Gulewamkulu terrorise Lilongwe: Several learners hacked in Area 36

September 15, 2015 Sam Makaka - LINA 128 Comments

A standard seven boy at Mbuka Primary School in Area 36 in the city of Lilongwe is not attending classes since Thursday last week because he is being treated for wounds sustained after he was hacked by Gulewamkulu with a panga knife.

Gulewamkulu performing at Chisuka's installtion ceremony - LINA
Gulewamkulu performing at Chisuka’s installtion ceremony – LINA
Chikondi Mbewe in agony - pic by LINA
Chikondi Mbewe in agony – pic by LINA
Impressive Gulewamkulu at Chisuka ceremony - LINA.
Impressive Gulewamkulu at Chisuka ceremony – LINA.
illage headman Chisuka and his elders display pangas used by unknown Gulewamkulu - pic by LINA
illage headman Chisuka and his elders display pangas used by unknown Gulewamkulu – pic by LINA

Gulewamkuku – secret cult and a ritual dance performed by Chewa people – hacked Chikondi Mbewe, 14, after chasing him for a while around their compound and when he and his friends ran into a neighbour’s house to hide, the Gulrewamkulu invaded the house and beat up the boys and girls who had tried in vain to take refuge in different places in the house including under bed.

Chikondi Mbewe, who was seemingly in agony, recounts the ordeal: “I was walking around in our neighbourhood to see a friend when suddenly I saw Gulewamkulu. I ran away and tried to hide in our neighbour’s house with other boys and girls but to our surprise the Nyau dancer also went in and started beating us hacking me on the ear and shoulder in the process.”

He added: “I ran out of the house to our home with blood oozing from the cuts, my parents were not home and it was my grandfather who reported the matter to police.”

A random survey by Lilongwe News Agency (LINA) revealed that many people in the locality, especially boys and girls, have been injured by Gulewamkulu as the community was preparing for the installation of village headman Chisuka who is within Area 36, under Traditional Authority (T/A)Tsabango.

Despite the area being in the heart of the city of Lilongwe, less than five kilometers from the main Lilongwe Bus Depot , to the South, the Gulewamkulu cult has been torturing residents for many years now.

Mai Selemani, a neighbor to the house where Chikondi Mbewe and his friends hid, disclosed that two others, a girl and a boy were also hurt due by the Nyau dancers on the same day, and she said that last year a similar incident happened again but no one comes to our rescue.

She appealed to Government and the Chewa grouping to take charge of the situation and order the Nyau dancers to conduct their activities in the rural villages where there are Chewas only.

“We always live in fear here whenever Gulewamkulu is in season because they cause a lot of trouble in the community. I was doing my laundry on the day when Chikondi and other boys and girls were running away from Gulewamkulu and hid in my neighbour’s house but the Gulewamkulu did not leave them as expected, last year a similar incident happened but no one was hurt,” she disclosed.

She said the dancers bring a lot of misery whenever they come out: “If they find water in tins, nsima or ndiwo being cooked on fire outside, as we run to take cover in houses, they mix everything with sand.”

Gulewamkulu was last week in season because of the installation ceremony on Sunday of village headman Chsuka. However, Chisuka and his elders have vehemently disassociated themselves from such uncommissioned Gulewamkulu, saying they did not know where such dancers were originating.

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128 replies on “Gulewamkulu terrorise Lilongwe: Several learners hacked in Area 36”

  1. Ochewa there are didn’t in thinking they don’t know doing in country. they think they own everything in this country. Let them come and try me i will stop this terrorism

  2. DECLARE GULE WAMKULU A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

    Kalonga Gawa Undi must make a statement against this terrorist act or be banned from visiting Malawi.

  4. Ochewa oludikira Kota system kupita ku Universite.Kwawo kwangukanyanga Gule basi.Wolumutema mnyamata wosalakwa chifukwa sonagule njira.
    Koma mwati mchewa anatheka?Can Malawi develop like this.You even find these Gule people disturbing vendors at markets with pangas baring their arses only covering their tackles.It is also common at Kauma Market close to Area12.They come all the way from Kankota running berserk brandishing their machete causing unnecessary fear to the general public,thinking that all people are Chewas.Its is a very primitive culture of molesting innocent people going about their own businesses.

