The king of Ngola (modern day Angola) had a sister named N’Zinga N’Bandi (1582–1663), or Mistress Ana de Souza, name of baptism in the Catholic church), who served as the negotiator of treaties with the Portuguese. She became queen in 1624 when her brother died, and assigned women important government offices. The Portuguese broke the peace agreement, so she led her largely female army against the invaders and built a strong confederation with neighbor kingdoms to eradicate the Portuguese. She ruled until she died at the age of 81.
The restless warrior Queen Zinga fought fiercely for over 40 years against the colonisation and slavery in Congo and Angola.
by Dino March 13, 2005