Malawi
The
Republic of Malawi (pronunciation: ) is a
landlocked nation in southeastern
Africa. It is bordered by
Tanzania to the north,
Zambia on the north-west, and
Mozambique on the east, south, and west.
Lake Malawi comprises about a fifth of the country's territory and it is stretched through most of its eastern border. The origin of the name Malawi remains unclear; it is held to be either derived from that of southern tribes, or noting the "glitter of the sun rising across the lake" (as seen in its flag).
Hominid remains and stone implements have been identified in Malawi dating back more than 1 million years, and early humans inhabited the vicinity of
Lake Malawi 50,000 to 60,000 years ago. Human remains at a site dated about 8000 BC show physical characteristics similar to peoples living today in the
Horn of Africa. At another site, dated 1500 BC, the remains possess features resembling
Bushman people.
The earliest inhabitants of the area were
Khoisan hunter-gatherers. They were largely replaced by Bantu tribes during
Bantu migrations. Although the
Portuguese reached the area in the 16th century, the first significant Western contact was the arrival of
David Livingstone along the north shore of Lake Malawi in 1859. Subsequently,
Scottish Presbyterian churches established missions in Malawi. One of their objectives was to end the
slave trade to the
Persian Gulf that continued to the end of the
19th century. In 1878, a number of traders, mostly from
Glasgow, formed the
African Lakes Company to supply goods and services to the
missionaries. Other missionaries, traders, hunters, and planters soon followed.
In 1883, a consul of the
British Government was accredited to the "Kings and Chiefs of Central Africa," and in 1891, the British established the
British Central Africa Protectorate, by 1907, the
Nyasaland Protectorate (
Nyasa is the
Yao word for "lake"). Although the British remained in control during the first half of the 1900s, this period was marked by a number of unsuccessful Malawian attempts to obtain independence. 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).
During the 1950s, pressure for independence increased when Nyasaland was joined with
Northern and
Southern Rhodesia in 1953 to form the
Central African Federation. In July 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, Banda was sent to
Gwelo Prison for his political activities but was released in 1960 to participate in a constitutional conference in London.
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.
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 became a fully independent member of the (formerly British)
Commonwealth on
July 6,
1964. Two years later, Malawi became a
republic with Dr. Banda as its first President, and was also declared a
one-party state.
In 1970 Banda was declared President for life of the MCP, and in 1971 Banda consolidated his power and was named
President for Life of Malawi itself. The paramilitary wing of the Malawi Congress Party, the Young Pioneers, helped keep Malawi under authoritarian control until the 1990s.
Increasing domestic unrest and pressure from Malawian churches and from the international community led to a
referendum in which the Malawian people were asked to vote for either a
multi-party democracy or the continuation of a one-party state. On
June 14,
1993, the people of Malawi voted overwhelmingly in favor of multi-party democracy. Free and fair national elections were held on
May 17,
1994.
Bakili Muluzi, leader of the
United Democratic Front (UDF), was elected President in those elections. The UDF won 82 of the 177 seats in the National Assembly and formed a coalition government with the
Alliance for Democracy (AFORD). That coalition disbanded in June
1996, but some of its members remained in the government. The President is referred to as Dr. Muluzi, having received an honorary degree at
Lincoln University in
Missouri in 1995. Malawi's newly written constitution (1995) eliminated special powers previously reserved for the Malawi Congress Party. Accelerated economic liberalization and structural reform accompanied the political transition.
On
June 15,
1999, Malawi held its second democratic elections. Muluzi was re-elected to serve a second five-year term as President, despite an MCP-AFORD alliance that ran a joint slate against the UDF.
Malawi saw its first transition between democratically elected presidents in May 2004, when the UDF's presidential candidate
Bingu wa Mutharika defeated MCP candidate John Tembo and Gwanda Chakuamba, who was backed by a grouping of opposition parties. The UDF, however, did not win a majority of seats in Parliament, as it had done in 1994 and 1999 elections. Through the politicking of party chairperson and former President Bakili Muluzi, the party successfully secured a majority by forming a "government of national unity" with several opposition parties. President Bingu wa Mutharika left the UDF party on
February 5,
2005 citing differences with the UDF, particularly over his anti-corruption campaign. He went on to form his own party, the
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The Government of Malawi has been a multi-party
democracy since 1994. Under the 1995
constitution, the
president, who is both
chief of state and
head of the government, is chosen through universal
direct suffrage every five years. Malawi has a
vice president who is elected with the president. The president has the option of appointing a second vice president, who must be from a different
political party. The members of the presidentially appointed cabinet can be drawn from either within or outside of the legislature. Malawi's
National Assembly has 193 seats, all directly elected to serve 5-year terms. The constitution also provides for a second chamber, a
Senate of 80 seats, but to date no action has been taken to create the Senate. The Senate is intended to provide representation for traditional leaders and the different geographical districts, as well as various special interest groups, such as women, youth, and the disabled.
