CHEFO moves to stop stray ‘gule wamkulu’

Chewa Heritage Foundation (CHEFO) has taken a board step to ban the presence of stray ‘gule wamkulu’ in public spaces.

Some sections of the society have raised concerns that stray ‘gule wamkulu’ dancers are perpetrating violence against women and children.

In extreme instances, they commit criminal activities such as rape, snatching valuable items from unsuspecting people, and beating schoolchildren, among others.

And in an effort to end this vice, CHEFO leaders on Saturday summoned chiefs across the country in order to find a lasting solution to the problem.

CHEFO chairperson Dr. Stanley Chakhumbira Khaila told the chiefs that the criminal acts being committed by the stray dancers have dented the image of once revered cultural heritage.

Khaila challenged the chiefs to stop any gule wamkulu from operating outside its designated area so that it restores the respect and dignity it used to have.

“Gulewamkulu is an integral part of the Chewa Culture and we are asking you, the chiefs, to bring back this discipline because we cannot be seeing gulewamkulu taking pictures along Salima road. This means something is wrong, which needs to be corrected,” he said.

He emphasized that gule wamkulu belongs to traditional leaders, who are custodians of culture.

Traditional Authority Kalumo said chiefs need to shoulder the blame for the misconduct of gule wamkulu.

Kalumo said there is need for chiefs to devise proper governance structures such as Dambwe.

“Gule wamkulu is not there to terrorise people. This is why, as a way forward, we are urging fellow chiefs to establish the committees at village level to oversee the activities of gule wamkulu,” he said.

Block leaders from Kuliyani and Mwambakanthu Villages, Chakhoma, Kauma, Mtandire, Areas 36, 25 and 24 attended the meeting because these are some of the locations where gule wamkulu perpetrate violence against women and children.

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