  6. Achewa mvitsilu kobasi. Uncivilized. It will be worse if Chakwera became president. They will terrorize people even enthirng rooms in the 5 star umodzi park. These people have no sitting. (achewa alibe khalidwe).

  7. Nabweranso chifukwa cha m’bele wanga oku Dowa Zagwa Zatha. O Zagwa ife ndife wana omafumu o chichewa koma na nyau sitigwirizana nazo olo pang’ono. Ndipo nthawi imeyoyo ya kale tidaimba sukulu movutikira kwambiri. Zimkati zikakhalira ndiye kuti sukulu tsiku limenelo kulibe pamene omzathu oku mpoto ni ku m’mwera oli mkalasi. M’mbuyo mwa lendo ozathu waja okakhoza nde ife tizirira kuti KOTASISITIMU!!!! Tso mzomveka o Zagwa m’mezozo. Yaiyi tere ata!! Si chilungamo m’mechocho. Nakonjwa zedi O Zagwa ponikhalira kumbuyo, Ombuye okudalitseni. Tsano kuti mutsimikize kuti ine ni mchewadi – Tikati – Nthitiyayingo nde kuti chani. Tidali busy mzimezizi pomwe omzathu omkaphunzira masamu a Triangle pa Geometry. MZIMU WA NYAU NDI MZIMU WA UKAPOLO, WA VIOLENCE, WA UFITI KOMANSO WA NYASI M’CHIFUKWA CHAKE OMADZO PHULUSA NDI DOTHI OLI OLUSAMBA. ZOSAMVEKA.

  8. Nyau dancers think that their gule is attractive. No it isn’t. What people follow to see is the stupidness behind the gule itself. Children and stupid women are attracted to see nyau the way they flock to see people fighting or to see a naked mad man at a market. Would you say a naked mad man/woman is popular just because people follow to see him/her? No! Nyau is simply a scandal and people are attracted to see the scandal of a person atadzola manyi. Scandal is doing something at a wrong place and at the wrong time, to a wrong audience. Achewa mukuchedwatu! Say No to MCP, the killing secret society of nyau.

  12. It is also very shameful that you see these “vilombo” walking stark naked along a main road as you approach Salima from Lilongwe.

  13. I wish to express my sincere gratitude with the analysis of Mr Kamtedza. Ine ndi mchewa wa ku Dowa. Komano zoona zenizeni ndi zoti this culture has really contributed to the backwardness of our central region. Umphawi kukondwa nayo mpaka kufika pomavala visaza mu dzina la CULTURE. I think we need to revise our culture as Mr Kamtedza proves with clear points that this culture of ours has been indeed the source of misery in our central region. Mafumu pepani kuti mwina tochimwira koma fundo yayikulu ndi yoti Gule wankule is indeed very interesting but then it needs to be revised. Mr Kamtedza thank you very much for your critical and veritable analysis of our lovely culture. Stay blessed

  14. Dr Chakwera does not condone violence ndipo sanapite ku dambwebut as President of MCP he is just going with the tide waiting for the right time to make a move. He is not violent and can not condone what this nyau dancers did. He is not stupid to burn his finger. Just wait

  16. since they the gule people believe they are animals then killing a gule wankulu shouldnt be a crime …i need to get my hunting gun ready

  19. Ngati simumadziwa, ameneyo ndiye timati Gule Wa Mkulu. Guleyu amatchedwanso kuti Zilombo. Police ilibe mphamvu pa Zilombo chifukwa guleyu ndi midzukwa. Guleyu si Mlakho Wa Alomwe koma ndi anthu akufa omwe amadzuka ku manda. Ndiye ngati sindinu wopita ku Dambwe, mukangowona Gule alubwera patali, mudzithawa chifukwa akhoza kukuphani. Alomwe, samalani, mukhoza kutha nonse!

  21. Nyau imeneyo ipezeke basi. figure prints left on the panga knife by the dancer, will be useful in tracing him. apo bii alodzedwe.

