Sixty-two years after independence, Malawi stands at one of its most dangerous crossroads. Daily life is collapsing under soaring prices, crippling foreign exchange shortages, decaying roads, and hospitals stripped of essential medicines. Public trust is broken. Worn down by decades of unmet promises, many Malawians now ask: has multi-party democracy failed us? To answer this, […]
Malawi’s first leader, Hastings Kamuzu Banda, was a bad dictator who, for 31 years, reduced Malawians into subjects of this nation. For over three decades, Malawians had no say in how they were being governed for every attempt to speak out, even a slight one, ended in streams of tears and pool of blood. It […]
Member of Parliament for Rumphi East Kamlepo Kalua has bemoaned the declining standards of Malawi’s democratic values a scenario he said has helped retard national development since the inception of multiparty democracy. Kalua made the remarks in an interview on the side-lines of an orientation training organized for newly elected Members of Parliament in Lilongwe. […]
Parish Priest for Saint Albert the Great Parish of Mzuzu Catholic Diocese, Reverend Father Martin Kumwenda has called on politicians in the country to be united in their respective political parties to promote intraparty democracy. Speaking Sunday when he presided over mass cerebration at Saint Albert the Great Parish in the city, Father Kumwenda dwelled […]
The civil society organisations (CSOs) and Mzuzu University (Mzuni) student community have added weight to the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) nationwide demonstrations by declaring that they will participate in the December 13 marches. The CSOs and Mzuni student community have since called on their constituents to come out in large numbers and participate in the demonstrations […]
Main opposition and the country’s oldest party Malawi Congress Party (MCP) continued infighting is worrisome as it puts the country’s hard won democracy at state and the party has been advised to stop the political bickering. MCP Regional Chairmen on Thursday challenged their secretary general Gustav Kaliwo and his deputy Chatonda Kaunda that the […]
Today, 23 years ago, Malawians, including myself braved the chilly weather to go out in massive numbers to vote in a referendum on whether Malawi should remain one party state or revert to multiparty democracy. This was a turning point for Malawi’s politics, economy and socio life. Many Malawians of voting age turned out and […]
At times, we have to accept that even a competent workforce would struggle to present a credible ‘premise’ for developing the country. We have to accept that if you lack moral integrity, your intellect suffers and so your progressive philosophy can hardly be transformed into a reality. I have no doubt that the nation is […]
Last week a coalition of local Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) organised and staged demonstrations in the commercial city of Blantyre. They were demonstrating against corruption and lack of transparency within Joyce Banda’s government. Specifically, the CSOs demands that Joyce Banda’s administration account for proceeds from the sale of the presidential jet; the CSOs are also […]
The call or desire by the ruling People’s Party (PP) for the country to revert to one party state are impossible to implement and would compromise international charters on human rights and democracy the country has subscribed to, law experts have said. This week, PP became under fire following remarks by its Secretary general Henry […]
Malawi is a role model in Africa with a good democratic environment, the United States Government has said. US State Department Public Affairs Officer, Nicole Thompson made the remarks in Lilongwe during the official closing ceremony of a joint Malawi Defense Force and US Military EPIC GUARDIAN 13 training exercise which took place from May […]
Malawi’s renowned rights activist has saluted President Joyce Banda’s administration for not foiling the January 17 consumers’ anti-government protests, a development that resulted in a violence-free action. Malawians on Thursday peaceably protested against immeasurable economic hardships that are characterized by soaring costs of living and other matters within the current administration. Championed by the Consumers […]
Malawi’s ex-president Bakili Muluzi, who ruled from 1994 to 2004, on Tuesday formally announced his retirement from active politics, stepping down as chairman of his former governing United Democratic Front (UDF) party. The former president, who is recuperating in South Africa after undergoing a surgery, addressed a UDF National Conference in Blantyre through a message […]
As a Malawian, the August 16th Marikana Mine massacre in South Africa invoked the kinds of questions Malawians asked on 20th July in 2011. Why did police shoot to kill? Was there absolutely no non-violent methods the police could have used? Were the demonstrators so violent police had no option but to shoot to kill? What were the economic […]
Bingu wa Mutharika, resting in peace, was a man of contrasting personality. He oozed with passion and love for Malawi; his bemoaning of poverty amidst vast wealth of natural resources and the declaration that Malawi and Africa is not poor but her people, was a phenomenal paradigm shift that added impetus to the progressive agenda […]
As a Zimbabwean in the diaspora (South Africa), I have had the privilege of happily meeting many Malawians. Much to my dismay, however, as a Zimbabwean, I am not met with the same enthusiasm, in fact rather the opposite, much hostility which has unfortunately seen me slowly change my mind about Malawians being the warm people they […]
A delegation of six members from cross-party grouping of parliamentarians from all major parties in the UK, International Development Committee (IDC), will visit Malawi from 12-14th March to review the fragile situation in the country. The six MPs to visit Malawi, will be led by Liberal Democrats MP, Malcolm Bruce, Chair of the Committee and they are expected to meet Cabinet ministers, […]
Malawians of concern to their country have been asked to collectively stand up, resist and fight recent advances by President Bingu wa Mutharika’s administration which signify a blatant abuse and total disregard of human rights and the rule of law that are steadily taking the country back to the dark days of autocratic rule. The […]