President Hakainde Hichilema and First Lady Mutinta Hichilema on Saturday welcomed Malawian President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and First Lady Monica Chakwera to this year’s Kulamba Traditional Ceremony of the Chewa people in Katete District.
The annual ceremony, presided over by His Majesty Kalonga Gawa Undi, brought together thousands of Chewa people from Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to celebrate their shared cultural heritage.
President Hichilema expressed gratitude to President Chakwera and his delegation for joining the event, noting that the ceremony reflects the unity and diversity that bind the three nations.
“We thank our Malawian brothers and sisters for celebrating with us this rich heritage that unites the Chewa people. Truly, this is a living expression of our motto: One Zambia, One Nation, One People,” President Hichilema said.
He further commended traditional leaders for preserving cultural values while supporting national development initiatives, assuring that government remains committed to strengthening partnerships with chiefs and communities across Zambia.
The Kulamba Ceremony, one of the region’s most colourful cultural events, continues to serve as a platform for fostering peace, unity, and cross-border solidarity.
Fat lot of good that will do us
Diplomancy Diplomancy with no substance
this article and looking at the photos, it feels like stepping into a living museum. It makes you want to come back, to wander through the stories of people, their crafts, and their rituals. Some artists blow your mind, tugging at memories and questions about history what happened, who were the people, and what did their ceremonies mean then and now.
It’s clear that some things have changed, but many strands remain. The ceremony reminds us that African unity is both a tradition and a future shared spaces, shared history, and shared aspirations. Civil societies have long attended these events, not merely as spectators but as participants in the ongoing conversation about integration, culture, and progress across the continent.
“The annual ceremony, presided over by His Majesty Kalonga Gawa Undi, brought together thousands of Chewa people from Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to celebrate their shared cultural heritage.” Lusaka times
If I were a leader, I would sleep soundly only when Africa stands united, with thriving economies, equal opportunities, and shared destiny.
Do you really want to be united with lawless Somalia,war ravaged DRC and crime-loving Nigerians? Even violent South Africans see us as “makwerekwere” they don’t really like other Africans.
We need more unity across the beautiful African Continent….lets all work together and fight poverty and don’t expect a White man to fight poverty on our behalf
Equally I think dont expect a blackman to either
Purposely I think they keep education low otherwise most ministers would not be elected same with the heads we have had . Many decades to go unless 2026 brings some change
% years is more than enough
Why do we approach these events with predetermined agendas?
Are colors, symbols, and rituals within our culture truly respected, or are we there to showcase a political narrative? Let’s strive to attend with genuine curiosity and a commitment to appreciating the heritage, rather than using festivals as platforms for partisan display. Our culture deserves to be honored on its own terms.
Red ,red everywhere,backward traditions and funny costumes .They remind me of the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania still wearing “bedsheets” ,carrying spears and living in smokey mud huts.