APM tells Lhomwes to love, respect one another

President Peter Mutharika h a s asked people of the Lhomwe tribe to uphold values such as love and respect for one another as well as trustworthiness.

The President made the call yesterday when he presided over the Mulhako wa Alhomwe 2016 Cultural Festival at Chonde in Mulanje.

The festival was held under the theme Culture and the Youth. In a speech monitored on taxpayer-funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Muthalika said: “We must all remember what we are. Traditionally, the Lhomwes are known for helping one another, respect of others , upholding human equity and a positive attitude towards work. That is what we are.

“It is not allowed to pull-down one another. Respect others. I do not want to hear of any Lhomwe who despises others. That is not what we are. That is not our way of life.”

Mutharika, a member of the Mulhako wa Alhomwe grouping, also called for unity among Malawians of different cultures, saying although there are different cultures in the country, they are all Malawians.

He appealed to all cultural groupings in the country to develop programmes that teach their youths values that will make a successful generation.

“We must value hardwork and build our capacity to do great things. This is a valuable recipe of national culture building we must teach our children,” said Mutharika.

In her remarks, Minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development Patricia Kaliati asked the private sector to continue supporting various cultural events in the country, including Mulhako wa Alhomwe, to ensure that cultural values are preserved.

Senior Chief Ngolongoliwa of the Lhomwe culture asked Malawians, especially the youth, to have respect for their leaders such as the President and traditional leaders.

The chief outlined a brief history of the Lhomwe culture. The Mulhako w a Alhomwe festival started on Saturday with dancing c o m p e t i t i o n s w h o s e winners were presented with trophies during the main celebration yesterday.

Mulhako wa Alhomwe was formed in 2007 through the initiative of former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika to preserve and promote culture in Malawi. Since then, the grouping holds its annual celebrations at its headquarters at Chonde.

Members of the grouping are spread across the country, but they are highly concentrated in the districts of Mulanje, Chiradzulu, Thyolo, Phalombe, Zomba and Blantyre.