Democratization in Malawi

M. Phiri

Description

The vote in favour of multi-party politics at the National Referendum of 1993, and the subsequent General Election of 1994, heralded the advent of a democratic system of government in Malawi. lt soon became apparent, however, that there remained many obstacles to overcome before Malawi would be a truly democratic country. In this volume, a multi-disciplinary approach has been employed to examine both the progress and the pitfalls of the democratization process. Political scientists, lawyers, historians, theologians, literary critics, linguists, economists, and educationalists apply the tools of their respective disciplines to take stock of democratization in Malawi. This book is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking to understand the social and political situation in Malawi in the early years of the Second Republic.

Informations

• Publié par: Luviri Press
• Date de parution: 17 novembre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789996066030
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

Extrait

The vote in favour of mul-party polics at the Naonal Referendum of 1993, and the subsequent General Elecon of 1994, heralded the advent of a democrac system of government in Malawi. lt soon became apparent, however, that there remained many obstacles to overcome before Malawi would be a truly democrac country. In this volume, a mul-disciplinary approach has been employed to examine both the progress and the pi�alls of the democrazaon process. Polical sciensts, lawyers, historians, theologians, literary crics, linguists, economists, and educaonalists apply the tools of their respecve disciplines to take stock of democrazaon in Malawi. This book is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking to understand the social and polical situaon in Malawi in the early years of the Second Republic.

Kings M. Phiri is Associate Professor of History and Dean of Postgraduate Studies in the University of Malawi. His earlier works include (Blantyre: Dzuka, 1989) and many influenal arcles on precolonial, colonial and post-independence Malawian history.

Kenneth R. Ross is Professor of Theology at the University of Malawi. He co-edited, with M.S. Nzunda,Church, Law and PoliIcal TransiIon in (Gweru: Mambo, 1995) and also edited Power in Malawi: DemocraIzaIon in Theological PerspecIve(Blantyre: CLAIM, 1996).

which offers a range of books on religion, culture and society

Democratization in Malawi A Stocktaking Democrazaon in Malawi

A Stocktaking

Ken K n in et g h s R.sRos .MP&ihir

Edited by Kings M. Phiri  Kenneth R. Ross

Democratization in Malawi: A Stocktaking

Copyright 2020 Kings M. Phiri and Kenneth R. Ross First published 1998 Reprinted 2020 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any from or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from the publishers. Published by Luviri Press P/Bag 201 Luwinga Mzuzu 2 Malawi ISBN 978-99960-66-02-3 eISBN978-99960-66-03-0 Luviri Reprints no. 10 Luviri Press is represented outside Malawi by: African Books Collective Oxford ([e-mail]) www.luviripress.blogspot.com www.africanbookscollective.com Editorial assistance and cover: Daniel Neumann and Hope Kaombe

Democratization in Malawi: A Stocktaking

Edited by

Kings M. Phiri and Kenneth R. Ross

Luviri Press

Mzuzu 2020

Foreword to the 2020 Edition

The year 2020 has proved to be one of remarkable political change in Malawi. The unanimous decision of the Constitutional Court, on 3 February 2020, to declare the Presidential election of May 2019 “invalid, null and void” demonstrated that the separation of powers is a functional element in Malawian democracy. The reception of the judgement demonstrated the keen political engagement of Malawian society and the public determi- nation to build a nation that provides hope and opportunity for all its citizens. It also revealed once again Malawi’s capacity to achieve political change by peaceful and constitutional means. It became the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to have a flawed Presidential election nullified by the courts and to see the opposition go on to win the fresh election, held on 23 June 2020, and come to power. The previous government played its part by acknowledging its defeat in the election and peacefully relinquishing office. These have been stirring times that have given Malawians pride in their nation and hope for the future. They have also brought to the surface many deep-lying political issues that call for analysis and action.

It therefore seems an appropriate year to republish a respected study of an earlier time of political change and transition. This volume concerns the 1990s and contains a multi-disciplinary study of the political situation in Malawi in the aftermath of the replacement of the one-party system with a multi-party system of government and the adoption of a democratic constitution. For many in Malawi who remember the 1990s, 2020 brings a certain sense ofdéja vu. After a time when Malawi seemed to many citizens to be in the doldrums politically and economically, the election of the new Government represented a moment of hope. It is therefore an appropriate time to look back to an earlier time of “new dawn” in the country’s political history to discover what can be learned by way of comparison.

This is particularly the case since a number of issues that were prominent in the discussions of the 1990s have proved to be recurrent and remain unresolved in 2020. For example, in the constitutional debates of the 1990s a major concern was to avoid the allocation of too much power to the office of the Presidency. Nevertheless, this turned out to be exactly the political

direction that has been taken until President Chakwera, on his election in 2020, declared his intention to reduce the powers of the Presidency and work towards a healthy balance of powers. Another issue that absorbed much attention during the 1990s was the tribalism and regionalism that quickly became apparent when free elections were introduced in Malawi. Again, far from going away, this issue has become ever more entrenched, with the politics of the democratic era being defined by the contest between regionally-based power blocs. This pattern marked the results of the 2020 Presidential election and remains a challenge to all who wish to see the country move beyond patrimonial politics. Other issues that remain high on the agenda include the need for a political system equipped to reverse economic inequalities, the development of civil society and the question of Malawi’s cultural integrity. The critique and insight offered on these and a wide range of related issues not only illumine an important period in Malawi’s history but continue to speak to its contemporary challenges. The book is a product of the academic community that was assembled at Chancellor College, University of Malawi, during the mid-1990s. With hindsight it is possible to see that Malawi’s educational needs were not being met at tertiary level by having only one University comprising fairly small Colleges. One result of the new-found democratic freedom described in this volume has been a rapid expansion of higher education in Malawi. This provides opportunities for many more young people to advance their education and there can be no going back. However, the relatively small size of Chancellor College during the 1990s did yield one significant advantage. With little more than one hundred academic staff it was possible for us all to know one another. Rather than our circle of acquaintance being confined to our own Department, we came to know scholars working across all the different disciplines. This meant that, when there was need to take account of a dramatic change in the political landscape, it was not difficult to draw on the expertise of colleagues from many different specialities. The result is evident in the richness of this volume as its analysis draws on the skills of historians, sociologists, political scientists, linguists, lawyers, theologians, economists, educationalists and

literary scholars. The fact that they were rubbing shoulders daily on the corridors of Chancellor College created a natural opportunity for such collaboration.