  23. why should gule wamkulu still be found in city boundaries in this day and age? no wonder APM tried to abolish chieftainship in cities and towns but we all cried foul that APM is doing this on political grounds. with these kinds of behaviours I think APM was very right.

  24. Ife ndo Chewa koma I sincerely dont agree with the nyau spirit in my culture. I am not proud of it. It contributed greatly to the backwardness of central region. It contributed to great school drop out rate, illiteracy and underdevelopment of central region. It is very silly for us to be crying for quota system now when we cannot address the very things in our culture that have contributed to our backwardness in education. The Chewa Heritage Foundation will be given a credit only when a) it facilitates the improvement of the education levels in the central region b) root out the barbaric boko haram like spirit in the nyau culture c) take out the witchcraft spirit from the nyau culture d) remove the nsanje spirit that causes those who have never gone to school beat those who are going to school under the guise that they are a chirombo e) remove all THE LIES about fishing these nyaus from dziwe when its anthu putting on makhwatha f) work towards the betterment of women and girls so that they should not be victims of our silly culture. M’NTHUNE NDINE MWANA O MFUMU O MZINDA OKU DEDZA but I sincerely say, “IF YOU LOOK DOWN THE HISTORY OF MALAWI YOU WILL SIGNIFICANTLY SEE THAT THE CHEWA CULTURE IS THE ONLY CULTURE IN MALAWI WHERE ITS VICTIMS ARE ITS OWN SUBJECTS. IT IS THE ONLY CULTURE WHICH PROMOTES DECEIT AND LIES. I AM VERY ASHAMED OF MY CULTURE. OKANYAMA NDO MALEWEZI PAMEPAPA M’NATHE UTITHANDIZA BWANJI? Many of us Chewas are so ashamed of this aspect of our culture to the extent that we dont want to have anything to do with CHF or the Kulamba business ku Mkaika. Ndatha ndine Mchewa Otembenuka Mtima.

  25. i dont undersrant wat type of culture is that . with democracy i think gule wankulu its not on plz ochewa ndapota nanu. chonde apresdent u need to do something otherwise wise these are human beings laws has intervine. am not happy.

  26. Nanga iwe Kabwila ukuti bwa sopano pa nkhani iyi?
    Uwauze aChewa anzako a pa Gule’wo kuti asiye zausiru. Tizawakupula ife.

  27. Malawians always finding a way of celebrating mediocrity. you know for sure these as people disguised as beasts. why not catch one and shoot them right in the face? no one has the right to harm anther. in this case, what are the police doing? nothing I guess…

  28. Next time catch and burn them. A Chakwera inu bwanji osanthandiza. Moti nzabwino zimenezi? Ndi mtundu wosukira umenewu kwabasi. I wish they were not Malawians.

  29. Mfana chikondi mbeweyo akuoneka kuti ndiokula mtima. Ofunika kumuthira makofi. nyau inachita bwino kumumenya

  31. Achewa osaphunziranu muli ndi vuto lalikulu n iwe akut Chitsuka ukukana chani poti ndi agalu ako akupanga zaufiti_zo #athakati_inu

  32. @Imran Sadick when Bakili Muluzi was campaigning to be a president of Malawi;some people said he would make all Malawians to be Muslims and circumcised. Did Muluzi Islamise Malawi after ascending to power? No! MCP if it comes to power will obviously not force every Malawian upita kudambwe ukalowa nyau.

  34. That’s why I will NEVER vote for MCP, a party of death and darkness whose tenets are premised on the barbaric culture of gule wankulu cult. MCP, like its gule culture, can just emerge suddenly from its graveyard headquarters and tell the country that “all teachers should go and teach in their regions”. Let’s say NO to MCP, just as we say NO to DPP.

  35. Foolish, uneducated, useless, savage dancers becoming killers. That’s why in the south we don’t allow such dirt in our villages.

