Maseko Ngonis in double celebration
Maseko Ngonis in the country will on November 2, 2019 have a double celebration as they will combine the traditional annual festival of Mhlangano wa Maseko Ngoni and Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V’s wedding.
Briefing reporters in Lilongwe yesterday, Senior Chief Makwangwala said Gomani would marry Rishaladza Khanyizi Mathebula of Giyani in South Africa’s Limpopo Province.
Makwangwala said the celebrations would start with a church officiation of the wedding at Ntcheu CCAP Church.
“We, the Maseko Ngoni, are very delighted that this year, we have a double celebration. We are very happy that our Ngwenyama is getting married.
“We expect the wedding to be a very big event attended by the Ngonis and other tribes from Malawi and beyond,” Makwangwala said.
Makwangwala said although the Ngwenyama was marrying in South Africa, he is marrying one of their own.
“We are very lucky that Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani is marrying one of his descendants. These people are called Ngamane. Here in Malawi, we are called Gomani. So we are one. We are from the same tribe, so there is no problem,” he said.
Makwangala said it was important for Nyenyama to marry because he is a custodian of culture and would encourage his subjects to follow tradition when getting married.
Born Willard Gomani, the Ngwenyama is the fifth in the line of Maseko Ngoni chieftaincy.
Maseko Ngonis originated from Kwazulu Natal in the Usutu valleys that stretch between South Africa and eSwatini (Swaziland).
In Malawi, Ngonis are common in districts such as Ntcheu, Mzimba, Mwanza and Dedza. The tribe is also found in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
