* Following court conviction of Jailos Malizani to two years imprisonment for unlawfully wounding a resident of Area 50 in Lilongwe while masquerading as gule wamkulu character
* He and his accomplices dressed as gule wamkulu on September 11, 2026 and started to demand money from residents but one, Shaban Mustaf, refused
* He was consequently attacked with a panga knife, causing serious injuries, leading to his arrest while his accomplices remain as fugitives
By Maryam Ibrahim, Malawi News Agency (MANA)
The Chewa Heritage Foundation (CHEFO) has voiced strong concern over the growing misuse of gule wamkulu, the ‘sacred’ masked dance of the Chewa people, by individuals who exploit its traditional attire to commit crimes.
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CHEFO raised the concern following a recent case handled by Kanengo Police in which a man, Jailos Malizani, was sentenced by Mkukula First Grade Magistrates Court to two years imprisonment with hard labour for unlawfully wounding a resident of Area 50 in Lilongwe while masquerading as gule wamkulu character.
According to Kanengo Police, Malizani and his accomplices dressed as gule wamkulu on September 11, 2026 and started to demand money from residents but one, Shaban Mustaf, refused.
Malizani consequently attacked Mustafa with a panga knife, causing serious injuries, leading to the arrest, conviction and sentencing of the culprit, while his accomplices remain at large as fugitives from the law.
Kanengo Police public relations officer, Sub. Inspector Macfarlen Mseteka, said residents, including schoolchildren, in Areas 50, 25, 49 and surrounding areas have reported similar assaults and cases of presumed gule wamkulu characters grabbing food and money.
Thus CHEFO’s director of publicity, Mayankho Sande Bango, stressed that such behaviour directly contradicts the cultural values of the Chewa people.
“Gule wamkulu does not come out just to play or to steal from people,” she emphasised. “It comes out during specific occasions, including funerals and other important cultural ceremonies.”
Bango noted that some individuals are performing the dance without regard for its established protocols, and that not all of them are even of Chewa origin.
“People are just doing it anyhow — those who use gule wamkulu to steal from people are not representing what our culture says,” she emphasised.
In response, CHEFO is collaborating with village headmen to educate communities about the proper significance and timing of gule wamkulu.
The foundation has also praised the police for acting firmly against those who abuse the tradition, describing the enforcement as an important step toward preserving both public safety and the integrity of a cherished cultural practice.
Bango underscored that protecting gule wamkulu from misuse is vital for future generations, stressing that joint efforts by traditional leaders, communities and law enforcement will help restore the respect and dignity the practice deserves within Chewa heritage.
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