Plans are underway by President Reverend Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance administration to block this year’s Mulhako wa Alhomwe annual festival using anti-Covid-19 rules which prohibits public gatherings, the publication has learnt.
According to sources with Tonse Alliance administration, President Chakwera, who recently attended a public gathering in Mangochi, has instructed the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 to ban all public gatherings including Mulhako wa Alhomwe festival.
As we went to Press, the Task Force which is being co-chaired by Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda was meeting in Lilongwe to discuss President Chakwera’s new directive to ban Mulhako feast.
Recently, Mulhako Wa Alhomwe Chief Executive Officer, Pious Mvenya, told the media that government officials were planning to block Mulhako feast which is for slated October 8-10 at Chonde in Mulanje district.
“We have information that government officials are planning to block the festival,” said Mvenya at Mulhako Headquarters in Mulanje, adding that the group will follow all Covid-19 preventive measures during the Mulhako feast.
The sentiments were also echoed by President Chakwera’s errand boy, Gospel Kazako, who is spokesperson in Tonse Alliance administration, who told local media that government will use necessary force to block Mulhako feast, saying the gathering is against Anti-Covid-19 laws.
But reacting to Kazako’s sentiments, Mvenya said: “Of the late we have seen President Chakwera conducting public rallies with thousands of people in attendance, so what’s wrong with Mulhako feast?,”
However, Mvenya said Mulhako wa Alhomwe is a law abiding ethnic group and it will follow the laws of the land.
This year’s Mulhako Wa Alhomwe feast will cost over MK150million (One Hundred and Fifty Million Kwacha).
Mulhako wa Alhomwe was established in 2007 and was officially launched by the then president Bingu wa Mutharika at its headquarters at Chonde in Mulanje.
