President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has received a rare praise from Mulhako Wa Alhomwe, a cultural group for Lhomwe people, for promoting Senior Chief Kaduya to Lhomwe Paramount Chief.
Outspoken Mulhako’s Board Chairperson, Muchanakhwaye Mpuluka made the rare praise on Thursday during the installation of Paramount Chief Kaduya at Mpasa Primary School in Phalombe district.
“As Mulhako Wa Alhomwe, we would like to commend President Dr. Chakwera for installing Kaduya as Lhomwe paramount chief, the first female paramount chief in Malawi” said Mpuluka
He then asked President Chakwera to also consider promoting other traditional leaders within the Lhomwe belt.
In his less than 5 minutes speech, Mpuluka also reminded the gathering that Mulhako Wa Alhomwe does not belong to any political party in the country.
“We are not a political party; we have members from all political parties in the country,” said Mpuluka, adding that people should to stop associating the grouping with politics.
In his remarks, President Chakwera commended Lhomwe’s in the country for fostering unity.
Chakwera then assured Lhomwe’s for continued government support saying his administration is ready to ‘work and continue to work’ with Mulhako Wa Alhomwe.
Kaduya, whose real name is Stella Munyama, takes over from Paramount Ngolongoliwa who died five years ago.
The installation was attended by senior cabinet ministers, Mulhako Wa Alhomwe officials including its former board chairperson Leston Mulli and some paramount chiefs.
Mulhako’s patron Peter Mutharika, who is also former president, was represented by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Dr. George Chaponda.
Mulhako Wa Alhomwe was established in 2007 with the aim of promoting Lhomwe culture by among other objectives, instilling a sense of pride in its people.
The formation of the organization revived some of the cultural practices that had been on the death bed.
The Lomwe are one of the four largest ethnic groups living in Malawi. They are located primarily in the southeast section of Malawi with the largest concentration being in Phalombe district.
Others live in Mulanje, Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Zomba, and Liwonde. Smaller numbers are scattered throughout the southern region of Malawi.
In Mozambique, according to sources, the Lhomwes are found almost entirely in the Zambezi Province.
