Chewa’s Kulamba ceremony on Saturday

The cultural pilgrimage of the Chewa’s from Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique, the annual Kulamba Ceremony, takes place on August 31, at Mkaika, Katete District in Zambia.

Every last Saturday in the month of August, the Chewa’s from the three countries throng their headquarters at Mkaika to unify with their ancestors to commemorate their rich cultural heritage of paying homage to Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi.

It is estimated that Kalonga Gawa Undi presides over close to 11 million subjects scattered across the three countries that also formed the Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique Growth Triangle (ZMM-GT).

Chairperson of Chewa Heritage Foundation, Professor George Kanyama Phiri, said in an interview, all is set for this year’s event.

“There are several cultural dances that Malawians will perform at this year’s event. For the first time, we will have Nyau Ya Ndege [helicopter] which will carry fellow dancers to the ceremony. Again, 32 students from Chancellor College and 16 from The Polytechnic will make the trip with the aim of planting patriotism in youths, who will take over Chefo in future.

“The number of chiefs attending this year’s Kulamba will be higher than in the past. This is as a result of enough funding for the trip following the fundraising dinner and dance that raised K11 million. This is outside pledges and donations made by different people and organisations,” explained Kanyama Phiri.

The Chewa’s are scattered in the vast region that encompasses about 137 Chewa chiefdoms in Malawi, 33 in Mozambique and 42 in Zambia.