Royal wedding lights up Ntcheu
Ntcheu Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V and South African Inkosikati Rishaladza Khanyisa Mathebula will exchange marriage vows this morning, crowning a historic double celebration weekend for Ngonis in Malawi and in neighbouring countries.
The Royal wedding is scheduled to take place at Ntcheu Church of Central Africa Presbytery (CCAP) congregation at 8am, to be followed by an afternoon reception in Nkolimbo Village, adjacent to the monument of the revered late Inkosi ya Makosi Chikuse Gomani I.
Chairperson of the celebrations committee Pilira Matondo said yesterday the Royal wedding will be a climax to the annual Umhlangano celebrations which started yesterday and which have seen Ngonis from neighbouring countries and their hosts in Malawi converging on Ntcheu this weekend to cherish and celebrate their common rich traditional roots.
The Umhlangano celebrations began yesterday morning with Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani overseeing one of his officials slaughtering a calf in a special traditional ceremony called Mkhwisulo. Thereafter, feasting and dancing were the order of the day yesterday and the merry-making will escalate with the wedding celebration throughout today.
On Thursday, a woman claiming to be Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V’s wife, Ovixlexla Bunya wrote Ntcheu CCAP requesting that the church should not officiate the chief’s wedding today, among other things, claiming she has a child with the chief.
However, later in the afternoon yesterday, Gomani obtained an injunction from the High Court, Lilongwe District Registry, stopping Bunya from taking any action on the wedding.
