JB asks Yao people to emulate Ngonis on cultural heritage
By Lucky Mkandawire, Nyasa Times
August 12, 2012
Malawi President Joyce Banda on Saturday called on her clan’s leaders to consider setting up their own heritage group as a way of preserving their culture. The President, who is a Yao by tribe, was speaking Saturday at Hora Mountain in Mzimba district during the annual uMthetho Cultural Festival for the Ngoni people.
While referring to the Umthetho and Kulamba (Chewa), Banda observed that almost every tribe in Malawi had an equivalent of the concept of Umthetho and advised the Yao people to establish their own in order to protect their culture. President Banda presenting a cheque to the chair of Mzimba Heritage Association.
She told Malawians that a few weeks before her ascendency to the presidency, she went to Karonga district to condole the Kyungu family on the death of Paramount Chief Kyungu and was impressed with the richness of their culture.
“I was told about the vibrancy of their culture. Last week, I was in Ntcheu presiding over the coronation of Mswati Kanjedza as Paramount Chief Gomani the Fifth and next week it will be Kulamba and I ask myself what are the Yao doing? If they are hearing me they better do something,” said the President who comes from Domasi in Zomba.
She then advised the Yao people also to look for a historical place where they could be gathering for their annual cultural festival.
Banda said she was aware that every tribe in Malawi had an equivalent of the Umthetho concept, which among others, embodies the values of love for each other and urged “all Malawians, not just the Ngonis, to uphold these values.”
Mzimba Association
She also congratulated the people of Mzimba for founding the Mzimba Heritage Association whose main aim is to preserve and promote the heritage of the Ngoni people.
The association was founded in 2000 and has been organizing the uMthetho Cultural Festival since 2007at Hora Mountain, the Ngonis first settlement in Malawi under Zwangendaba Jere.
The president also said she was aware of the importance of the Umthetho to the culture of the Mzimba Ngonis and her being there connected her with the place as issues of culture have always been of great interest to her.
“People without culture are like a tree without roots and so once more I wish to express my total support for this event,” she said.
The President pledged she would ensure that the place (Hora) is uplifted to better standards that could attract tourists.
She however challenged the Ngoni people to think about how they could revive and promote their language and other related issues through research and advanced studies.
The Ngoni language is still spoken in some parts of Mzimba district, which is a kingdom headed by Inkosi ya Makosi Mbwelwa 4th.
The president then donated K1 million cheque to the Mzimba Heritage Association to help it in its operations.
Among others, the event was attended by guests from South African who included a cultural troupe.
Ngoni culture
At Hola, where Ngoni’s showcase their cultural heritage and share historical and rich moments, traditional dances such as the men’s iNgoma - a very famous dance among the tribe of Mzimba, originally a war dance performed after a successful battle.
During the dance, the men are elaborately decorated in headgear made of feathers and animal skins, ornaments worn on the limbs, a network of beads wrapped across the chest and stomach, and around the neck hang various types of animal skin. They carry a spear or club and a shield. The women wear ordinary ‘Chilundu’ (a piece of cloth) from the waist downwards, and a blouse and a head gear called ‘DUKU’.
In the Ingoma dance, men dance in straight lines while women form lines on the side of the men. Men sing and stamp their feet, wielding their shields, spears and clubs by symbolising a war scene while the women sing, clap and ulutate in unison with the men’s dance performance.
Mzimba district, where the descendents of South Africa’s Ngoni dwell, was formerly called Ngoniland before joining the British Protectorate .
In September 2008 the Angoni were dressed in tribal traditional wear commemorating what was the largest gathering in the past 100 years. The occasion was to celebrate the time 100 years ago when the Mzimba Kingdom signed a peace treaty with England and became part of the “East African Protectorate” later to be Nyasaland then under independence Malawi.
The signing of the treaty was partly responsible for keeping Germany from cutting off the British during World War I. The ceremony was deemed “From Kingdom to Protectorate and Beyond.”—(Additional reporting by Patricia Masinga, Nyasa Times)
Labels: CEREMONIES, MALAWI, NGONI
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Moosa commends Sata's advice to chiefs Nzamane, Madzimawe
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Tue 07 Feb. 2012, 12:59 CAT
FORMER Petauke district council chairperson Osman Moosa says every chief should be concerned with President Michael Sata's warning letters to senior chief Nzamane and chief Madzimawe over the alleged threats on Paramount Chief Mpezeni for supporting calls to remove former president Rupiah Banda's immunity.
