The much awaited 2012 Ijtma gathering is scheduled to take place from Friday, October 5, 2012 in Blantyre, Malawi Muslims Official Website can confirm.
According to the 2012 Ijtima organising committee publicity secretary, Abdul Aziz Onile, Former Tanzanian President Ali Hassan Mwinyi, will grace the ceremony as a Guest of Honour.
Mwinyi who has reportedly been invited by Malawi’s Former President Bakili Muluzi is expected to arrive in the country on Thursday.
Onile has also confirmed that the Vice President of the Republic of Malawi Honourable Khumbo Kachali will preside over the closing ceremony where he is expected to receive a communique from the organisers.
Malawi Muslims Official Website can further reveal that unlike in all the past Ijtimas, this year’s participants will be required to part away with MK 300 (US$ 1) at the gate as an entry fee.
However, Sheikh Aman Matiya, the organising committee’s vice chairman has since refuted the allegations of the entry fee saying that the fee is for food tickets though a well placed source confided in this website that apart from the food tickets, members will be required to pay K300 at the gate.
The 2012 gathering has been postponed several times due to budgetary constraints until Muluzi reportedly bailed them out.
The three-day event will take place at Kamuzu Stadium and is expected to draw dignitaries from other countries such as Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.
This year’s Ijtima can be described as unique in the sense that in addition to the clergy, speakers will include professionals in the fields of economics, politics and human rights. This comes at a time when Malawi is sailing through spiritual, political and economical challenges.
Muslim organisations will also erect pavilions where they will showcase their activities to the public.
Ijtima is an annual gatherings where it assembles Muslims from all walks of life to do some soul-searching on what they have achieved or failed during the previous year, spiritually, politically, socially and economically. They then come up with resolutions to be implemented in the following year.
This year’s occassion will be held under the theme: The Past, The Present and The Future of Islam in Malawi.
