LIMBE, CAMEROON, AFRICA. NOVEMBER 2010 (NEWS.CAMEROON-TODAY.COM) - Bonangombe village in the Limbe 3rd district of the Southwest will become the first in the region to be ruled by a woman as traditional head.
The village of Bonangombe in the Limbe 3 district of the Southwest will become the first in the region to be ruled by a woman as traditional head.
Earlier this year, in March, 19 councillors from Bonangombe designated 60 year old Imbolo Mosoka as the next chief of the village.
Limbe Beach – Victoria, Limbe Cameroon – South west Province on the backdrop of the famous Mount Cameroon.
The designation was a surprise, given that most communities do not yet believe in the leadership of women at the traditional level. Little doubt therefore that Imbolo Mosoka was very soon challenged.
A non-indigene who lives in Bonangombe wrote a petition to the senior divisional officer, claiming that it was against tradition for a woman to become chief of a village.
As a result, an urgent meeting was convened to resolve the contention. Over the weekend discussions dragged on as supporters of Imbolo Mosoka sought to see her enthroned as chief and to show that women are as excellent leaders as men.
Following the meeting, it now looks clear that Imbolo will become the next ruler of Bonangombe, which is a third class chiefdom.
Many villagers think she will make a great leader.
“What a man can do, a woman can do, and even better”, says Philomena, a young mother who lives in the village and survives as a petty trader.
ABOUT LIMBE CAMEROON:
Limbe (1858–1982: Victoria; also spelled Limbé) is a seaside city in the South West Region of Cameroon. Limbe was founded in 1858 on the southern slopes of Mount Cameroon by the British missionary Alfred Saker. According to the 2001 estimate, the population was 84,500.
Victoria was founded by the British missionary Alfred Saker of the Baptist Missionary Society of London in June 1858.. Due to this treaty, initially Victoria and its vicinity was not part of the new German colony Kamerun and remained under British administration.
On May 7, 1886 Great Britain and Germany agreed to exchange Victoria and its vicinity for German rights at the Forcados River in Nigeria and St. Lucia in South Africa. On March 28, 1887 Victoria and its vicinity were handed over to the German administration. At the same time Swiss Presbyterian missionaries bought the land from the Baptist Missionary Society in 1887.
Victoria became British again in 1915. In 1982 Victoria was renamed and is since then known as Limbe.