Commenting on the alleged impasse that had ravaged the Ngoniland and the subsequent warning letters from President Sata to the two traditional leaders, Moosa, the immediate past MMD Nyika ward councillor, commended President Sata on his advice to the two chiefs for their alleged threats on the paramount chief.
"Every chief should be touched with the contents of those letters. They should never think it's only for Ngonis. The letters are from the Republican President and it's law. May I appeal to my chiefs in Petauke to love each other and move forward as a team for the development of the district," Moosa said.
He said he would be a sad person to see any of the traditional leaders in Petauke having their recognition as chiefs withdrawn.
"Remember law is law and it should be respected all the time," said Moosa.
Recently, Paramount Chief Mpezeni supported countrywide calls to have Banda's immunity removed.
But few days later, President Sata warned senior Nzamane and chief Madzimawe to stop intimidating the paramount chief over his comments following reports that the two traditional leaders were allegedly inciting subjects against Mpezeni.
President Sata has since written warning letters to the two traditional leaders over the matter although they both denied the allegations.
Armed police officers were also deployed at the Paramount Chief Mpezeni's palace.
Meanwhile, the MMD in Eastern condemned what it termed ‘politicisation' of the traditional leadership.
The Ngonis are currently preparing for the annual Nc'wala traditional ceremony that will be held at the end of this month.
Labels: CHIEF MADZIMAWE, CHIEF NZAMANE, CHIEFS, MICHAEL SATA, NC'WALA, NGONI, OSMAN MOOSA, PETAUKE
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Mpezeni mourns death of praise-singer Zimba
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sun 05 Feb. 2012, 12:59 CAT
PARAMOUNT Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people in Eastern Province has described the death of his main praise singer Lassam Zimba, popularly known as Bafana Bafana Pesha Manene, as unfortunate.
In an interview on Friday, chief Mpezeni said he had just heard that Zimba died but had not been traditionally informed. He said Zimba fell ill in Malawi where he was sent to deliver Nc'wala invitation letters to Malawian chiefs.
"This is sudden death because I was not even informed about his illness. He was sent to Malawi to deliver invitation letters to Malawi chiefs but he fell sick from there and was admitted at Chipata General Hospital and he only stayed in the hospital for a day," said chief Mpezeni.
And Zimba's grandson, Rodger, said his grandfather died in the early hours of Thursday after suffering a stroke.
Rodger said Zimba's condition had been critical from the time he was admitted to Chipata General Hospital.
Zimba is survived by a wife, five children and several grandchildren.
He will be remembered for his unique outfit during the Nc'wala traditional ceremony and outstanding praises to chief Mpezeni during the event, Ngoni chiefs installations and many others.
Zimba was always a marvel to watch at the Nc'wala ceremony because of his traditional Ngoni attire.
Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation radio one Nyanja section also uses Zimba's voice as part of its introduction whenever they start Nyanja transmission.
Labels: CHIEF MPEZENI, NGONI
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Mpezeni urges Government to rehabilitate, construct roads
TIME PUBLISHED - Sunday, November 13, 2011, 6:17 am
Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province has appealed to government to draw up a programme of constructing and rehabilitating roads in all parts of the country.
Paramount chief Mpezeni said road infrastructure was the driving force toward economic development because they connect productive areas to markets. He told the media at his Ependukeni palace during the week that all sectors of the economy depend on a good road network hence the need to improve road infrastructure.
Meanwhile, paramount chief Mpezeni has commended government for rehabilitating roads in his area.
He noted that the Patriotic Front government had already started showing its commitment to improving the road sector.
And a senior citizen, Webster Shawa, urged the Patriotic Front (PF) government to diversify crop production by moving away from promoting maize production only.
Mr. Shawa noted that until research for alternative crops was done and markets found for these crops, the agricultural sector will continue to face challenges.
He said the province required positive agricultural policies for economic growth.
ZANIS
Labels: CHIEF MPEZENI, EASTERN PROVINCE, INFRASTRUCTURE, NGONI, ROADS
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Ngoni chiefs complain over MMD adoptions
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Wed 27 July 2011, 13:59 CAT
THE Ngoni Royal Establishment says the MMD has not consulted them adequately on the adoption of parliamentary candidates in the Ngoni strongholds. Briefing the media after a consultative meeting that lasted over four hours at Chipata’s Protea Hotel yesterday, chief Mnukwa who read a statement on behalf of the other chiefs stated that the chiefs have decided that they immediately engage the MMD on the adoption issue.
“The royal establishment has also indicated to all other parties that are participating in the forthcoming elections to look at the concerns of the Ngoni Royal Establishment by trying by all means to field Ngoni candidates in Ngoni strongholds just like it happened in other areas,” chief Mnukwa stated.
