Celebrating unity in diversity

For the past 20 years, Lilongwe resident John Moyo has been travelling to the foot of Hora Mountain in Mzimba district to attend Umtheto Cultural Festival.

The man, from Chibwana Moyo Village, Traditional Authority Mzukuzuku in Mzimba, makes the annual trips to reconnect with his Jere Ngoni roots.

Men and women performing a traditional dance during a previous event. | Nation

“Umtheto is more than a Ngoni festival. It is a powerful symbol of unity that attracts people from diverse backgrounds while promoting cultural pride, social cohesion and environmental stewardship,” he explains.

Malawi boasts diverse cultural festivals, including Umhlangano wa Maseko Ngoni, M’gumano wa Asena na Mang’anja, Mulhako wa Alhomwe, Mdawuku wa aTonga, Chiwanja cha Ayao, Kulamba by the Chewa, Gonapamuhanya by Tumbuka and Karonga-Chitipa Cultural festivals.

Their annual themes mix tradition and modernity.

Tradition Ngoni dancers in action. | Courtesy of UbubesiMedia

While the likes of Moyo take pride in cultural get-togethers, critics argue that such ethnic events promote tribal tension, communication barriers and slower decision-making process.

Potiphar Kaliba, Director of Museum and Monuments in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, says each ethnic community possesses unique cultural practices, beliefs and values that should be promoted.

“We strongly encourage different ethinic groups to come together when one is having a cultural festival to appreciate diversity rather than looking at the festivals as divisive,” he says.

Cultural divisions sometimes occur when authorities fail to treat all cultural festivals equally, Kaliba observes.

“No culture is superior to the other. Cultural events should be done in the interest of promoting equality, human rights and sustainable development,” he states.

The department’s mandate is to preserve, conserve, promote, study and present the natural and cultural heritage of Malawi and interpret this heritage to all Malawians and visitors alike for posterity and social economic development.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Alfred Gangata says government is committed to preserving and promoting culture as a source of jobs, tourism and economic opportunity for young people.

“Culture is our identity. It tells us who we are, where we come from and what we must pass to next generations,” he said at the Umhlangano Cultural Festival at Nkolimbo in Ntcheu earlier this month.

The event was themed Unity is Power.

Malawi is party to the 2003 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) Convention for the protection and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage.

The treaty safeguards practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities recogne as part of their way of life.

According to the agreement, cultural heritage include oral traditions and expressions, handcraft, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events and indegenous knowledge or practice.

The 2005 Unesco convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expression encourages countries to allow citizens to participate in and consume a diversity of cultural products, services and activities.

During cultural festivals, visitors spend big on artworks, food and beverages, hospitality services boosting small-scale businesses.

The festivals are spiced with music, dance, art, food and rituals, offering rich experiences that can unite people across diverse backgrounds.

Kaliba urges heritage groups to establish permanent places to hold cultural attractions beyond annual festivals’ dates.

“Cultural displays should be open to visitors throughout the year,” he says.

Cultural events are more than just celebrations. They are vital threads in the multicultural country’s social fabric.

“For me, cultural festivals such as Umtheto remain a unique platform for learning unity and progress. That is why I continue to participate every year,” he says.

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