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 Malawi, formerly known as Nyasaland, gained its independence from British colonial rule on July 6, 1964. This small landlocked nation has an estimated population of 10.5 million with a wide range of diverse inhabitants. The major groups include the Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde; as well as inhabitants from Asia and Europe. Although most people speak multiple languages, Malawi's official languages are English and Chichewa. Pre-colonial societies within Malawi were considered both matrilineal and patrilineal in nature and functioned through highly organized political, social and agricultural systems. British colonials made Malawi an official protectorate in 1891. The initial occupying strategy was to destroy the traditional system of chieftaincy and impose a new British government structure. The British quickly realized that they lacked adequate resources to impose such extensive authority and implemented a policy of indirect rule. Indirect rule absorbed traditional leaders and chiefs into the British bureaucracy, establishing taxation policies through the use of existing systems and local chiefs. Under colonial rule, original inhabitants were stripped of their land and ultimately forced into cheap labor for a growing settler community. British colonials put precedence on patrilineal social structures and viewed matrilineal systems as backwards and ineffective; these decisions contributed towards a shift in the pre-existing social systems.
Following independence, Hastings Kamuzu Banda became the Prime Minister of Malawi. Banda was a repressive leader who declared himself ‘President for life’ in 1971 and engaged in restrictive political and social policies. In addition to broadening his political power by centralizing economic and political affairs, the administration participated in human rights abuses and active destruction of political opposition. Political dissenters were detained and tortured, often held in prison without trial. On March 15, 1993 in response to growing social movements, a referendum was held to determine the introduction of a multi party democracy. Malawians voted 63.5 percent in favor of a multi party system, and in May 1994, Bakili Muluzi was elected President of Malawi for a four-year term.
As of 2004, Bingu Wa Mutharika, leader of the United Democratic Front (UDF) has been President of Malawi. The multi party system of Malawi is still evolving and faces a multitude of challenges stemming from years of intense poverty. Bingu Wa Mutharika was sworn in for his second and final term in the recent 2009 elections and plans to focus on ridding the country of corruption and working towards the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Bauer, Gretchen, and Taylor, Scott D. Politics in Southern Africa-State and Society in Transition. Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc, 2005.
Chiweza, Asiyati Lorraine. "The Ambivalent Role of Chiefs: Rural Decentralization Initiatives in Malawi." State Recognition and Democratization in Sub-Saharan Africa, A New Dawn for Traditional Authorities. Ed. Lars Buur and Kyed Helene Maria. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. 53.
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JANUARY 7, 2011
Nkhata Bay, Malawi
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