And answering questions from journalists, chief Mnukwa said the establishment knew that the MMD had their own rules and regulations that they followed and as such would engage the party privately over the concerns on the adoptions.
“We are saying we are going to engage the MMD and it cannot be for public consumption. These are consultations, you have to discuss with the individual parties especially the MMD who have got their own rules and regulation that they have to follow and we cannot ignore that. So they must be given chance to explain and we must also be given chance to explain and then overall conclusions will come out based on common understanding and resolutions,” chief Mnukwa said.
Chief Madzimawe cited Chipata which has four constituencies yet the only Ngoni adopted by the MMD was Angela Cifire for Luangeni.
“We don’t want to be tribal but we just want to balance things,” chief Madzimawe, who is also House of Chiefs chairperson said.
Senior chief Nzamane said the establishment could not formulate the regulations of candidates in MMD or any other political party.
“These various parties have always been saying that they consult stakeholders and we are stakeholders in terms of development, now if we don’t have any representation in Parliament do you think development will come to our areas? We won’t have it, so this is the imbalance that we want to remove,” senior chief Nzamane said.
And commenting on the ongoing endorsements made by other chiefs in the country, senior chief Nzamane said the people at the grassroots were the ones who determined who they wanted to rule them.
“But we have to choose people that are going to represent us, that’s the common notion everywhere,” senior chief Nzamane said.
He said other political parties had not yet picked their candidates but that they were guiding them beforehand that if they wanted the establishment’s sympathy, they should come up with candidates that would be selected after consulting them.
In Chipata district the MMD has adopted Mtolo Phiri in Chipata Central, Victoria Kalima in Kasenengwa and Vincent Mwale in Chipangali.
The consultative meeting was attended by Paramount Chief Mpezeni, senior chief Nzamane, chief Madzimawe, chief Mnukwa, chief Mishoro, chief Maguya, chief Chinyaku, chief Kapatamoyo and chief Sairi.
Labels: CHIEFS, MMD, NGONI
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Inkosi M’Mbelwa IV explains his political loyalty
By Nyasa Times
Published: May 13, 2010
“My area has people of different political affiliations but I work with the government of the day,” he told Capital Radio Straight Talk programme.
Presenter Brian Banda asked him to explain his political loyalty after supporting the one-party dictatorship of Kamuzu Banda, later supported Bakili Muluzi regime including the failed third term bid and now he is supportive of the current Bingu wa Mutharika administration.
Inkosi Mbelwa said he was a not a party functionary but is like a civil servant as a chief working directory with the President through the Local Government ministry.
He denied promoting third term bid for former president Muluzi.
“If there were people who were not behind the Third Term Bill, I was one of them, but I was pushed to be on the forefront,” he said.
Pressed to explain, he said: “It wasn’t that I was pushed but because of my position I was meant to be spokesman for the chiefs.”
On naming the incumbent the title Ngwazi, which was also used by Kamuzu, he said President Mutharika merited the title.
“First and foremost I looked at the subsidy programme, the food situation of this country. People were dying of hunger in this country but when Bingu came in with his principles and policies that he had instituted, the people all over a sudden had changed.
“When we were celebrating in Mzimba, we decided to give Bingu wa Mutharika a skin of a lion. Usually in Ngoni [culture] he who put on a skin of lion is Ngwazi,” the Ngoni chief said.
“It was the Mzimba people after getting satisfied with the Bingu policies that we decided to give him the skin of the lion.”
Speaking on the education quota system which has provoked the people of the Northern Region, the paramount chief said he was not in opposition to the controversial policy.
“The issue on quota system if I tell you the way I am brought up in my tradition… if an elderly person has said we would do this, you don’t question it.
“You just look at it until such a time when things have worked. After things have worked you relook at them, have they worked positively or negatively,” he said.
Inkosi Mbelwa said President Mutharika’s statement when he opened the National Bank branch in Mzuzu said the “equitable access to higher education” allow improvements and that he was waiting for people to submit their views.
“We have seen the selection, at first the quota system was being said for university but the implementation has started from secondary so we would want to sit down and see how best we would approach government on this issue.
“We will have to create a room for discussion which I am happy the President has created. We create room for an audience with the President.”
He denied being a governing party functionary.
“I am not DPP but I am an affiliate of government. Whichever government comes, I will support. I have never been corrupted by any government,” said Inkosi M’Mbelwa who is also chairman of Television of Malawi.
He also said he had got wind of rumours that a political party is being formed in the Northern Region but said if the rumours were anything to go by; it “will bring division or widen divisions”.
Labels: NGONI
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