Ngonis ready for Nc’wala

—Paramount Chief Mpezeni says the Ngoni people are ready to host the N’cwala traditional ceremony which starts tomorrow and reaches its epitome on Saturday.

Paramount Chief Mpezeni told ZANIS in an interview that everything was already in place for the hosting of the ceremony.

He stated that this year’s N’cwala ceremony would be different because the Ngoni people will be honouring the late Paramount Chief Mbelwa of the Ngoni people of Malawi who died last week.

The ceremony kicks off tomorrow when Paramount Chief Mpezeni tastes the first harvest of the year as he pays homage to the Ngoni ancestral spirits at his Ependukeni Palace before proceeding to Laweni in chief Madzimawe’s area.

Paramount Chief Mpezeni will be driven by chief Madzimawe, who is his grandfather, in a colourful ceremony which attracts scores of Chipata residents as he drives through the central business district.

The occasion also attracts Bemba people, who are traditional cousins of the Ngoni, who clear the way for the Paramount Chief who is also known as the Lion or Ngwenyama in the Ngoni dialect as they sweep the road and powder the Ngoni’s warriors as they escort him.

Paramount Chief Mpezeni will be in isolation from Thursday where he will continue to pray to his ancestors for the good harvest this year.

The ceremony will reach its climax on Saturday at Mtenguleni arena where other Ngoni cultural performances and speeches will be made.