State of the art auditorium officially opens in Karonga
People of Karonga were on Sunday all smiles as they witnessed the official inauguration of the long awaited state of-the-art auditorium at the Cultural and Museum Centre in Karonga.
Minister of Sports and Culture, Grace Chiumia, officially opened the auditorium.
Built with about K45 million from the Royal Norwegian Embassy through the Copyright Society of Malawi (Cosoma), the 1,500-capacity amphitheater is now ready for use.
Chairperson for Uraha Foundation, a cultural heritage grouping behind the museum project, Archibald Mwakasungula, however disclosed that there still is need for some final touches on the structure especially the roof.
“We are grateful to the people of Norway for entrusting us with such a huge chunk of money, and we strove to put every penny to its right use but the high inflation rate has somehow betrayed us. We have failed to do the sides of the roof and a fence,” said Mwakasungula.
He, therefore, called on government and other stakeholders to come to the rescue of the foundation so that it completes the multimillion project.
Among other things, the auditorium is set to host activities ranging from drama, music shows, poetry and cultural festivals.
According to Mwakasungula, lessons for Kiyangonde language will soon be introduced at the centre and he also revealed that there is good progress on development of the syntax for the language.
In her remarks, Chiumia hailed people of Karonga for harbouring the ambition of the amphitheatre and thus asked Malawians in other districts to emulate the good example.
She then urged chiefs in the district to fully utilise the auditorium and museum centre in upholding the Ngonde culture which she said falls prey to the external influence of neighbouring Tanzania.
“Culture is so important so is it’s promotion. This is why I call on chiefs of the Ngonde belt to ensure that the younger generation does not lose track lest we lose our identity,” said Chiumia.
She added:
“This is why I would like to propose that just like the Lomwe and Tumbuka, the Ngonde also should start holding an annual cultural festival to celebrate their dances, food, dressing and other cultural items.”
Chiumia further called on the museum management to consider establishing a cultural village which she said is key in complementing the thriving tourism sector in Karonga since it is a lakeshore district.
“It is in the plans of my ministry to ensure that we have cultural villages in almost every district because on the other hand they are crucial for the country’s economic development. You may wish to know that a national cultural museum is in the offing apart from the sports museum that I have always talked about,” she explained.
During the event people were entertained to traditional dances such as Ndolo, Mapenenga and also the award winning Lusubilo Band.
A vibrant writer who gives a great insight on hot topics and issues
