In a powerful act of remembering their roots, the Ngoni people are preparing for a historic pilgrimage. For the 2026 Nc’wala Traditional Ceremony, they will not simply gather at the usual Mtenguleni headquarters, they will first embark on a spiritual journey to the very place where their great leader Zwangendaba Jere rests.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni has announced that the upcoming ceremony will commence with a solemn visit to Nakonde District, the final resting place of King Zwangendaba.
At the royal gravesite, sacred rituals will be performed reconnecting with the spirit of the leader who guided them through epic migrations centuries ago.
This homage involves sacred rituals at the royal graveyard, a moment for the living to communicate with the ancestral spirits and seek their blessings for the ceremony ahead.
Following this poignant start, the nation will trace a symbolic part of their ancestors’ legendary path, crossing the mighty Zambezi River in Feira.
The journey will culminate with the majestic movement of Paramount Chief Mpezeni from his Ephendukeni Palace in Feni to the main ceremonial grounds at Laweni Kasenengwa District.
This year, the Nc’wala won’t just be a celebration of the first fruits, it will be a living story, a generation re-walking the footsteps of its forebears to honor a legacy that continues to define them.
By Samuel Khwawe
