Malawi’s civic space in danger of collapse, activists warn — as arrests and new red tape spark fears of crackdown

Civil society campaigners have issued a stark warning that Malawi’s civic space is teetering on the brink, with a toxic cocktail of political polarisation, reputational attacks, licensing chaos and funding shortfalls threatening to silence activists across the country.

The alarm was raised by National Advocacy Platform (NAP) national coordinator Baxton Nkhoma during a tense engagement with stakeholders in Mzuzu, held as part of efforts to rally communities to defend the country’s shrinking space for civic activity.

“There is political polarisation and the civic space is uncertain and likely to fall. We need to be vigilant to safeguard the civic space,” Nkhoma warned.

The gathering formed part of NAP’s Protect, Defend and Act: Community of Action project — an initiative designed to build coordinated resistance against threats to civil society.

Nkhoma pointed to the recent arrest of civil society members and the rollout of tough new registration by-laws as troubling signs that the net may be closing in on activists and organisations critical of those in power.

Mzuzu CSO Chairperson Edward Kantuseya echoed the concerns, admitting the future of the country’s civic space remains deeply uncertain — and called for greater engagement and collaboration among stakeholders if the mounting challenges are to be overcome.