  38. Zikufunika kafukufuku za gule wa mkulu.Tipeze nchifukwa chiani ali ndichikoka.Si ana a Chewa okha komanso a Yao, a Lomwe,a Tumbuka, a Ngoni, ndi mitundu ina amatengeka ndi nyau ndipo amatekeseka nazo kwambiri.Nyauyo ikamadutsa pafupi ndi sukulu amakhamukira konko mpaka maphunziro kusonekera.Azimainso nawo amatengeka.Choncho zinyauzo amazipatsa matama ngati zenizeni.Kwa ine vuto ndi anawo.Zikatulu nyauzo,ana a matown kumakhala chinantindi cha anthu.Kuzipasa matama basi.Sizikutemani ndiye bwino.Nanunso olemba musionanso mbali ya ana ndi makolo.

  40. What is TA Tsabango doing on this issue? He must act with speed otherwise we will demote him or fire him completely for this madness. I am Chewa educated one ofcourse but there is no need to be putting people under such pressure to the point of hacking the boy.
    The Nyau should be banned in that area except kwathu where Nyau is meant to educate the masses about good morals and entertainment, that is all.

  45. pliz guys,dont comment in english if u know that u speak ching chang chong typ of english (ungrammatical),pliz let us make comments in english and u comment in your gulewamkulu language,afterall its a dialect not a language type. once again,pliz check rules of using english language

  46. @ IMRAAN SADICK

    WHAT HAS GULEWAMKULU GOT TO DO WITH MCP ?
    I KNOW THAT YOU ARE UDF , NOW TELL ME ! WHEN UDF IS VOTED BACK INTO POWER , ARE THEY CIRCUMCISE EVERY MALE LIKE YOU AND YOUR FATHER ?
    IWE USANDIYAMBE !!!

  48. Pipo should not be blind. Unfortunately you speak the language of the Nyau pipo. You can’t see?. This is the superior culture

  49. dnt divert culture wth ur stupid behaviours. Ameneyo sinyau bt amayesera nyau. Mukandifusa ine ndikuuzani kuti si mchewa ameneyo koma akufuna kuononga mwambo wa makolo.

  50. up to this day the chewas are wearing sacks. what a shame! these are stupid people with a very timid culture. guys, let’s fight them physically wherever we meet them. these are real people, they are not big dancers as they make as believe. achewa ndi zinyawu basi, afiti otsewera kumanda. shame all chewas.

  52. In Area 38′ near Chimwala ccap ,in the process of rinning away from nyau a child bumped into grandma who was carrying hotwater in a pot resulting into the child sustaining severe burns which later killed the child. Can the government or city officials do something about the problem.

  56. This so called gulemkulu thing irritates me the most in this country! I swear I shouldn’t be anybody of influence in this country…I will ban this barbaric cult…Trust me!!!

  59. Achewa with your stupid uneducated savages called Nyau. Chewa tradition is but a scandal.
    Gawa undi and Chakwera are the architects of this terror campaign. Threats and panga knives are a characteristic of MCP politics.

  61. Tangogwirani mmodzi ndikuwotcha. Asiya zopusazo agalu amenewo. Ifetu Ku nkhata bay amaganiza ndi kwawo anaziyamba zimenezo koma kungothamangitsa Mu mmodzi, muzi wonse unawawonetsa mbwaza moti anasiyilatu gule wawoyo

  62. Reverend Dr Apostle Chakwera and your MCP, this is a shame to you all. Kumbukirani komwe mwagwera baba. Si Ambuye kumachita promote nyau munthu munali Mbusa posachedwapa. Chakwera=Nyau; MCP =Nyau. Very saaaaaaaaaaaaad!

  63. Justin Malewezi, Lukwa and Ntaba are behind this barbaric cult. Shame to educated people like you. Anthu izi ndi zinyawu zedi.

  66. Kodi Gule Ndi Munthu Kapena Nyama? Ngati Ndi Munthu: Mmuuze Kuti Ndi Wopusa, Bwanji Kubisala Muvisanza, Chimunthu Chikulirenji!!!! Ife Kwathu Amavala Zimenezo Ndi Ana Osavinidwa Kkkkkkkkk!

