Political history of Malawi

History of Malawi

Part of a series on Politics of Malawi


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History of Malawi

Prehistory Maravi Empire Portuguese, Angoni, Ayao and Arab invasions British Central Africa Protectorate Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Nyasaland Protectorate Malawi
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The political history of Malawi spans over a century.^[1]^[2] Malawi, then Nyasaland, effectively became a one-party state in August 1961, when the country held its first general elections, and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) led by Hastings Kamuzu Banda became the dominant force. This status was formalized in 1966 when the constitution declared the MCP the sole legitimate political party. However, in 1993, the constitution was amended to introduce a multiparty system, paving the way for the emergence of new political parties.^[3] The United Democratic Front (UDF) quickly rose to prominence, and since then, other parties have also gained ground. The constitution guarantees all citizens aged 18 and above the right to participate in the political process, including the right to run for public office. Women and minority groups have made significant strides in Malawian politics, holding various positions in the National Assembly, cabinet, and judiciary, and contributing to the country's political landscape.^[2]

History

Early years (1890s-1964)

British colonial rule

Malawi was a British colony, known as Nyasaland, from 1891 to 1964. The colonial era saw the exploitation of Malawi's natural resources and the suppression of local cultures and traditions. The British exploited Malawi's natural resources, including tobacco, tea, and sugar, and imposed their own language, culture, and political systems.^[1]^[2]

Resistance and nationalism

Malawians resisted colonial rule, with various uprisings and protests. The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) was formed in 1959, led by Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, to fight for independence.^[2]

Occurrences in Nyasaland

Flag of Nyasaland (1925–1964)
The current flag of Malawi, the then Nyasaland, after independence
Harvesting coffee in Nyasaland
Nyasaland stamps in 1949
Stamp of Nyasaland 1913

Independence era (1964-1994)

Independence

The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) was formed in 1959, led by Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, to fight for independence. Malawi gained independence on July 6, 1964, with Dr. Banda as its first president.^[1]^[4]

One-party state

In 1971, Banda declared Malawi a one-party state, making the MCP the only legal party. Opposition was suppressed, and dissent was not tolerated. The MCP became the dominant party, and Banda ruled with an iron fist, suppressing opposition and dissent.^[2]

Human rights abuses

Banda's regime was notorious for human rights abuses, including forced labor, political imprisonment, and torture.^[2]

Multiparty era (1994-2019)

Democratic reforms

In 1993, Malawi adopted a new constitution, allowing for multiparty democracy.

First multiparty elections

The 1994 elections saw the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by Bakili Muluzi, win a majority. The United Democratic Front (UDF), led by Bakili Muluzi, won the 1994 elections, ending the MCP's dominance.

Political instability

The 1990s and 2000s saw frequent changes in government, with allegations of corruption and political interference. Muluzi served two terms, followed by Bingu wa Mutharika (UDF) and Joyce Banda (People's Party).

Economic struggles

Malawi faced significant economic challenges, including poverty, inflation, and dependence on foreign aid.

Current era (2019-present)

Controversial elections

The 2019 elections saw Peter Mutharika (Democratic Progressive Party) win amidst allegations of fraud and irregularities.

Political tensions

The MCP, now led by Lazarus Chakwera, has become a major opposition force. The opposition MCP challenged the election results, leading to ongoing political tensions.^[5]

Economic struggles

Malawi remains one of the poor countries in the world, facing significant development challenges.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "The Creation of Tribalism in Southern Africa". publishing.cdlib.org. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Malawi - Politics, Democracy, Constitution | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
^ "48. Malawi (1964-present)". uca.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
^ academic.oup.com https://academic.oup.com/afraf/article-abstract/97/387/231/16549. Retrieved 2024-06-02. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^ Dzida, Rick (2023-11-27). "Opinion: Of family political parties in Malawi Malawi 24 | Latest News from Malawi". Malawi 24. Retrieved 2024-06-02.

