Thousands of Tonga-speaking people have gathered today at the sacred Gonde site in Monze district to observe the annual Lwiindi Gonde Traditional Ceremony.
The event officially commenced yesterday with the symbolic pilgrimage of His Royal Highness Chief Monze from his palace to the Gonde shrine.
Chief Monze, who has reigned since 1990, was welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd of traditional dancers, business representatives, and invited guests.
Upon his arrival, the Baleya Clan, custodians of the Gonde shrine, performed traditional rites in his honour.
Other traditional leaders, including Chief Puta of Luapula Province, were also present to show solidarity.
The Lwiindi Gonde ceremony, a cornerstone of Tonga culture, is primarily a thanksgiving tradition.
It involves honouring ancestral spirits and seeking blessings for rain and a bountiful harvest.
The ritual, which is held every July regardless of drought or abundance, serves as a fundamental act of gratitude where communities present their first harvest to ancestors while also supplicating for future rains.
This significant ritual is seen as a connection between the living, the dead, and the earth.
The ceremony is held on the sacred grounds of Gonde, located west of Monze town.
By Lucy Phiri
Kalemba July 7, 2026
