Inkosi Ya Makhosi M’mbelwa V on Saturday challenged organisers for this year’s Umthetho Cultural Festival to up their game to meet people’s expectations and promote Malawi beyond its borders.
The Jere Ngoni Paramount chief was speaking during a stakeholders meeting at Hora Heritage Site, venue for the annual cultural festival in Mzimba to review last year’s festival and plans for the event scheduled for August.
“We don’t want to do things that won’t sit well with our visitors and later shame our country. We want something that puts our country on the map and makes sure Umthetho keeps growing and fulfilling its purpose of keeping our culture alive,” said M’mbelwa. He commended those who attended the meeting and described it as productive and pledging his full support to the organising team.
Beyond the borders, the festival is expected to draw cultural delegations from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Eswatini, alongside Inkosi Ya Makhosi Mpezeni of Zambia and Inkosi Ya Makhosi Zulu Gama of Tanzania as well other local ethnic groups across the country.
M’mbelwa V said Umthetho plays a direct role in boosting tourism by bringing international visitors to experience Malawian culture first hand.
This year’s theme is ‘Mzimba united for land preservation and sustainable development’.
According to Mzimba Heritage Association secretary general Khumbo Bonzoe Soko, the theme responds to growing calls to divide Mzimba into several districts.
“The thinking of His Majesty Inkosi Ya Makhosi M’mbelwa V is that together we are stronger united as a people,” he said.
Soko said the land preservation focus addresses urgent issues of environmental degradation and unsustainable land use driven by population growth.
Mzimba district commissioner Emmanuel Bulukutu, who also attended the meeting, reaffirmed the council’s central role, saying the festival will be treated as a government function.
“In each committee, we are bringing our officers to backstop the organising committee to make sure everything is orderly,” he said.
The Jere Ngoni people of Mzimba District host the Umthetho Cultural Festival every year. Held each August at the foot of Hora Mountain where the Ngonis first settled, the festival honours Ngoni heritage with traditional dances, local cuisine and tributes to the royal lineage
