PRESIDENT HICHILEMA TO GRACE NC’WALA CEREMONY
TOURISM Minister Rodney Sikumba has confirmed that President Hakainde Hichilema will today grace the Nc’wala Traditional Ceremony of the Ngoni people in Chipata.
Speaking during a press briefing in Chipata, Mr Sikumba said the Head of State was expected to arrive to join Paramount Chief Mpezeni IV and thousands of citizens at the annual cultural celebration.
The minister disclosed that last year alone, government supported 99 traditional ceremonies across the country, with President Hichilema personally attending 36 of them.
He noted that in the four years he had served in the ministry, he had witnessed the Nc’wala ceremony grow significantly, adding that the event’s product offering continued to improve
Mr Sikumba said the ministry was pleased to support the ceremony, which he described as steadily expanding in scale and impact.
The minister said increased participation from corporate entities and citizens travelling from across the country was a clear indication that cultural tourism was contributing positively to economic growth.
He observed that Chipata had become a hive of activity ahead of the ceremony, with lodges fully booked and visitors flocking to the town, demonstrating what he termed as tangible growth in the domestic tourism sector.
Meanwhile, Mr Sikumba announced that the ministry would next month shift its focus to Western Province for the Kuomboka Ceremony, another major event on Zambia’s cultural calendar.