Society

Category
Portal

v t e Years in Malawi (1964–present)
Pre-1960s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

v t e History of Africa
Sovereign states	Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
States with limited recognition	Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland
Dependencies and other territories	Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Western Sahara

British Empire

Legend: Current territory; Former territory; * Now a Commonwealth realm; Now a member of the Commonwealth of Nations

Culture:Anglosphere

Europe
1542–1800 Ireland (integrated into the UK) 1708–1757, 1763–1782 and 1798–1802 Minorca Since 1713 Gibraltar 1794–1796 Corsica 1800–1813 Malta (Protectorate) 1813–1964 Malta (Colony) 1807–1890 Heligoland 1809–1864 Ionian Islands 1878–1960 Cyprus 1921–1931 Irish Free State Since 1960 Akrotiri and Dhekelia (before as part of Cyprus)

Africa

17th and 18th centuries	19th century		20th century
Since 1658 Saint Helena²³ 1792–1961 Sierra Leone 1795–1803 Cape Colony	Since 1815 Ascension Island²³ Since 1816 Tristan da Cunha²³ 1806–1910 Cape of Good Hope 1807–1808 Madeira 1810–1968 Mauritius 1816–1965 The Gambia 1856–1910 Natal 1862–1906 Lagos 1868–1966 Basutoland⁶ 1874–1957 Gold Coast⁷ 1882–1922 Egypt	1884–1900 Niger Coast 1884–1966 Bechuanaland⁸ 1884–1960 Somaliland 1887–1897 Zululand 1890–1962 Uganda 1890–1963 Zanzibar⁹ 1891–1964 Nyasaland¹⁰ 1891–1907 Central Africa 1893–1968 Swaziland¹¹ 1895–1920 East Africa 1899–1956 Sudan	1900–1914 Northern Nigeria 1900–1914 Southern Nigeria 1900–1910 Orange River 1900–1910 Transvaal 1903–1976 Seychelles 1910–1931 South Africa 1914–1960 Nigeria 1915–1931 South-West Africa¹² 1919–1961 Cameroons¹³ 1920–1963 Kenya 1922–1961 Tanganyika¹³ 1923–1965 and 1979–1980 Southern Rhodesia¹⁴ 1924–1964 Northern Rhodesia¹⁵

6. Now Lesotho.
7. Now Ghana.
8. Now Botswana.
9. Now part of Tanzania.
10. Now Malawi.
11. Now named Eswatini.
12. Now Namibia.
13. League of Nations mandate. British Cameroons is now part of Cameroon, while Tanganyika is part of Tanzania.
14. Self-governing Southern Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965 (as Rhodesia) and continued as an unrecognised state until the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement. After recognised independence in 1980, Zimbabwe was a member of the Commonwealth until it withdrew in 2003.
15. Now Zambia.

Asia

17th and 18th centuries	19th century		20th century
1685–1824 Bencoolen 1702–1705 Pulo Condore 1757–1947 Bengal 1762–1764 Manila and Cavite 1781–1784 and 1795–1819 Padang 1786–1946 Penang 1795–1948 Ceylon¹⁶ 1796–1965 Maldives	1811–1816 Java 1812–1824 Banka and Billiton 1819–1826 Malaya 1824–1948 Burma 1826–1946 Straits Settlements 1839–1967 Aden Colony 1839–1842 Afghanistan 1841–1997 Hong Kong 1841–1946 Sarawak¹⁷ 1848–1946 Labuan 1858–1947 India¹⁸ 1874–1963 Borneo	1879–1919 Afghanistan (protectorate) 1882–1963 North Borneo¹⁷ 1885–1946 Unfederated Malay States 1888–1984 Brunei 1891–1971 Muscat and Oman 1892–1971 Trucial States 1895–1946 Federated Malay States 1898–1930 Weihai 1878–1960 Cyprus	1907–1949 Bhutan (protectorate) 1918–1961 Kuwait 1920–1932 Mesopotamia¹⁹ 1921–1946 Transjordan⁸ 1923–1948 Palestine¹⁹ 1945–1946 South Vietnam 1946–1963 North Borneo 1946–1963 Sarawak 1946–1963 Singapore 1946–1948 Malayan Union 1948–1957 Federation of Malaya¹⁷ Since 1965 British Indian Ocean Territory (before as part of Mauritius and Seychelles)²⁶

16. Now Sri Lanka.
17. Now part of Malaysia.
18. Now India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
19. League of Nations mandate. Iraq's mandate was not enacted and replaced by the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty
26. Legitimacy of territorial establishment disputed

