Maseko Ngoni to launch Isi Zulu school in Lilongwe
The Maseko Ngoni of Lilongwe chapter will launch Isi Zulu school on 30 April at Chinsapo Township which is aiming at promoting culture among the Ngoni youth.
President of the Maseko Ngoni Andrew Kamulopa Chisale said they have thought of introducing the school because they were missing the traditional culture of their grandparents.
“We have lost our identity mainly through language so we need to revamp our culture the way our grandparents were doing in the past,” Kamulopa said.
He further said they are targeting the youth because it is easy for kids to learn or understand a thing at their age.
“If we keep teaching our kids about our culture values it will show our identification and people will start to understand the Ngoni tribe,” Kamulopa said.
He added that the school programme has been taken to the six zones (area36, 23, 25, 49, Chinsapo and Kaliyeka) to accommodate all the Ngoni youth from different areas, moving away from Lilongwe Government School which was a hub of all the learners.
“We are implementing these schools in all our Ngoni zones and we have set up a committee which comprises teachers who know Ngoni language to teach the kids,” Kamulopa said.
Kamulopa said to make sure that they will not be any disturbance to the kids with their education; they have set the class to be conducted during weekends and holidays when they are not attending school.
He asked people in the country to teach their children about their culture so that they must understand where they are coming from.
“Let us teach our children about our culture, that’s the only way they can grow up with good manners that they can respect the elders. We like copying other countries cultures and this has bad effect on them,” he said.
In her remarks, Chairperson for the school program, Chrissie Kamwana said everything to do with preparation and planning is well set which will make things easier to both the children and elders who want to learn about Ngoni culture and language.
“We are geared to take this language school far. Let me say that adding language to our well known attires will be very great and that we turn ourselves to real Ngonis,” Kamwana said.
To make sure that the program materializes they have engaged Chalira Ntchezi as the Head teacher and each zone has been given at least two teachers.
“We have already engaged seven teachers with vast experience in Isi Zulu and they have promised to walk with us through to the end,” Kamwana added.
She further explained that youth are being targeted because apart from being fast learners and posses high memory, they want also to equip them to be genuine future culture custodian.
“The language is simple to learn. Following the example of the bible which say teach the children because there is a lot of unwritten space in mind next generation of the Ngoni will learn from them,” said Kamwana.
Kamwana asked parents to allow their children fully participate in the Ngoni language school to allow them among other things learn Ngoni songs, way of living dressing and other key issues.
“Experts in knitting Ngoni regalia and other cultural materials are also identified so at break time our Ngoni youngster shall be drilled in that,” she pointed out.
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Kodi dzina lina la ngoni ndi zulu? Ngati ndi choncho angoniwo osamangodzichula kuti a zulu, mmalo motizunguza mitu ife with vague tribal/linguistics vagueness. All I know is that the tribe that traditionally dresses like noones business in malawi is angoni. At the same time the tribe that completely has no distinct language in malawi is angoni. What a polarised tribe!! Unlike achewa, sena, senga, lambya etc. Napepe Maseko, Masina, Phungwako!!
Ngonis are renowned for being vocal even if they are few in numbers as compared to the other tribes lik cwas etc.
To start with, how many people are interested in Zulu as a language?
Fantastic Andrew. Wishing you all the best as you are establishing this school .Can other tribe emulate this.
Tikanakhala kuti ndi alhomwe tikukatsekula sukulu ku capital ikanakhala nkhani yovuta. Koma poti ndi mitundu ina palibe vuto
Ephraim Banda, you have your facts wrong. People in Mpherembe and other parts of Mzimba still speak Isuzulu todate. They still sing Ngoni hymns in church todate even in Mzuzu. Go to CLAIM bookshop you will buy Isuzulu hymn book. And because many people from Mzimba go to South Africa they speak Isi Zulu. Some Yaos and Chewas have also learmt it. IsiZulu is easy to learn. It is the same as Ndebele spoken in Zimbabwe. Kamuzu Banda and his MCP killed Isi Zulu because of lack of language policy at the time of independence. Please also note that Phiri… Read more »
I like reading Nyasa Times. But today I happen to learn something really controversial; that the name I bear: PHIRI, is a ZULU name and not a Chewa name? Please correct me on this one. I am aware that there are Phiris in Southern Africa. But little did I know that I, a Zambian Chewa and Phiri by surname, have been going under a Zulu name. Please I humbly request historians to help me understand the truth.
Daniel Phiri
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA.
Sawubona!! Mr. Daniel Phiri, get hold of Nation Newspaper Contributor Mr. Desmond Dundwa Phiri. He is a renown historian in Malawi. He is a Ngoni from Mzimba District. Another person is Steve Nhlane of the same Nation Newspaper. As for their contacts try http://www.mwnation.com But my view is that the name Phiri is now found among other tribes who are not truly Ngoni. This is due to crossing Ngoni tribal and cultural boundaries because of intermarriages. But others have taken Ngoni names for reasons known to themselves. It could be they want to hide their tribal identity or criminal record.… Read more »
This is a good development to the Maseko Ngoni family but one thing I have noted is that you have accorded Mr Kamlopa as the president of Maseko Ngoni yet he is a chairpeson for Lilongwe chapter. Therefore in this case in this story, the second paragraph should have start with Chairperson for Maseko Ngoni Lilongwe Chapter, not President of Maseko Ngoni. As Maseko Ngoni’s Gumede Inkosi Ya Makhosi Gomani 5 is the only person who can be accorded that presidency position not a chairperson for a mare chapter
How will the school be sustained. Are these teachers paid or volunteers? What about tuition? Will the school free? Please provide more information otherwise this is a very welcome development.
Thus a good development CHAIR for Lilongwe Chapter Maseko ngoni. Thus true its high time we Maseko Ngoni lost our glory interms of launguage.CORRECTION TO REPORTER MASEKO NGONI has one president and this one is none other than our NGWENYAMA INKOSI YA MAKHOSI GOMANI V.
No one in Malawi can boast of having a good command of this so called Ngoni language…I therefore this if this effort of establishing schools will yield any good results…..The fact is, we don’t have pure ngonis in Malawi as the original Ngoni warriors used to move without women….By the way, the Maseko Ngonis do not even have their own clan names………Fancy, the chairperson of the program is Chrissy which is an English name while her sir name is Kamwana which is a Chewa name……Infact, most of them had adopted Chewa clan names such as Banda, Phiri, Chisale, Mbewe and… Read more »
This could have been more viable if it involved all the Ngonis in all the three regions in Malawi and if the govt was also involved at some point. You needed to collaborate with other Ngonis in Swaziland and South Africa for technical assistance. Let the Paramount Chiefs head the projects. Have everything registered with the govt. Don’t personalize anything. Otherwise this has to be encouraged although I am not a Ngoni myself.