They also had a shared experience of passing through the seismic political change that occurred in Malawi in the mid-1990s. Whether they were Malawians witnessing their own country being transformed or expatriates who were sharing this experience for a limited period, few were untouched by the unfolding events. Chancellor College itself proved to be a significant site in the struggle when Malawians realized it was time to bring an end to the one-party system. Of course, credit is rightly given to the Catholic Bishops and their epoch-making Pastoral Letter of Lent 1992, but after the Letter was issued and read in the Catholic churches, it was initially unclear what would happen next. There seemed to be the possibility that the one- party regime would reassert its control, perhaps taking some harsh punitive action against the Bishops. A significant move at this point was made by Chancellor College students – primarily Catholic students but supported by others – who decided to march through Zomba to the Bishop’s House to 1 demonstrate their solidarity with the action the Bishops had taken. As the demonstrations gathered force, on the following day the College was closed and students dispersed around the country as agents of political change. These events greatly impacted the daily life and work of the academic community at the College, so the scholarly analysis was very much interwoven with lived experience.

This meant that there was a special atmosphere at the Social Change in Malawi Seminar that became the vehicle for the cross-disciplinary collaboration that is represented in this book. After the many years of strict controls on discussion of political issues there was a palpable sense of liberation as scholars were able to bring their critical acumen to bear on the political evolution of the country and advance their arguments without fear or favour. This brought motivation and momentum to the Seminar and

1  See Pádraig Ó Máille,Living Dangerously: A Memoir of Political Change in Malawi, Blantyre: CLAIM-Kachere, 2000, 158-66.

gave quality to the resultant book. The contributing authors were united by their conviction that Malawi was still contending with many forces that inhibited the development of a flourishing democracy. The fact that so many of these continue to be significant issues in 2020 is testimony to their success in exposing issues with which the country would need to reckon.

The book has had a good life, having been frequently referenced in studies of politics and society in Malawi. Its role as a key publication was recognized, for example, in the special issue of theJournal of Southern 2 African StudiesI am therefore delighted thatdevoted to Malawi in 2020. it can appear in this new edition and remain available to a new generation of Malawi scholars and students. As they devote their attention to current and future political, economic and social challenges in Malawi, many of the themes that are addressed in this volume remain relevant, and it will be worthwhile to refer back to the analyses that were offered in the context of the 1990s. Thanks are due to Mzuni Press for its excellent work in preparing the new edition, particularly to Professor Klaus Fiedler as Head of Publishing, Daniel Neumann who was responsible for the cover and Hope Kaombe for his work on the Index. They will be rewarded by the continued availability of a book that has proved its value.

The text is reproduced exactly as it appeared in the original edition so biographical details of authors and other such information appears as at 1998. Kenneth R. Ross Zomba, August 2020

2  See Jessica Johnson, “Malawi: Taking Stock in Turbulent Times,”Journal of Southern African Studies46/2 (2020), 195-207 [195].

Contents Notes on Contributors 6 Series Editors' Preface 10 Introduction: From Totalitarianism to Democracy in Malawi 12 Part One Political and Economic Dimensions 23 1. The Mwanza Trial as a Search for a Usable Malawian Past 24 Jan Kees van Donge 2. Democracy, Ethnicity, and Regionalism: The Malawian Experience, 1992-1996 60 Wiseman C. Chirwa 3. Economy and Democracy: Background, Current Situation and Future Prospects 81 Ellias Ngalande Banda, Flora Nankhuni, and Ephraim Chirwa 4. Competitive Politics and Chameleon-like Leaders 102 Lewis B. Dzimbiri 5. The Kingdom beyond Zasintha: Churches and Political Life in Malawi's Post-authoritarian Era 118 Peter von Doepp 6. Prospects and Problems for Civil Society in Malawi 145 J. R. Minnis Part Two Cultural and Educational Dimensions 166 7. Dr Banda's Cultural Legacy and its Implications for a Democratic Malawi 167 Kings M. Phiri

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8. 'All Men Do is Love, Love ...': Context, Power and Women in Some Recent Malawian Writing 188 Hester F. Ross 9. Politics in the Cartoon in Malawi: The Democrat Cartoons 218 Reuben Makayiko Chirambo 10. Government Journalism: From Totalitarianism to Democracy? 242 Moira Chimombo 11. Civic Education in Malawi Since 1992: An Appraisal 265 Ralph Kasambara 12. Politics of Language in Contemporary Malawi 281 Pascal J. Kishindo Part Three Legal and Constitutional Dimensions 313 13. The Quickening of Judicial Control of Administrative Action in Malawi, 1992-1994 314 Matembo S. Nzunda 14. The Constitutional Change Debate of 1993-1995 349 Jande Banda 15. Does Malawi (Still) Need a Truth Commission? 367 Kenneth R. Ross 16. The Limits of Liberal Democratic Constitutionalism in Malawi 389 Fidelis Edge Kanyongolo Select Bibliography 414

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