  67. Eeeh Chewas tame thsese satanic animals please otherwise government ban this evil cult for good. zitsilu inu eti

  68. ma terorists amenewo, deal with them accordingly, akufuna azipanga ngat a ISLAMI STATES(IS) tht kid was nearly beheaded, stupid gule wamkulu, uchifwamba, tonse sitingakhale OCHEWA,zankutuu, kusapita kusukulu eeh, ana aziopa kukadya choko chifukwa kuti kuli CHINYAU,
    Munditenge bwino

  74. Central region is for gulewamkulu kotelo simunati. Mind no one I mean no one can ban gulewamkulu. Dzina lokhalo silimakuopsani inu atimagule tatin’gono. Gulewamkulunis here to stay. Bakili tried to ban he failed miserably. Let some one start such a nonsense tione ngati simuthawa my lilongemu.

  77. Vuto ndiloti m’malo mokapangira mwambo wawo kumudzi akupangira mu town momwe tonsefe ndi obwera,kunonso ku kanengo(chatata) dairly gule from 6am-8pm eish….

  78. Bodza, si aChewa koma aChawa ndi alomwe. OChewa songaseweleretse gule chonchi ndife ometa zedi odziwa mwambo wathu. Palibe mwana wa mChewa angachite izi. Please go and find out in the area. You will be suprised to find that it is predominantly Yaos and Alomwes.

  79. Mbuzi yina yapanga comment yopusa akuti mbujo apa asilamu chotchulila zikwakhunza pati muzilemba zothandinza.

  82. Kodi Mwanayo Ngati Analibe Koti Agwetse Mukafuna Mpaka Mudule Mkono? Asaaaa! Kunyau Kale Anthu Akatopezako Mwambo Osati Zamakonozi.Nyau Zanji Zolandira Ndalama Zokha? Kkkkkkkkk. Chikhalidwe Chathu Amakaka,akamano,akampini Ndi Amakanja Chikupita Kuti?

  85. That’s what Achewa does best !! Terrorising their own people in the name of gule ..Go to school and get jobs. Help in developing the country. Gule akuthandizani chani.?? Stupid idiots !!!

  86. kapangileni kumudzi zimenezo muno ndi mtauni muli anthu amitundu yosiyanasiyana, mpaka kumenya ana alakwa chani ? kusowa zochita .

  87. A Mfumu anamatu apa.

    Displaying zikwanje zomwe zilombo zidagwiritsa ntchito potema ana. Yet denying any knowledge of the zilombo. Where did they get the pangas from?

    Sorry, it doesn’t make sense!

  88. si ntchito ya boma imeneyo. it’s your own respobsibity to find them and cut off their dicks. amakhala anzanu a mudzi omwewo, your classmates, your boyfriends, even your own brothers and sons. can’t you just tell by the walk, height or body structure kuti uyu ndi ujeni? how many are they and how many are you kuti akuzunzeni? stupid customs and culture

  89. Why should they behave in that manner? Gulewamkulu is good but it is the performers that do not know what they are doing. What if they hack their own children at the function accidentally. Please treat all the children as your own children please and every body as your relative.

  90. Very stupid ochewa.When shall u become civilised?This can’t happen in Blantyre I guess.Why hacking ur own relatives?If u hav nothing to do,go and deal with uncivilised Bhoko haram who kill innocent souls for nothing.

  91. It is surprising that as a dancer he or she wants the people to watch him or her and even want monetary support from the same people they are injuring. Is there any sense in this?

  92. GuleWamkulu akuwona ngati ikulamula ndi MCP pofunika bona lichitepo kanthu Ana azigawo zina azilephera kuphunzira kamba ka gulewamkulu ife sitilola adikire ulamuliro WA mcp azizachita zopusazo kaya ndiye kuti.Ife ndiye sitizaivotera olo mutatithira domu mmaso ataa.

  93. Ntundu umenewu ndiwoipa. Killings is part of their game. You saw in the PAST! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER in Malawi shall we give room to rule. INU APOLICE ANJATENI Mpaka Undi atabwela. Then he must be told to tame these guys other wise no room in modern Malawi.

    WE ARE JUST A HAPPY NATION IN JESUS name

  96. Revenge is on the offing. Once a Gulewamkulu will be spotted in the area, people are prepared to torch it to death. Just dare again!. Tibwezera basi!

