President Hakainde Hichilema has reaffirmed the government’s recognition of the importance of traditional ceremonies in preserving Zambia’s cultural heritage, national identity, unity and social cohesion. President Hichilema said traditional ceremonies such as the Lukwakwa,…

President Hakainde Hichilema has reaffirmed the government’s recognition of the importance of traditional ceremonies in preserving Zambia’s cultural heritage, national identity, unity and social cohesion.

President Hichilema said traditional ceremonies such as the Lukwakwa, provide an important platform for communities to preserve and showcase their culture and heritage.

He said this in a speech read on his behalf by Northwestern Province Permanent Secretary, Grandson Katambi at the 2026 Lukwakwa traditional ceremony of the Mbunda- people of Manyinga and Kabompo Districts.

President Hichilema said the government will continue supporting the hosting of traditional ceremonies and working with traditional leaders to preserve cultural heritage.

He said the government will also continue working with traditional leadership to accelerate development in their chiefdoms.

“Government has supported various developmental projects in the chiefdom, including the drilling of boreholes, construction of health facilities, classroom blocks and science laboratories, provision of desks and construction of a local court,” he said.

He explained the projects were aimed at improving service delivery to the people of Manyinga district.

He has since called on traditional leaders, Members of Parliament and Ward Development Committees to work together in identifying and planning developmental projects which should be financed through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

The Head of State has meanwhile cautioned Ward Development Committees against frustrating government’s development efforts, saying successful implementation of projects required cooperation among stakeholders.

President Hichilema said Ward Development Committees should be scrutinised and strengthened to ensure that projects are successfully implemented.

He said partnerships among traditional leaders, local authorities, government and communities were important in advancing the Grow Zambia Agenda.

The President has therefore appealed to traditional and local leaders to encourage young people to participate in skills training, particularly entrepreneurship programmes.

He said the responsibility of empowering young people required all stakeholders to come on board.

The Head of State has further encouraged young people to be proud of their identity, tribes and origins and advised them not to be ashamed of speaking their traditional languages.

And speaking at the same event, Lukwakwa Traditional Ceremony Organising Committee National Chairperson, Ndandula Livingi, has called for the protection and promotion of Mbunda cultural heritage.

Mr Livingi said culture should not be reduced to dancing but must instead encompass the broader values, traditions, language, history and practices of the Mbunda people.

He has since called on organisers and participants to reduce dances that were not part of Mbunda heritage in order to give prominence to authentic Mbunda cultural practices.

Mr Livingi also urged the people to support efforts aimed at transforming the Lukwakwa traditional ceremony into a major cultural and tourism event.

He said the ceremony had great potential to attract tourists and contribute to the promotion of the Mbunda culture.

“Lukwakwa is a big ceremony which, unfortunately, has been a sleeping lion, but eventually we will start seeing tourists coming to the ceremony,” Mr Livingi said.

He said the people belonging to the Mbunda tribe should take ownership of their culture and ensure that cultural materials and practices showcased during Lukwakwa reflected their heritage.

Mr Livingi said the transformation of the ceremony required collective support from traditional leaders, government, local communities and other stakeholders.

He further urged the people to embrace and promote the Mbunda culture so that it could be preserved for future generations.

The Lukwakwa traditional ceremony is an annual gathering of the Mbunda people of Manyinga and Kabompo districts aimed at showcasing and preserving their cultural heritage.