Friends of Malawi: Learn About Malawi: About Malawian Geography

The area now known as Malawi has seen massive tribe migrations for hundreds of years. Probably the most significant of which was that of the great Bantu tribes. Spread across Uganda, Kenya, Zambia and Mozambique, the Bantu tribe slowly swallowed up weaker tribes during their move from western Africa into the central and eastern parts of Africa. Malawi is host to several cave paintings (in Mangochi and the Nyika Plateau to name two) that date back to the Iron Age.

Somewhere between the 14th and 16th centuries, two main tribes moved into Malawi: the Tumbuka from the Congo moved into the northern region, while the Chewa from Zambia moved into the southern region. They have remained in these areas to this day. The Maravo Confederacy was established by Bantu people immigrating into the Shire River valley (emptying into Lake Nyassa) around 1480 A.D. It flourished into the 18th century, extending into stretches now belonging to Zambia and Mozambique. The Yao invaded southern Malawi in the 19th century, capturing weaker tribes for slave trade. It is believed that they were armed with firearms from Arab traders in the area.

The slave trade became a very big business in Malawi during this period. A heavy Arab influence in the area contributed to this. Of course, slave trading had existed throughout Africa for many centuries, but this era saw a new level of trade on an international scale. Malawi towns like Nkhotakota and Karonga served as major slave trade centers.

The Colonial Period

The first Europeans to arrive in Malawi were Portuguese explores who eventually made their way further south to settle in Mozambique. The most famous explorer to reach Malawi was Dr. David Livingstone (yes, from the quote “Dr. Livingstone I presume.”) in 1846. It was he who named Lake Malawi “ Lake Nyasa” and the area “ Nyasaland.” After his first trek through Malawi, Livingstone returned to England to report his findings and gather money and momentum for the founding of the Universities Mission in Central Africa (UMCA).

Dr. Livingstone returned to Malawi two more times to explore and help establish trade routes and mission sites. He died in 1873 during a trek through Malawi and into Zambia.

Livingstone paved the way for trade and a missionary presence in Nyasaland. Blantyre slowly became the trade center of the area and by 1883 had it’s own bank and several trading companies. As a result of heavy European trade along the Shire river and Lake Nyasa, Arab-powered slave trade drastically diminished.

In 1889, as a result of the “Scramble for Africa” among the European Colonizing powers and the quick-to-follow potential conflict, the area known as Malawi became a British protectorate. The new government still battled with Yao and Ngoni slave traders in Malawi and set up forts throughout Nyasaland to deal with the problem.

Over the next few decades, communication improved with the construction of an International Post Office and a Railway line to the coast of what is now called Mozambique . European settlers also increased in the area.

During the same period, Malawians started to be discontented with the colonial system in place. In 1915 Rev. John Chilembwe led a violent uprising against white settlers who had moved into the fertile south, taking land from local population. A growing European and U.S-educated African elite became increasingly vocal and politically active--first through associations, and after 1944, through the Nyasaland African Congress (NAC).

In 1953, Britain joined Nyasaland with the white-dominated Central African Federation, which included South Rhodesia ( Zimbabwe) and North Rhodesia ( Zambia). 1958 Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda returned to the country after a long absence in the United States (where he had obtained his medical degree at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee in 1937), the United Kingdom (where he practiced medicine), and Ghana. He assumed leadership of the NAC, which later became the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). In 1959, Dr. Banda was sent to Gwelo Prison for his political activities but was released in April 1960 to participate in a constitutional conference in London. During the elections held in 1963, his party was brought to power. Very quickly, the federation is dissolved. Malawi got its independence in July 1964, with Banda as prime minister while Sir Glyn Jones remained governor of the State in order to see to the transition. In 1966, Malawi became a republic and Banda head of State. Lilongwe was declared capital of Malawi in 1975.

On April 15, 1961, the MCP won an overwhelming victory in elections for a new Legislative Council. It also gained an important role in the new Executive Council and ruled Nyasaland in all but name a year later. In a second constitutional conference in London in November 1962, the British Government agreed to give Nyasaland self-governing status the following year.

Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda became Prime Minister on February 1, 1963, although the British still controlled Malawi's financial, security, and judicial systems. A new constitution took effect in May 1963, providing for virtually complete internal self-government. The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was dissolved on December 31, 1963, and Malawi, which means "reflected light of bright haze," became a fully independent member of the Commonwealth (formerly the British Commonwealth) on July 6, 1964. Two years later, Malawi adopted a new constitution and became a one-party state with Dr. Banda as its first president.

Banda ruled Malawi with an iron fist. Upon taking office, he swiftly drove his opposition inside Malawi into exile and banned the foreign press from entering Malawi. In 1971 he named himself “President for Life” and continued to increase his power. Banda created two companies: Press Holdings (a nation-wide chain of supermarkets and general stores) and Admarc (which completely controlled all agricultural businesses). Through these two companies, Banda gained almost total economic control of Malawi.

Banda also made economic trade ties with South Africa. During South Africa’s apartide, Malawi became South Africa’s only public trade partner (although many African nations continued to trade with South Africa secretly). As a result, South Africa invested in Malawi heavily, eventually funding the construction of Lilongwe’s business center, known as “ City Center.” Lilongwe was declared the capital of Malawi in 1975.

Dr. Banda survived several attempts to throw him out of office. In 1978 a general election was held. Banda required all candidates pass a strict English exam (thereby eliminating all of his opposition). The candidates were then required to pledge their allegiance to Dr. Banda. One of Banda’s supporters in the government actually lost his seat as a result of the elections. He was simply reinstated a few weeks later.

One newspaper reported that during Banda’s rule over Malawi, over 250,000 people were murdered or disappeared in connection with the government. As the president himself stated: “Banda is Malawi.

At the end of the Cold War, Africa was looked on, by western countries, in a completely different way. Foreign aid was no longer awarded based on “friendly” countries (mainly distinguished by those who opposed communism) but rather by good governance. After over 30 years under Banda’s control, the people of Malawi were ready for a change. The Catholic Church was the first to move on this by issuing a pastoral letter in 1992 demanding change. Protests and marches followed, but Banda didn’t move from office until donor countries cut off their funding. In 1992 the people of Malawi were asked what kind of government they wanted—a multi-party system or to continue with Banda’s government. The multiparty system won with 80% of the voters choosing plural politics. Banda accepted the election results, and constitutional reforms were accordingly put in place. On May 17th 1994, a general election between three parties was held. Businessman Bakili Maluzi of the United Democratic Front (UDF) party became president. The emerging parties were the United Democratic Front (UDF) with Bakili Muluzi at the head, and the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) led by Chakufwa Chihana.

Banda was actually brought to trial in 1995, accused of ordering the murder of three government ministers during his rule. The trial ended with his acquittal, but Banda publicly apologized for any suffering he “may have caused.”

Democracy has now been in Malawi for almost ten years. Maluzi’s government closed Banda’s vast political prisons, rewrote the constitution to include freedom of speech and press, and created a national free primary school system. But like many young democratic nations, Malawi still has a long way to go. The economic, political, social and environmental conditions of Malawi are far from acceptable for any culture.

In the May 1999 presidential and parliamentary elections, president Muluzi was re-elected and his party won the majority of seats in Parliament. The opposition parties accused UDF (Maluzi’s political party) of having manipulated the electoral process and forging the results. Local elections were held in the country for the first time in November 2000, and UDF won 70 percent of the wards, although with very low voter turnout. In 2000 Muluzi sacked his entire cabinet after high-ranking officials were accused of corruption, in a move aimed at placating foreign donors. However, his new government included many of the same people.

President Muluzi considered running for a third term, which is forbidden by the Constitution. To that end, he brought a bill before Parliament so that he could stand indefinitely. However, in July 2002, Parliament rejected by 3 votes this amendment. President Muluzi suffered a bitter setback, but the integrity of the constitution was maintained.