Malawi’s best-known civil society group could lose its legal status after the country’s NGO regulator upheld a decision to deregister the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC). The NGO Regulatory Authority (NGORA) said in a determination dated November 2, 2026, that HRDC had repeatedly failed to meet its legal obligations under the NGO Act. The ruling […]
A growing political row over President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s private visit to South Africa has prompted two civil society organisations to step in, warning against constitutional misinterpretation and political grandstanding. The Malawi Civil Society-Led Black Economic Empowerment Movement (MaBLEM) and the Governance and Advocacy Group (GAG) used a joint press briefing on Wednesday to urge […]
The government has renewed its push to strengthen oversight of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), with Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Dr Ben Malunga Phiri holding consultations with civil society organisations on the implementation of the reformed funding model. At a round-table meeting in Lilongwe, Phiri argued that sustained engagement with non-state actors […]
One year after President Peter Mutharika returned to State House on 4 October 2025, Malawi is more stable than it was but not yet transformed, according to the National Advocacy Platform (NAP). Releasing its assessment on Thursday under the title “Foundations for Recovery Are E merging, but Delivery Must Now Accelerate”, NAP chairperson Benedicto Kondowe […]
President Peter Mutharika’s turbulent first year back in office is set to be placed under the microscope, as a powerful coalition of civil society and professional organisations prepares to put his administration’s performance under the spotlight at a major national dialogue. The explosive assessment will take place on October 20, 2026, at the Bingu International […]
A coalition of 11 civil society organisations (CSOs) has faulted government for the slow pace of disbursement and implementation of the Reformed Constituency Development Fund (CDF), warning that at the current rate, even half of the K1.3 trillion appropriated by Parliament may not be utilised before the rainy season shuts down construction. In a joint […]
The once outspoken Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has gone conspicuously quiet as an ugly leadership battle threatens to tear the rights watchdog apart. Mediation talks aimed at resolving the crisis between HRDC’s current leadership and its own Ad Hoc Committee collapsed on Monday, meaning the dispute now heads back to the High Court of […]
Social media commentator Onjezani Kenani has challenged civil society organisations opposing Parliament’s planned public inquiries into public institutions, questioning what is wrong with investigating corruption. Kenani’s comments follow a press briefing by civil society organisations, led by Robert Mkwezalamba, calling on Parliament to respect the independence of other arms of government. The briefing came after […]
A civil society watchdog has issued a scathing rebuke of Malawi government after fresh parliamentary elections in two constituencies were postponed — with campaigners blaming a bizarre bureaucratic standoff over a sealed warehouse for denying citizens their democratic rights. The Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum (CSEIF) said it was “gravely disturbed” after the Malawi Electoral […]
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 […]
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 […]
A group of civil society organisations has accused the Malawi Global Fund Coordinating Committee (MGFCC) of running an “irregular, unjust, and deliberately exclusionary” process to select a Community Principal Recipient for the Global Fund’s eighth grant cycle (GC8). In a joint statement, Allie Mwachande, executive director of MANERELA+, and Zinenani Lucy Majawa, of the Female […]
Malawi’s charitable institutions remain a crucial pillar of national development, providing support to vulnerable communities, promoting education and environmental sustainability, and complementing government programmes at a time when the country continues to grapple with significant economic pressures. Against that backdrop, a civil society movement, Concerned Citizens of Malawi – People Power Movement (CCM-PPM), has expressed […]
Civil society organisations under the banners of the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) and the Malawi Civil Society-Led Black Economic Empowerment Movement (MaBLEM) have withdrawn their planned court action over alleged political interference in the procurement of transformers by the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM). The decision comes just hours after ESCOM reversed its […]
Prophet Shepherd Bushiri has distanced himself from political prophecies circulating on social media that predict he will become Malawi’s future President, urging Malawians and fellow religious leaders to avoid debates that could deepen political divisions and instead focus on the country’s pressing national challenges. Bushiri’s statement follows the circulation of a prophecy by fellow preacher […]
Civil Society Education Coalition (Csec) and Youth and Society (YAS)have issued threats of nationwide protests should government and Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) fail to resolve the Covid-19 risk allowance impasse to end the teachers strike. This is the latest pressure on Malawi government and TUM to resolve their differences during their meeting. In a […]
Government has called for concerted efforts of all key stakeholders in addressing the wicked acts of Trafficking in Persons (TIP). Ministry of Homeland Security in conjunction with the Ministry of Gender on Wednesday presented licences to four designated Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) which would be providing shelter to victims of human trafficking at Bingu International […]
Civil society organizations (CSOs) and actors under the banner of National Advocacy Platform (NAP) has given President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance administration a poor rating, accusing the leadership of entrenchingthe same governance shortfalls it promised to address at the height of the campaign for the June 23, 2020, Fresh Presidential Election. The CSOs have observed […]