Malaila ceremony on

THIS year's Malaila traditional ceremony of the Kunda people of Mambwe district in Luangwa valley will be held on August 18, chairman of the ceremony’s coordinating committee Davis Mataka has announced.

Mr Mataka, said that preparations for the ceremony had started in earnest.

He said a consultative meeting was held last weekend with the Kunda Royal Establishment (KRE) in Mfuwe on the holding of the ceremony.

“With the authority of Senior Chief Nsefu and the royal establishment, all committees have been instructed to coordinate with the national committee to ensure that the ceremony was successful,” said Mr Mataka

He said this year's ceremony would be bigger and better than previous ones because of the addition of more activities and that all royal establishments in Zambia had been invited to the function.

Mr. Mataka has since called on all Kundas throughout Zambia and those in the diaspora to take a more pro-active role to preserve their culture and heritage and support the coordinating committee in showcasing and unravelling of the rich traditions of the area.

He noted that Luangwa Valley was marketed abroad more than locally and that had made many local people unaware that the valley had one of the best wildlife concentrations in the world.

He also said the unique traditions of the people of the area were unknown to most people but that this year’s ceremony was a chance of a lifetime for Zambians to experience the “magic” the area offered.