By Joel Phiri

Mzimba, August 7, Mana: The 2023 edition of Umtheto Cultural Festival in Mzimba is slated for Thursday, August 10, 2023 with conferences on environmental management involving women and youth, one of the organisers of the festival, Mzimba Heritage Association (MZIHA) has announced.

In an interview on Monday in Mzimba, Publicist for MZIHA, Kingsley Jere said preparations for the event to run from Thursday till Saturday are on track.

‘‘We have helped in mobilising K53 million that we needed for the event. At local levels, each TA was tasked with raising funds for the event. We also held other fund generating initiatives to raise the amount. We are proud to say all is set for the event,’’ he said.

Jere said the event would reach climax on Saturday with day main event to take place.

‘‘Every year we come up with a topic to celebrate the festivities. This year we are talking about climate change integration into culture. So the conference on Thursday will be teaching the people about issues of climate change, environmental degradation and their effects on human kind,’’ he explained.

Jere added that on Friday morning they would visit Mzalangwe to pay respects at the place where Inkosi M’mbelwa 1 was buried before going on top Hora Mountain where people would be treated to meat and beers.

The Publicist said on Friday evening, Black Missionaries would be performing at Hora Heritage Centre.

During his recent tour to Hora Heritage Centre to supervise groundwork, Inkosi Ya Makhosi M’mbelwa V called on Ngoni people to preserve wildlife by wearing animal skins from livestock.

He said culture cannot survive without nature hence asked people to refrain from cutting down trees.

M’mbelwa said some of the disasters that have occurred in the country have occurred because of environmental degradation.