The Chewa Heritage Foundation (CHEFO) has joined Zimbabwe’s Chewa community in celebrating its cultural heritage at the annual Chamba Cha Makolo ceremony held in Harare on 18 October 2026.
The event took place at Kingston Ground in Mbale and was organised by Bingu Village Promotion from Mpingu, under Traditional Authority Njewa in Malawi.
Traditional dances, including Gule Wamkulu, Chimtali and Chisamba, were among the highlights of the ceremony, which brought together members of the Chewa community and cultural representatives.
President of the Zimbabwe National Traditional Dance Association, Kenedy Kachuluka, said Zimbabwe has a large Chewa population spread across several areas, including Mbare in Harare, Chagutu, Dodoma and Dzana in Bulawayo.
He said Gule Wamkulu was recognised as the leading traditional dance among the 251 cultural dances found in Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, Verencia Chilembwe, whose parents migrated from Chiradzulu in Malawi in 1939, expressed joy at seeing Malawian Chewas unite with their Zimbabwean counterparts.
She said CHEFO’s encouragement marked an important step towards strengthening unity among Chewas living in Zimbabwe.
Senior Chief Mkanda urged the community to safeguard its cultural heritage, emphasising the importance of ensuring that Chewa traditional dances are performed in accordance with their cultural traditions.
He also proposed establishing a Zimbabwe chapter of the Chewa Heritage Foundation under His Majesty Kalonga Gawa Undi to help protect, preserve and promote Chewa culture.
The gathering also provided an opportunity to invite the community to other major Chewa cultural and religious events, including Mkumano wa Chewa at Msampha Village in June, M’bona Prayers at Khulubvi in September under Paramount Chief Lundu, and the annual Kulamba Ceremony in Zambia.
The Kulamba Ceremony brings together Chewa chiefs from Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique to pay homage to Kalonga Gawa Undi.
Senior Chief Govati pledged continued support for Zimbabwe’s Chewa community, saying he would return to offer guidance on strengthening unity. He also stressed the importance of involving all Chewa chiefs in efforts to preserve their cultural heritage.
CHEFO was represented at the ceremony by its Secretary General, Elias Chizimba, and Treasurer General, Humphrey Murrey. Zimbabwean government officials also attended the event.
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