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(NYASA TIMES) Chewa people mourn Gawa Undi mother

Chewa people mourn Gawa Undi mother
By Charles Kufa, Nyasa Times
September 15, 2011

The Chewa speaking people in Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique are mourning the death of Esinala Phiri, mother to Paramount King Kalonga Gawa Undi XI. Chewa Heritage Foundation (CHF) in Malawi announced on Wednesday the mother of the Chewa supreme leader died on Tuesday at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Zambia’s main referral hospital in Lusaka.

According to CHF, the king mother will be laid to rest with full cultural honors on Sunday at Mkaika palace in Katete district, eastern Zambia. Picture showing Chewa subjects paying homage to Kalonga Gawa Undi, the Chewa King of Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.

Mkaika palace is the headquarters of Paramount Kalonga Gawa Undi who to date presides over 10.5 million Chewa speakers from Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.

The current Paramount Chief ascended to the throne in November 2004.

It is also at this palace, where the Chewa people from the three countries converge every August for the Kulamba traditional ceremony to show unity of purpose in honouring their rich traditional cultural heritage and paying homage to their Paramount Chief.

Former Malawian Vice President Justin Malewezi, the chairman of the Chewa Heritage Foundation in Malawi is also the spokesperson for the Kulamba ceremony and a special advisor to king.

For the past three years now, Malewezi has been reading the speeches of the Paramount Chief during the Kulamba event.

This year, the highly respected and superlative annual event was held on August 27th and as usual scores Malawian Chewa chiefs were in attendance.

Labels: CHEWA HERITAGE GROUP, CHEWA ROYAL ESTABLISHMENT, CHIEFS, KALONGA GAWA UNDI

posted by MrK @ 4:43 AM