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(NYASATIMES) No favouritism on ethnic lines –urges Malewezi

No favouritism on ethnic lines –urges Malewezi
By Nyasa Times
Published: January 14, 2010

Former vice president, who is also head of the Chewa Heritage Group in Malawi has asked authorities to encourage people of different cultures to live together and not favour other tribes.

Malewezi remarks come at the height of people’s perception that members belonging to the Mulakho wa Alhomwe heritage group whose patron is President Bingu wa Mutharika are being favoured in the country.

“Everybody has a culture; you can’t run away from that. Where the danger is, if you take cultural issues beyond the cultural issues and use those for other issues, for instance if you take affiliation to a culture group for something else, then that’s where the danger is,” Malewezi told Capital Radio.

He was speaking on popular Straight Talk programme hosted by journalist Brian Banda.

“I think for our children and ourselves to know our culture why we are here, why we behave this way not the other is very important not only in Malawi everywhere, everywhere in the world. The English want to know what it is to be English, the Scotts the same, Irish. It is enrichment, after all there is historical reasons why all these cultures are found in one country,” pointed out Malewezi.

“For the Chewa heritage foundation it’s very clear in our constitution what the objective is. It is a non political organisation, it’s more of culture preservation on some of our traditions, customs, artistic, expression,” he said.

The former VEEP urged authorities not to favour people from one ethnic group.

“I think that people in power should take pride and encourage people to live together the different cultures. They should not take sides whatever their own ethnic group is. That should not be to the exclusion of appreciation the other groups that are here,” he said.

Added Malewezi: “After all I do not think there are many Malawians who are 100 percent from one culture.”

According to Malewezi, the Chewa heritage does not allow a sitting Head of State to be a full time member even if he or she is a Chewa by tribe.

“The President of Zambia (Rupiah Bwezani Banda) is a Chewa. For your information, Chewa Heritage foundation is not only for Malawi, it’s for all Chewas in Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.

“As soon as [Rupiah Banda) became President, he could not become a full time member,” said Malewezi.

Asked if it was wrong for President Mutharika to be Patron of the Lhomwe heritage, he said: “I don’t think the President is a member of Mulakho wa Alhomwe, he may be patron but I don’t know if that is a membership.”

He however explained that in Chewa Heritage, the patron is the King –Gawaundi of Zambia.

Labels: CHEWA HERITAGE GROUP, MALAWI, TRIBALISM

posted by MrK @ 6:05 PM