Want to marry? Don’t have a faintest idea of what tradition expects of, or you simply wish to get abreast of what marriage practices are in Malawi. I have your back coved. Firstly, keep it in mind that Malawi brims with many marriage practices — some being area-specific, while other are generally found throughout the nation with minor differences.
Normally, you’ll notice that a Malawian today enters into a matrimonial partnership either through a traditional or religious procedure, and at times a blending of the two means happens. One is supposed to adhere to, and satisfy all marriage procedures — or where he or she fails to do so, elders have pre-set customs that will have to be taken to ensure the marriage is formal.
This listicle brings you seven examples of marriages practices in Malawi.
1. Mitala
A marriage is said to be a Mitala when a man marries more than one wife. Even though, sometimes a man may do enter into this marriage her first wife’s consent, this may not always be the case. This is a practice found throughout the nation. It is not uncommon for a man to have two or three wives, although some tend to marry as many as eight to thirteen women. Depending on where you’re in Malawi, polygamy is has different names among different ethnic groups: Mita, impali, Chipali and mitala.
2. Kulowa kufa
This arrangement occurs when a husband dies, and his brother, cousin or nephew is inherits the remaining wife.
As much as this practice appears to be in general decline, it is also a highly under-reported marriage practice (especially on official researches), as more and more people don’t want to seem wayward—by admitting to a tradition that they know is retrogressive to the fight against STIs.
Kulowa Kufa is also known by the following names among different ethnic groups in Malawi: Impyana, Chokolo, Kuhara, Anjala Akapita Kufa Panyumba and Levirate.
3. Mbirika
A husband whose wife has passed on, by this tradition, marries a younger sister or niece to the diseased wife.
Normally, parents encourage the young girl to marry her brother – in – law. There can be several traditional reasons for doing so.
Malawians may also refer to Mbilika as Chimeta Masisi, Chidzutsa Nyumba, Chiusya Nyumba, Impyana or Nthena, depending of which ethnic group they belong.
![]() |
Pixabay |
4. Hlazi
In Hlazi arrangement, a sister or niece to a man’s wife is given as a second wife.
Aunts and parents may at times entice a girl a s young as 15 years old to join her sister in marriage. In some case, a married woman may single-handedly sweet-talk her young sister to join her in matrimony.
Some people call Hlazi as Mbirigha or Isakulwa,
5. Kupimbira /kupawira
When a young girl — at times as young as 9 years — is offered in marriage to an older person, the marriage practice is called Kupimbira, or Kupawira depending on where it happens, as well as the reason for such an arrangement.
A girl is offered as a debt or wage payment to the man, or tenant. In case of the latter the man is not asked to pay lobola.
You also wish to know that under Kupawira, a girl may be sent to live with a rich man in the expectation that she will be a wife to the man when she grows up. The girl may not know nothing of this arrangement, but her parents may have gotten money in marrying off their child.
In short, there various forms in which Kupimbira and Kupawira occurs as detailed in this post.
6. Kulowana
This’s a marriage practice where by a boy and girl arrange to live together as husband and wife, before any traditional or religious formalities.
Usually a formal marriage ensures that relatives are notified, and payments for lobola are agreed upon, and settled. Kulowana falls short of these arrangements.
However, others may begin to stay together immediately after fulfilling traditional arrangements, but they ignore religious procedures, or registering with the Marriage Registrar.
The following terms are also used to refer to this marriage practice: Ukwati wa Chinkhoswe, Ukwati wachibudu, Kusemya, Kupinjirira, Ubwinga, Chiwezya, Chipera, or Ukathyali.
7. Ukwati wa Fisi
Ukwati wa fisi in Malawi refers to a marriage entered by way of snatching or eloping a girl; a boy or girl ignore official procedures of contracting a marriage such as Chiwongo.
Normally, the family of the boy avail themselves later, before the girl’s family in order to explain the whereabouts of their daughter through an intermediary.
Many reasons explain why elopement is done as clarified here.
Note that elopement is locally described by such term as Kutsomphola, Kusomphora, Ukwati wa fisi, Kusemya, Chikumu or kulowa.
8. Ukwati wotulira
If you’re a boy, and happen to be responsible for a pregnancy — for a girl you’ve not yet married, her relatives will bring the girl to you so must marry her. This marriage practice is called Ukwati wotulira. Other tribes call it Ukwati wobudisyana, Chipati or Kutwala.
I must finally say it again that Malawi culture is replete with marriage practices. And if you ask around, you’ll be amazed to notice that almost all the marriage traditions outlined in this post have ushered many a man in a marriage and family you see today.
0 Comments