By Vincent Gunde
Bwalo la Chewa Foundation (BOLA-CEFO) members have learnt with a big shock and dismay over the death of Reverend Flywell Somanje who until his death, once served as the Founder and Executive Director of the Foundation.
Details of his illness are still sketchy but at one time, some members of the Bwalo la Chewa Foundation learnt that he was suffering from stroke which paralyzed his body and the members don’t know whether he has departed the earthly world with this stroke disease.
His body Reverend Somanje was on Friday, taken from Dowa District Hospital to his home village Mitembo in the area of Inkosi Mkukuka in Dowa where he will be laid to rest on Saturday, 6th September, 2025.
The late Reverend Flywell Somanje was one of the courageous Chewa freedom fighter who wanted the Chewas to have one strong body for all the Chewas in Malawi to believe that Paramount Dr. Lundu of Chikwawa is His Royal Highness of all the Chewas in Malawi.
The late Somanje during his life, opposed strongly for the Chewas of Malawi to travel to Mkaika in Zambia for the Kulamba Annual Chewa festivals arguing that this can be done in Malawi with their Paramount Chief, Dr. Lundu.
He has been saying Kalonga had his wife – Nyangu according to the Chewa History who had two children at Mankhamba the headquarters of the Maravi Kingdom, Undi and Lundu, Undi settled in Zambia while Lundu settled in the lower Shire-Chikwawa in Malawi.
Reverend Somanje is on record having said that there is no way Paramount Kalonga Dr. Gawa Undi of Zambia be recognized as His Royal Highness of the Chewas of Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia, saying this was against the Chewa History.
He reminded Malawians that the late Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda who was the great orator, historian and a Chewa himself from Kasungu, appointed Lundu as the Paramount Chief of all the Chewas in Malawi.
Reverend Somanje proposed that the Chewas in Malawi be holding their annual Kulamba or Chizangala festivals in Chewa dominated districts on rotational basis other than chiefs taking their treasures to present it to Paramount Chief Kalonga Dr. Gawa Undi of Zambia.
The late Reverend Somanje described Bwalo la Chewa Foundation as the only Chewa registered tribal group for all the Chewas in Malawi while Chewa Heritage Foundation (CHEFO) is an international organization not registered anywhere in Malawi for the Chewas of Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
‘May His Soul Rest in eternal peace, Reverend Flywell Somanje has gone, but Bwalo la Chewa Foundation (BOLA-CEFO) philosophy is continuing among the Chewas in Malawi,”
