecture at the University of Zambia, and the first Zambian woman to serve as a full Cabinet Minister in Zambia.