North America

17th century and before		18th century	19th and 20th centuries
1579 New Albion 16th c.–1880 British Arctic Territories 1583–1907 Newfoundland 1605–1979 *Saint Lucia 1607–1776 Virginia Since 1619 Bermuda 1620–1691 Plymouth 1623–1983 Saint Kitts 1624–1966 *Barbados 1625–1650 Saint Croix 1627–1979 *Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1628–1983 Nevis 1629–1691 Massachusetts-Bay 1632–1776 Maryland since 1632 Montserrat 1632–1860 Antigua 1635–1644 Saybrook 1636–1776 Connecticut 1636–1776 Rhode Island 1637–1662 New Haven	1643–1860 Bay Islands Since 1650 Anguilla 1655–1860 Mosquito Coast 1655–1962 *Jamaica 1663–1712 Carolina 1664–1776 New-York 1665–1674 and 1702–1776 New-Jersey Since 1666 Virgin Islands Since 1670 Cayman Islands 1670–1973 *Bahamas 1670–1870 Rupert's Land 1671–1816 Leeward Islands 1674–1702 East Jersey 1674–1702 West Jersey 1680–1776 New Hampshire 1681–1776 Pennsylvania 1686–1689 New England 1691–1776 Massachusetts-Bay	1701–1776 Delaware 1712–1776 North-Carolina 1712–1776 South-Carolina 1713–1867 Nova-Scotia 1733–1776 Georgia 1754–1820 Cape Breton Island 1762–1974 *Grenada 1763–1978 Dominica 1763–1873 Prince Edward Island 1763–1791 Quebec 1763–1783 East Florida 1763–1783 West Florida 1784–1867 New Brunswick 1791–1841 Lower Canada 1791–1841 Upper Canada Since 1799 Turks and Caicos Islands	1818–1846 Columbia District/Oregon Country¹ 1833–1960 Windward Islands 1833–1960 Leeward Islands 1841–1867 Canada 1843 Paulet affair 1849–1866 Vancouver Island 1853–1863 Queen Charlotte Islands 1858–1866 British Columbia 1859–1870 North-Western Territory 1860–1981 *Antigua and Barbuda 1862–1863 Stickeen 1866–1871 British Columbia 1867–1931 *Dominion of Canada² 1871–1981 *Belize 1882–1983 *Saint Kitts and Nevis 1889–1962 Trinidad and Tobago 1907–1949 Newfoundland³ 1958–1962 West Indies Federation 1967–1983 West Indies Associated States

1. Occupied jointly with the United States.
2. In 1931, Canada and other British dominions obtained self-government through the Statute of Westminster. See Name of Canada.
3. Gave up self-rule in 1934, but remained a de jure Dominion until it joined Canada in 1949.

Oceania

18th and 19th centuries		20th century
1788–1901 New South Wales 1803–1901 Van Diemen's Land/Tasmania 1807–1863 Auckland Islands²⁰ 1824–1980 New Hebrides²¹ 1824–1901 Queensland 1829–1901 Swan River/Western Australia 1836–1901 South Australia since 1838 Pitcairn Islands	1841–1907 New Zealand 1846–1847 North Australia 1851–1901 Victoria 1874–1970 Fiji 1877–1976 Western Pacific Territories 1884–1902 Papua 1888–1901 Rarotonga/Cook Islands²⁰ 1889–1948 Union Islands²⁰ 1892–1979 Gilbert and Ellice Islands²² 1893–1978 *Solomon Islands	1900–1970 Tonga 1900–1974 Niue²⁰ 1901–1942 *Australia 1907–1947 *New Zealand 1914–1962 Samoa 1919–1942 and 1945–1968 Nauru

20. Now part of the *Realm of New Zealand.
21. Now Vanuatu.
22. Now Kiribati and *Tuvalu.

South America
1631–1641 Providence Island 1651–1667 Willoughbyland 1670–1688 Saint Andrew and Providence Islands⁴ 1831–1966 Guiana Since 1833 Falkland Islands⁵ Since 1908 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands⁵
4. Now a department of Colombia. 5. Occupied by Argentina during the Falklands War of April–June 1982.

Antarctica and the South Atlantic
Since 1658 Saint Helena²³ Since 1815 Ascension Island²³ Since 1816 Tristan da Cunha²³ Since 1833 Falkland Islands 1841–1933 Australian Antarctic Territory (transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia) 1841–1947 Ross Dependency (transferred to the Realm of New Zealand) Since 1908 British Antarctic Territory²⁴ Since 1908 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands²⁵
23. Since 2009 part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; Ascension Island (1922–) and Tristan da Cunha (1938–) were previously dependencies of Saint Helena. 24. Claimed in 1908; territory formed 1962; overlaps portions of Argentine and Chilean claims, borders not enforced but claim not renounced under the Antarctic Treaty. 25. Claimed in 1908; territory formed 1985