The annual Mzimba Ngoni cultural celebration, the Umthetho Cultural Festival, gets underway today at the foot of Hora Mountain in Mzimba District.
Three-day festival, which runs until Saturday, is being held under the theme ‘Mzimba United for Sustainable Development and Land Utilization.’
As in previous years, the event is expected to attract visitors from neighboring countries, including South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zambia, alongside local dignitaries, traditional leaders, politicians, development partners, businesspeople, and community members.
State Second Vice President Enock Chihana is expected to represent President Arthur Peter Mutharika during the climax of the celebrations on Saturday.
The Umthetho Cultural Festival celebrates the rich heritage of the Ngoni people while promoting unity among Ngoni communities in Malawi and across the region.
According to the organizers, this year’s festival will host delegations from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, under King Misuzulu kaZwelithini and Inkosi Gumbi Mbhekiseni; Tanzania under Zulu Gama; Zambia under Paramount Chief Mpezeni; and Mozambique’s Inkosi Ya Makhosi Zintambira, who is aligned with the Gomani Ngoni.
Local Ngoni groups, including the Maseko Ngoni and delegates from others tribes are also expected to participate, alongside representatives from various political parties.
However, organizers have reiterated that political parties will not be allowed to display party regalia during the event. Instead, all attendees are encouraged to wear traditional Ngoni attire in keeping with the cultural nature of the festival.
The programme includes a series of conferences for Makhosikazi, the wives of traditional chiefs, as well as youth and women’s forums aimed at discussing cultural preservation and community development.
On Friday morning, participants will travel to Mzalangwe, the burial site of Inkosi Ya Makhosi M’mbelwa I, where traditional rites will be conducted to seek blessings and the welfare of the people of Mzimba.
The afternoon will feature cultural performances and entertainment on the slopes of Hora Mountain, where participants will climb partway up the mountain before returning for the festivities.
The celebrations will culminate on Saturday with the main ceremony, which will bring together senior government officials, traditional leaders, development partners, and other distinguished guests.
Mzimba Heritage Association (MZIHA) Deputy General Secretary Yaz Nyirenda said this year’s festival is particularly significant as it is the first to be held following the discovery of what researchers believe to be the world’s oldest cremation pyre at Hora Mountain, further strengthening the site’s historical and cultural importance.
“That just spices it up because Hora is our cultural heritage site. The discovery of the oldest cremation pyre adds to its rich history and further enhances its significance,” Nyirenda said in an earlier interview with Capital FM.
