Malawi
Malawi is a low income country, exhibiting mid-range performance across all categories of the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) framework. It is amongst the top 25 per cent of countries in the world with regard to Effective Parliament, Freedom of Religion and Civil Society. Over the last five years, Malawi has experienced significant advances in Credible Elections and Civil Society, but a decline in Freedom of the Press. Malawi’s economy is heavily dependent upon agriculture, with tobacco its largest export. Low agricultural productivity, climate shocks, slow structural transformation and an unsustainable public debt mean that it is one of the world's poorest countries, with approximately 70 per cent of the Malawians living below the poverty line. Indeed, GSoD Indices data show that it is in the bottom 25 per cent of the world with regard to Basic Welfare and Economic Equality.
Prior to British colonization in the late 19th century, Malawi was shaped by a number of influences, including Islam and Christianity, British and Portuguese exploration, and the Indian Ocean slave trade. The country gained independence in 1964 and for thirty years was governed as a one-party state under Hastings Banda, whose highly repressive rule was marked by patronage, ethnic and regional antagonisms and a weak state that largely failed to deliver social and economic development. Personalist politics and a powerful presidency have remained a feature of Malawi’s politics since the introduction of multi-party elections in 1994 and three presidents have unconstitutionally sought to extend executive power during their terms. While several peaceful transfers of power have helped establish elections as the legitimate way of gaining political power, elections have not brought about significant democratization and have generated political tension, most notably following the contested 2019 presidential election results, when the country’s High Court ordered a re-run of the poll. The courts and civil society have been important bulwarks against authoritarianism in Malawi. Corruption is a major issue that has dogged successive administrations.
Political parties generally lack ideology but are instead heavily based on geography and ethnicity. Encouraged during the colonial period, ethnic distinctions endured after independence, often manifesting as regionalism. Malawi has ten major ethnic groups, and only 34 per cent of Malawians say they identify more with their national identity than with their ethnic identity. The sustained relevance of ethnic identity may be due in part to previous administrations’ favored treatment of certain ethnic groups. In fact, since the country has only been led by presidents from the central or southern regions, which is seen as more developed than the north, there have also been disputes regarding federalism. Malawi is also very religiously heterogeneous and is home to Protestants Catholics, and Muslims; the Muslim minority occasionally faces discrimination. Public policy is often shaped by the country’s religiosity and socially conservative political culture. In 2024, the Malawi Constitutional Court’s decided to uphold the country’s ban on same-sex sexual conduct between consenting adults, as LGBTQIA+ people continue to face discrimination. In 2021, there was robust opposition to abortion, which forced the government to withdraw a plan to liberalize the procedure. Women and girls face a multitude of challenges, including gender-based violence and reduced economic opportunities.
Looking ahead, Credible Elections will be a key area of focus with general election scheduled for September 2025. Absence of Corruption will also be important to watch. The country has taken steps to accelerate its anti-corruption efforts by developing a new multi-stakeholder approach, although some commentators allege that these efforts have been tainted by political motivations, and Malawians remain pessimistic about the state of graft in the country.
Last updated: August 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
December 2024
Parliament passes landmark judicial reform bills
On 20 December, Malawi’s National Assembly passed three bills, which will introduce a comprehensive regulatory framework for the judiciary that is intended to strengthen its independence and accountability. Among other things, the new framework expands the powers of the judicial regulator, the Judicial Service Commission, it creates an Independent Complaints Commission to receive and address public grievances against judicial officers, and it establishes a Judiciary Fund to ensure adequate funding for the judicial system and protect its financial independence. The long-awaited reforms have been championed by the Malawi Law Society which, among other organisations, has alleged systemic corruption within the country’s judiciary. On 28 January, State House announced that President Chakwera had assented to the Judicial Service Administration Bill and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill. No mention was made of the third bill, the Courts (Amendment) Bill.
Sources: Parliament of Malawi (1), Parliament of Malawi (2), Parliament of Malawi (3), Malawi Law Society, The Tablet, Deutsche Welle, Capital FM Malawi
November 2024
Armed men disrupt anti-government protests
Freedom of assembly was undermined in Malawi in November, when two anti-government protests were disrupted by unidentified masked men, armed with machetes and clubs. The first of these incidents took place on 13 November, when the men prevented civil society groups from holding a peaceful protest in the capital, Lilongwe - charging the assembled protesters and then preventing them from reassembling. This was alleged to have taken place in the presence of the police, who failed to intervene, but tear gassed the protesters when they tried to confront the men. A similar incident took place in Lilongwe on 25 November. The protests had been organised to voice concerns over the ongoing fuel crisis and voter registration. Gangs of armed youths have historically been used by Malawian political parties to perpetrate political violence against opponents and the November incidents have raised fears of such violence ahead of elections scheduled for September 2025.
Sources: Malawi 24, Baron's, Malawi Law Society, The Media Institute of Southern Africa - Malawi, Africa Confidential, South Africa Institute of International Affairs
February 2024
Opposition party supporters attacked at parade
The level of violence between supporters of the two largest political parties increased in February. On 14 February, members of parliament from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cancelled a planned event at the parliament due to fears of a confrontation with supporters of the governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP). On 24 February, DPP supporters who had gathered for a parade in support of voter registration were attacked by a group armed with stones, axes, machetes, and other objects. At least 20 DPP supporters were seriously injured. The DPP blamed the MCP for the attack, but the MCP denied any involvement.
Sources: The Nation, The Times, Malawi Voice, Voice of America
December 2023
Police interfere with journalist after cost-of-living protests turn violent
Following the Reserve Bank of Malawi’s decision to devalue the national currency (kwacha) by 44 per cent, political activist Bon Kalindo led protests against the government’s economic policies in the towns of Zomba, Karonga, Blantyre and Mangochi in late November. The protests in Zomba and Mangochi turned violent, as some in the crowds threw stones at police and looted shops. Police interfered with the work of a journalist reporting on the protest in Mangochi, Raphael Mlozoa of the Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS), as they seized his phone and deleted photographs he had taken of the police response to the protest. ZBS filed a complaint against the police for their interference with Mlozoa’s work. Kalindo was arrested twice in early December and charged separately for inciting violence in the two towns.
Sources: The Nation, Malawi24, Committee to Protect Journalists, CIVICUS
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