History

The Lomwe People originated in Mozambique, but these days their numbers are almost evenly divided between Mozambique and Malawi. Migration of large numbers of Lomwe into Malawi had already begun before missionaries, white traders, and colonials arrived in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Tribal wars in Mozambique in the 1930's, coupled with the possibility of finding seasonal work in the flourishing tea industry, prompted another large influx into Malawi. A last contributor to Lomwe migration into Malawi was Mozambique's long civil war.

Identity

The Lomwe are Bantu people of the Negroid race, as are most of the people of southeastern Africa. Traditionally Lomwe women made distinctive scarification marks on their cheeks as a beautification ritual. However, younger generations are unlikely to engage in this ritual, except in very remote villages. The Lomwe are a rural people with only 5-10% living in urban areas. They are primarily subsistence farmers. Many of them love to hunt, though wild game is scarce due to high population density.

Politics

Mozambique's muddy political history has not greatly influenced the rural dwelling people, except to really scatter the people group over the area and into Malawi. Neither Portuguese culture nor Marxist teaching were seriously embraced by these people, though the Marxist influence among Mozambique Lomwe was in many respects similar to the influence of the 30 year rule of so-called "benevolent dictator" Dr. Kamuzu Banda on the Malawi Lomwe.