CCAP Blantyre Synod
* As the nation prepares for the September 2025 general elections, we feel obliged to do a stock taking of the prevailing political environment
* Which has far-reaching implications and meaning of democracy to the ordinary citizens in this country
By Duncan Mlanjira
The road to the 2025 General Elections is bumpy and foggy, says Church & Society Programme of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Blantyre Synod, “however, every patriotic Malawian must stand up and defend the gains achieved so far since Malawi attained multiparty system of government in 1993”.
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In its public state entitled ‘Dissecting Malawi’s Political Landscape on the Road to the 2025 General Elections’, Blantyre Synod’s Church & Society further says “there is need for mindset change and active participation from all citizens if the promised land of the socio-economic and political development is to be realized”.
The Church & Society Programme is the governance arm of the Blantyre Synod mandated to ‘champion, promote and consolidate democratic governance, human rights and peaceful coexistence’ in Malawi, which was established on November 25, 1993.
Its activities started way back in 1992 as a committee of the Synod mandated to champion for multiparty democratic governance change which led Blantyre Synod to be one of the founding members of the quasi-religious body known as the Public Affairs Committee (PAC).
In its statement issued by Executive Director, Rev. Master Jumbe, says: “As the nation prepares for the September 2025 general elections, we feel obliged to do a stock taking of the prevailing political environment which has far-reaching implications and meaning of democracy to the ordinary citizens in this country.
Rev. Master Jumbe
“We also feel, the current situation will affect the appreciation or lack of it among Malawians on the relevancy and significance of their right to vote as well as on the exercise of their power in choosing who to represent them as their leaders at different levels of society.
“We further feel that this situation will have far reaching consequences on the efficacy and relevancy of multiparty democracy especially with regards to addressing the current socio-economic challenges which ordinary citizens are facing.”
Thus, CCAP Blantyre Synod, through the Church and Society Programme, have noted “with concern and regret that there is continued shrinking of intra-party democratic space in almost all political parties in this country”.
“If not addressed, this trend will erode the gains achieved so far since our forefathers voted for the adoption of a multiparty democratic system of governance in 1993.”
Staged Political Party Conventions
Church and Society goes on to observe that the political scenario is rife with staged party conventions and continued lack of open and levelled playing field.
“Almost in all the major political parties, there is limited space for fair and open competitive process for everyone willing to take up leadership roles at different levels of society.
“Party conventions are becoming a traditional rite of passage every 4 to 5 years and that most political parties in Malawi conduct these conventions to settle scores and to ‘finish off’ political competitors.
“As such, we feel that the ‘rule of law’, much needed in democratic governance, is being trampled upon; rights of other contestants are being violated; and the voices of ordinary party members are completely ignored.
“With such trend of stage-managed party conventions; most political parties have lost touch with realities, they have split up into two or more camps almost rendering the party identity and sense of direction and commitment more confusing to most political parties’ followers.”
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Endorsement of Candidates
Whilst multiparty politics entail an open society with levelled competition of contestants, the Church & Society “is sad to note that endorsing candidates is becoming a determinant path to various political party leadership”.
“Whilst ‘endorsement’ of candidates is not illegal, in our considered view, it is a political practice that renders noble values of health political competition and choice useless. As such it is a huge disservice to the purported transformative agenda anticipated in the democratization project of our nation.
“Levelling the political playing ground entails giving everyone willing to compete for any position equal chances to be voted for by those interested in their capacity.”
Political In-fighting Amongst Party Members
“The cancer of in-fighting amongst party members at different levels of the political ladder is failing to heal in almost all major political parties in this country. This practice has a negative impact on women and youth participation in politics.
“The situation does not attract and encourage women participants who cannot afford such antagonistic contests. Implicitly this means that all political parties in this country are continuously shooting down the ‘50-50 campaign’ framework, thereby disadvantaging over 52% of the Malawi population.
Brewing Voter Apathy
“Bye-elections that have been conducted recently in this country have revealed continued trends of voter apathy amongst electorates. This is partly due to the fact that the contemporary context on the political field is not generating confidence among the ordinary citizens on why they must go to vote.
“Many Malawians have lost trust in their elected leaders. The above situation is also compounded by the fact that many of the electoral stakeholders that will be accredited by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to conduct voter and civic education will not be able to access funding for their programs. Eventually voter apathy will continue come September, 2025.
Political Violence Against a Clueless Police
“It is an open secret that one of the hindrances to the achievement of a free and fair election is political violence. However, in Malawi political parties continue to use political violence as a campaign strategy. “Unfortunately our law enforcement agents seem to have no clue as to how to address the situations especially where the perpetrators are linked to the ruling party.
Last weeks political violence whose results of investigations still not made public
“For example, it is on record that on September 25, 2019 thugs beat up and injured Mr Billy Mayaya, of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), in Blantyre. Up until today the police are still investigating.
“Five years down the line police are still investigating thugs that torched two UTM vehicles in Mangochi on August 18, 2019. Police have not yet arrested any thugs connected to the political violence that took place last month in Zomba and Lilongwe.
“It is on record that police are still investigating about thugs who petro-bombed the offices of the late Sidik Mia in Blantyre on 9th August 2019 — this is a clear indication that our law enforcement agents are clueless indeed.”
Way Forward
In considering the numerous challenges that have been highlighted and its consequences that is failing the country’s fledgling democratic governance, the Church & Society is appealing to the following:
i. All political parties to adhere to the rightful roles of their party constitutions and respect peoples’ power and right to choose their leaders in an elective processes.
If democracy as a system of governance, where the people are deciders and beneficiaries of their choices, all leadership positions must be decided by the people through the ballot.
ii. All political parties to create an enabling legal and praxis environment that allows for the participation of women and the youth. Our society is incomplete without women and the youth being part of the entire political process.
iii. Development partners should support the electoral stakeholders mandated to do voter and civic education with resources so that effective voter and civic education including electoral monitoring are done.
Failing to provide timely support to these stakeholders is a serious omission on their part in entrenching democratization process in Malawi.
iv. The Malawi Police Service to rise above partisan politics and start serving all Malawians irrespective of their political party affiliations.
v. All Malawian citizens must be reminded that the realization of democratic governance should not be left to politicians alone. Every citizen must become proactive and say NO to predatory politics, stand up and call for accountable and transparent intra-party electoral processes.
Let everyone take cognizance of the fact that transformative leadership is ONLY possible when society has active and informed citizenry who meaningfully make deliberate choices to choose what is right.
vi. All women and the youth in politics or intending to take up leadership positions in political parties not to be discouraged and threatened. Whilst we acknowledge the challenging context of male dominated politics today, women and youth must fight for their space and the enabling environment for their role in politics.
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