“Civil Society Has Become a Joke”: Chijere-Chirwa’s Warning Echoes as Malawi’s Civic Space Comes Under Scrutiny

When Professor Wiseman Chijere-Chirwa stood before an audience at the inaugural Chakufwa Chihana Memorial Public Lecture, his message was direct, uncomfortable, and deeply critical of the present state of Malawi’s democracy.

“I expected powerful apolitical human rights defenders, trade unions, farmers’ unions and cooperatives that seriously questioned systems affecting ordinary people,” he said. “But the quality of civil society has declined over the years.”

That warning set the tone for a broader and more troubling conversation about what has become of Malawi’s civic space—and whether the institutions meant to protect citizens are still doing so effectively.

The lecture, organised by Youth and Society and Mzuzu University under the theme Legacy of courage: Anchoring Malawi’s democratic future on the foundations of the struggle, was meant to honour the legacy of Chakufwa Chihana, the trade unionist and political reformist whose defiance helped usher in multiparty democracy in the 1990s.

But instead of celebration alone, the event became a platform for hard questions about decline, compromise, and capture.

Chijere-Chirwa argued that while multiparty democracy brought formal freedoms, it has not produced equally strong civic institutions to defend those freedoms. In his view, activism has weakened, lost its independence, and drifted away from its original purpose of defending the public interest.

His remarks were blunt: civil society, as it stands today, is not living up to the legacy of its founders.

That sentiment was echoed even more sharply by long-time activist Ollen Mwalubunju, who did not mince words in describing today’s civil society space.

“Civil society is more like a joke,” he said. “Chakufwa Chihana would definitely be sad if he saw this.”

Behind these strong statements lies a deeper concern: that organisations once meant to challenge power are increasingly struggling with credibility, independence, and influence.

Political scientist Chrispin Mphande of Mzuzu University added another layer to the debate, arguing that Malawi’s failure to build strong institutions is holding back the very economic and social freedom Chihana fought for.

But perhaps the most politically sensitive concern came from Youth and Society executive director Charles Kajoloweka, who warned that the civic space itself is shrinking.

“We constantly see State encroachment into the civic space,” he said. “It is the same State which creates and sponsors other entities in the name of civil society organisations.”

That accusation raises difficult questions about independence. If parts of civil society are influenced, funded, or shaped by the very State they are supposed to hold accountable, then who is truly speaking for citizens?

Even government, through Justice Minister Charles Mhango, acknowledged the challenges of corruption and exclusion, insisting that reforms are underway, including stronger whistle-blower systems and renewed commitment to rule of law and democracy.

But for critics, those assurances do not fully address the core concern raised at the lecture: that democratic structures may exist on paper, while their strength in practice is weakening.

The legacy of Chakufwa Chihana loomed large over the discussion. A former trade unionist who defied one-party rule, spent years in exile, and was once arrested for calling out authoritarianism, Chihana symbolised a form of fearless civic engagement that many at the lecture believe is missing today.

His story—from exile to imprisonment to national political leadership—was repeatedly invoked as a reminder of what civil courage once looked like in Malawi.

Now, decades later, the uncomfortable question emerging from the lecture is simple but piercing: has that courage been replaced by compromise?

Because if civil society is weaker, more divided, or influenced by competing interests, then the real issue is not just its decline—but what that decline means for Malawi’s democracy going forward.

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