Karonga, Chitipa in drive to preserve culture
People of Karonga and Chitipa have refused to be left behind when it comes to preserving their culture and have formed the Karonga-Chitipa Cultural Heritage as one way of preserving their culture.
The group’s secretary general, Wantwa Mwahimba, said in an interview they expect to officially launch the organisation before next October.
He said: “The grouping wants to preserve and uphold our culture and protect the people’s identity. We also want to use the group in advocating for infrastructure developments in the two districts.”
is one of the famous dances
Mwahimba said Chitipa and Karonga are rich in cultural heritage, but very little is known because there have been no efforts to promote the districts’ traditions.
He said: “Chitipa and Karonga have a common denominator in chieftaincy. Paramount Chief Kyungu is the supreme leader for the two districts. But very few people know how the chieftaincy came into being.
“Very few people know how people from the districts were worshipping for rains. We want to preserve such history so that generations to come should know what was happening in the past.”
Mwahimba said the group will hold yearly festivals to promote their cultural heritage, including food, dance, history, language and clothing.
He added that the cultural group has been registered as a company at the office of the Registrar General.
The group follows in the footsteps of other cultural organisations in Malawi such as Mzimba Heritage Association, Mulhakho wa Alhomwe and Chewa Heritage Foundation.
However, unlike the other cultural groups which are based on one language, the Karonga-Chitipa Cultural Heritage brings together a host of tribes speaking different languages.
Mwahimba said the group also seeks to complement government in addressing challenges people face on the ground, such as problems people face from the abandoned Mwabulambo Coal Mine.n
