Chewas to celebrate Kulamba tomorrow
The Chewa people are set to celebrate the Kulamba ceremony tomorrow, in Zambia marking the events return after a one-year break due to Tropical Cyclone Freddy which affected Malawi and Mozambique.
The ceremony held annually at Mkaika, Katete District in Zambia, is a cultural event that brings together the Chewa people of Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique where they pay homage to their overall traditional leader Gawa Undi.
The ceremony was also cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19 and returned a year later in 2022.
In a telephone interview on Thursday, one of the Chewa local leaders, Senior Chief Lukwa, who is also Chewa Heritage Foundation executive member, said individuals and groups have already started gathering and travelling for the ceremony.
“We are currently in Zambia where we are preparing for the final day of the ceremony and traditional dance groups have already started showcasing as we prepare to select who will be performing on the final day,” he said.
Lukwa further advised individuals who will attend the ceremony to get clearance letters from the organisations’ office that will be used as travel documents.
In a separate interview, vice-chairperson for the foundation Sefelen Khumula said individuals will be required to provide their name, vehicle registration number and the number of people in their cars.
“Kalonga Gawa Undi has arranged with the Government of Zambia that the first 500 vehicles coming from Malawi going to the ceremony should not pay tollgate, but just insurance at the border to ensure that patrons travel smoothly,” he said.
Khumula also encouraged those planning to attend the event to be at the border in good time so that they are cleared early.
This year’s Kulamba will be held under the theme ‘Let us send our children both boys and girls to school: End child marriage.’
The ceremony is expected to be graced by officials from Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.
During the ceremony, there will be traditional dances and Chewa food and drinks.