  98. Anzanu ku Disney World akupanga ndalama heavy pongovala mask pamene inu mukavala ma mask anuwo koma mumafuna kugwililira, kuba, kupha…….STUPIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mumayesa mobisalira mukafuna kupanga za u Satana. Koma Gawa Undi mulipo kumeneko??? Moni moni moni moni!!!!

  99. Chewa Heritage and Prof Kanyama Phiri should invite the chief Chisuka and punish him for this indisciplne of his Nyau guys. How can he refuse to know them yet he has all their Panga Knives and drums with him? He should be taken to task and this is not the Chewa thing but thugs who were drank with the beer for the ufumu ceremony.

  100. Primitive tribes doing primitive actions. How can you hen say the northerners are intelligent that you are when you spend your time chasing away young learners who would like to learn and further their studies just because you like the nasty dances?

    Put these primitive dances off new Malawi, shame on you Umbuli basi

  101. Nchifukwa aboma akuti ma ufumu a ntoun athe.poyamba mfumu yakudelali akanayimanga chifukwa cholola nyau zawo kuvulaza anthu.komaso chikondi ndi mdzukulu wa mfumu kafula so zinawawa poti ndi iyeyo anatemedwa and yet anthu akhala akudandaula mdelali zokhudzana ndi kuswedwa ufulu wa anthu nyau zawozo zikayamba.komaso chitetezo.ndi mafumu omwewa omwe amathetsa inkata cholinga ana awo adziba bwino and yet madela onse muli neighbourhood.why 36.

  103. iwe sam makaka wasowa nkhani zolemba eti? iweyo a mulakho wa alomwe akutipha ndi umphawiwa sukuwaona apa ukutaya nthawi ndi zazing’ono? nsanje to chitipa amalawi akulira chifukwa cha alomwewa. Za dausi sudamve? ukasowa zolemba uzingokhala duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

  109. Achewa ndi mtundu waulesi zedi. Mchifukwa chake atsikana a kumwera amakaniratu kukwatiwa ndi kasnzawire ngati gulewamkulu. Anthu osaphunzira ngati amenewa sindidawaonepo ayi.

  110. Let the chewa people regulate their own culture. kodi tonsefe tingakhale achewa? what’s wrong with innocent kidz like them, ngati inu simufuna kuphunzira zanu izo, but you can say its chakwera because he himself is very educated, enanu wakula ndiulesi m’malo momakalima kudimba nkumavutitsa ana osalakwa, to hell with your bad culture

  112. Those of comment just shoe hoe stupid you are. You cannot see that this staged by DPP to divert your attention to problem that Malaw is go through. Keep dreaming about Malawians. I am not Chewa but this is not genuine Gule wamkulu. Ask Dausi, he will tell. How can the killer have surname of John. Malawi is a country of useless people and very dull

  113. A Gule inu, kodi mukufuna kukhala ngati a BHOKO HARAM, you want every body to be wa Gule, the way BHOKO wants every body to be ASILAMU….This is not acceptable. Stop causing nuesance to others who do not belong to your cult.

  114. I have learnt of Gulewankulu with dismay, how can individuals people per say in the form of chewa grouping cause pain to people in the name of cult or whatever name we call it. I can only use the Kamuzu way of disciplining this cult business of the chewas of which I as a Malawian feel sorry to this type of doings.

    If only Kamuzu system can be used her, it means the whole village must be arrested including the animals and jail them and give them only grass to eat.

    1. Inu ndiye zero pa hundred, iyi sindiyo topic of discussion apa. Comment on acts of guleyu apa. Musasokoneze anthu apa.

  125. Shit, zikanalikobe izi!!!!!!! Dzilangeni zilombozi pls. If a dog or ng’ombe or ……. goes mad, we always kill it. Why not this gulewankulu (chilombo)? It has to go too. We don’t want this in town here.

  126. Can’t the community mobilise themselves and catch them! Once you do, beat the crap out of them or hack them to death. You can also just burn them, it’s very easy with all those things they wear. If they don’t have respect for other people’s life, they don’t deserve respect for their lives at all. Hacking kids? Loke really? I say burn burn burn them all!

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