Women in African History – Njinga Mbandi

A short history of the life of one of the incredible women highlighted in UNESCO’s Women in African History series. Nzinga Mbandi defined much of the history of seventeenth century Angola.

Njinga Mbandi (1581–1663), Queen of Ndongo and Matamba, was a deft diplomat, skilful negotiator and formidable tactician who resisted Portugal’s colonial designs tenaciously until her death in1663. She devoted her efforts to resettling former slaves and allowing women to bear children.

Today, she is remembered in Angola for her political and diplomatic acumen, great wit and intelligence, as well as her brilliant military tactics.

The story of Njinga Mbandi is told through comic strip illustrations by Pat Masioni a comic strip designer and scriptwriter originally from the province of Bandundu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.