By Vincent Gunde
The Chewa Heritage Foundation [CHEFO] and Bwalo la Chewa Foundation [BOLA-CEFO] have reached a consensus agreement that there must be one Chewa tribal grouping to preserve the culture and promote the aspirations of all the Chewas in Malawi.
A taskforce comprising of five Senior Chiefs; Chadza, Dzoole, Kanyenda, Dambe and Govati has been established to look into and resolve all the matters involving the two Chewa groupings with Kulamba ceremonies which was being held at Mkaika in Zambia to be held in Malawi..
Among other duties, the taskforce will review and consolidate the Constitutions and policies of the two Chewa groupings with the Executive Committee members of Bwalo la Chewa Foundation to be co-opted into the Executive Committee of Chewa Heritage Foundation, so too regional and district committees.
In a document released with Saturday, the 23rd April, 2022 as the date of signing the Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] between the two Chewa groupings, a Board of Chiefs has been established to be headed by Paramount Chief Dr. Lundu with Kalonga Dr. Gawa Undi of Zambia to be working through this Board on domestic issues.
…..’’There will be the Chewa Chiefs Council [Senate] to be headed by Paramount Chief Dr. Lundu which will be fully responsible for promotion of chiefs and resolving conflicts among Chewa chiefs in Malawi,’’….reads part of the document.
The document says the two Chewa groupings have agreed to rebrand Chewa Heritage Foundation to Malawi Chewa Heritage Foundation for all the Chewas in Malawi to be headed by Paramount Chief Dr. Lundu of Malawi.
It says the holding of ‘’National Grand Cultural Festival and Regional Cultural Festivals’’ of the Chewa people must be held annually at a place with rich history of the Chewa people as well as enhancing regional brotherhood, identity and foster meaningful interaction.
Meanwhile, many Chewas in Malawi have welcomed the resolutions reached for the two Chewa groupings to form one tribal cultural grouping, appealing to the mediation team headed by Senior Chief Chadza of Lilongwe to hold a media conference after signing the MoU.
On his part, Bwalo la Chewa Foundation’s National Executive Director, Reverend Flywell Somanje, has thanked the mediation team for practicing the spirit of reconciliation and tolerance saying this has demonstrated that the Chewas are one family.
Reverend Somanje said glory be to Almighty God who has made it possible that the two Chewa groupings to unite for one common good of all the Chewas in Malawi saying the wishes and aspirations of the Chewas will now be a sole responsibility of one Chewa tribal grouping.
