New Malawian movement calls for ‘mindset change’ to tackle corruption and dependency

A group of governance and human rights advocates has launched a new citizen-led organisation aimed at confronting what it describes as a national “mindset crisis” underpinning Malawi’s economic and political struggles.

The Platform for Mindset Change (PMC), established in March 2026, describes itself as a “business unusual” non-governmental organisation, seeking to build a grassroots movement against corruption, dependency and what it terms mediocrity in public life.

In an interview with Nyasa Times on Tuesday, PMC interim chairperson Ollen Mwalubunju argued that Malawi’s difficulties go beyond economics.

“Malawi is bleeding. The nation is at a breaking point; trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, dependency, debt and aid, corruption, cronyism, tribalism, nepotism, connivance and mediocrity,” he said.

Mwalubunju pointed to decades of peace and available resources that have nonetheless failed to lift Malawi from among the world’s poorest nations, citing the shortfalls of past national development plans, including Vision 2020, the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy I to III, and the current MW2063 framework.

He noted that more than three-quarters of Malawians remain below the poverty line, while public debt has reached what he called unsustainable levels.

“This is not simply an economic crisis, it is a mindset crisis. A moral, psychological, and systemic paralysis that grips the nation. The truth is brutal: no one will save Malawi but Malawians themselves,” he said.

The organisation is expected to be formally launched shortly at a public university, with young people positioned as central to its efforts, described by Mwalubunju as “the seedbed of change and the spearhead of transformation”.

PMC says its vision is a prosperous and self-reliant Malawi free from dependency, with a mission to instil integrity, patriotism, productivity and self-reliance more broadly across society.

“Citizens must reject passivity, hold leaders accountable, confront corruption, and punish betrayal at the ballot box,” Mwalubunju said.

The platform has outlined six areas of focus: advocacy campaigns against corruption and poor leadership; building coalitions with civil society and grassroots groups; engaging policymakers with evidence-based reform proposals; leadership training for young people and women; grassroots and civic education, including for farmers; and promoting sustainable agriculture and climate resilience.

Mwalubunju said the group expects citizens to demand greater accountability from those in power, judge governance by outcomes rather than rhetoric, show reduced tolerance for corruption, and push for the MW2063 strategy to be shaped more directly by citizen action.

The movement has adopted a confrontational stance, rejecting what it calls resignation and silence among the public, and insisting that leaders must deliver results or face public scrutiny.

“Citizens must awaken or face collapse. Integrity, productivity, innovation, and collective courage must become Malawi’s new national attitude. Passive citizenship is betrayal.

“Silence is complicity. Without progressive mindset change, the nation will continue to sink. But with collective courage, change is not only possible but it is imminent,” Mwalubunju said.

“This is not charity. This is not politics as usual. This is a fight for dignity, self-reliance, and national survival and human dignity,” he added.