Ntcheu is a district in the Central Region of Malawi. It borders with the country of Mozambique. The district headquarters is Ntcheu, known as BOMA in the local language, but is most commonly called Mphate. It is run by Yeneya, the village headman. The district covers an area of 3,424 km.² and has a population of 659,608 people according to the 2018 Malawi Population and Housing Census.[1] The Ntcheu district lies around halfway between Malawi's majors cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe - the capital city.

Location of Ntcheu District in Malawi
Location of Ntcheu District in Malawi

Government and administrative divisions

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There are seven National Assembly constituencies in Ntcheu:[2]

  • Ntcheu - Bwanje North
  • Ntcheu - Bwanje South
  • Ntcheu - Central
  • Ntcheu - North
  • Ntcheu - North East
  • Ntcheu - South
  • Ntcheu - West

Cities and towns

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Chigodi lies 61 kilometers north east of the headquarters.

Culture

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Most of the occupants of the Ntcheu District are of the Ngoni people, and are therefore descendants of Eswatini's Swazi people and the Zulu of South Africa. Also, because of their location, they are connected to the Ngoni People of the Mzimba District located in the northern part of Malawi. The paramount Chief is Inkosi Yamakosi Gomani (see List of rulers of the Ngoni Dynasty of Maseko (Gomani)). The traditional Authorities are Njolomole, Kalumbu, Kwataine, Ganya, Makwangwala, Chakhumbira, Mpando, Champiti, Phambala, and Masasa.

Places of interest

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  • Mama's restaurant is a popular destination for people in Ntcheu.[3]
  • Gowa Mission School

Demographics

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According to 2008 Malawi population census, people aged 18 and over distributed by Traditional Authority, were populated as follows:

Ethnic groups

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At the time of the 2018 Census of Malawi, the distribution of the population of Ntcheu District by ethnic group was as follows:[4]

Resources

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The district is well known for its vegetable production like cabbages, tomatoes and potatoes at Njolomole, Lizulu, and Tsangano. Apart from this main road of M1, Ntcheu district is also well connected with other districts on the Lake shore using Kasinje road (M5) to the Lake shore road going through Golomoti, Chipoka, Nkhotakota, and Nkhata bay districts.

Politics

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With the dawn of multiparty politics in 1994 in Malawi, Ntcheu District may be regarded as a swing district as regards to the three major parties in Malawi, these are: the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD), the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

Education

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With the arrival of the religious missionaries in the district in the 19th Century, many Christian religious schools were created, such as, Gowa Mission School, Mlanda Mission School, Muluma Mission School, and the Dombole Mission school. With the development of these schools, this gave the advantage of increased education to the district. Private schools in the area include the New Era Girls Secondary School.

Notable Malawians from Ntcheu

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Gomani II (Inkosi ya Makosi - Chief of Chiefs)

Academics

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Brown Chiphamba

Government

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Entertainers

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Business

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Civil Society

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  • George Jobe
  • Anderson Kayenda

References

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  1. ^ "2018 Population and Housing Census Main Report" (PDF). Malawi National Statistical Office. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  2. ^ Parliament of Malawi - Members of Parliament - Ntcheu District
  3. ^ Jimu, Christopher (November 26, 2010). "Mama's Restaurant in Ntcheu". www.nationmw.net. Nation Publications Limited. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  4. ^ 2018 Malawi Population and Housing Census Main Report

14°45′S 34°45′E / 14.750°S 34.750°E / -14.750; 34.750