The
constitution provides for an independent judiciary. Malawi's judicial system, based on the English model, is made up of magisterial lower courts, a High Court, and a Supreme Court of Appeal. Local government is carried out in 28 districts within three regions administered by regional administrators and district commissioners who are appointed by the central government. Local elections, the first in the multi-party era, took place in on
November 21,
2000. The UDF party won 70% of the seats in this election.
The third multiparty presidential and parliamentary elections, originally planned for
May 18,
2004 were postponed by two days following a High Court appeal by the main opposition
Mgwirizano (Unity) coalition. The run-up to the poll was overshadowed by opposition claims of irregularities in the voters' roll.
European Union and
Commonwealth observers said although voting passed peacefully, they were concerned about "serious inadequacies" in the poll.
Main article: Districts of Malawi
Malawi is divided into 3
regions, further divided into 27
districts, further divided into 137 traditional authorities and 68 sub-chiefs.
The
regions include: Northern, Central, and Southern.
The
districts include:
Balaka,
Blantyre,
Chikwawa,
Chiradzulu,
Chitipa,
Dedza,
Dowa,
Karonga,
Kasungu,
Likoma,
Lilongwe,
Machinga,
Mangochi,
Mchinji,
Mulanje,
Mwanza,
Mzimba,
Nkhata Bay,
Nkhotakota,
Nsanje,
Ntcheu,
Ntchisi,
Phalombe,
Rumphi,
Salima,
Thyolo,
Zomba |
Mulanje Mountain in Malawi |
Main article: Geography of Malawi
Malawi is situated in southeastern Africa. The
Great Rift Valley traverses the country from north to south. In this deep trough lies
Lake Malawi (also called Lake Nyasa), the third-largest
lake in Africa, comprising about 20% of Malawi's area. The
Shire River flows from the south end of the lake and joins the
Zambezi River 400 km (250
mi) farther south in
Mozambique. East and west of the Rift Valley, the land forms high
plateaus, generally between 900 and 1,200 m (3,000â€"4,000 ft) above sea level. In the north, the
Nyika Uplands rise as high as 2,600 m (8,500 ft); south of the lake lie the
Shire Highlands, with an elevation of 600â€"1,600 m (2,000â€"5,000 ft), rising to Mts. Zomba and Mulanje, 2,130 and 3,048 m (7,000 and 10,000 ft). In the extreme south, the elevation is only 60â€"90 m (200â€"300 ft) above sea level.
Malawi is one of Sub-Saharan Africa's most
densely populated countries.
Lilongwe, Malawi's capital since 1971, has a population which exceeds 400,000. All government ministries and the Parliament are located in Lilongwe.
Blantyre remains Malawi's major commercial center and largest city, having grown from an estimated 109,000 inhabitants in 1966 to nearly 500,000 in 1998. Malawi's President resides in Lilongwe. The Supreme Court is seated in Blantyre.
Malawi's
climate is generally
subtropical. A rainy season runs from November through April. There is little to no rainfall throughout most of the country from May to October. It is hot and humid from October to April along the lake and in the Lower Shire Valley. Lilongwe is also hot and humid during these months, albeit far less than in the south. The rest of the country is warm during those months. From June through August, the lake areas and far south are comfortably warm, but the rest of Malawi can be chilly at night, with temperatures ranging from 5 °â€"14 °C (41°â€"57°F).
Exclaves and enclaves
The islands of
Likoma and
Chizumulu belong to Malawi but lie entirely within
Mozambique territorial waters, forming maritime
exclaves [
1].
Main article: Economy of Malawi
Malawi is a
landlocked, densely populated country. Its economy is heavily dependent on
agriculture. Malawi has few exploitable mineral resources. Its three most important export crops are (in order)
tobacco,
tea and
sugar. Malawi's president recently urged farmers to consider growing other crops, such as cotton ([
2]), as an alternative to the country's principal crop, tobacco, as cigarette consumption in the West continues to decline. Traditionally Malawi has been self-sufficient in its staple food,
maize, and during the 1980s exported substantial quantities to its drought-stricken neighbors. Agriculture represents 38.6% of the
GDP, accounts for over 80% of the labor force, and represents about 80% of all exports. Nearly 90% of the population engages in subsistence farming. Smallholder farmers produce a variety of crops, including maize (corn),
beans,
rice,
cassava,
tobacco, and groundnuts (
peanuts).The agricultural sector contributes about 63.7% of total income for the rural population, 65% of manufacturing sector's raw materials, and approximately 87% of total employment. Financial wealth is generally concentrated in the hands of a small elite. Malawi's manufacturing industries are situated around the city of Blantyre.
Malawi's economic reliance on the export of agricultural commodities renders it particularly vulnerable to external shocks such as declining terms of trade and drought. High transport costs, which can comprise over 30% of its total import bill, constitute a serious impediment to economic development and trade. Malawi must import all its fuel products. Paucity of skilled labor; difficulty in obtaining expatriate employment permits; bureaucratic red tape; corruption; and inadequate and deteriorating road, electricity, water, and telecommunications infrastructure further hinder economic development in Malawi. However, recent government initiatives targeting improvements in the road infrastructure, together with private sector participation in railroad and telecommunications, have begun to render the investment environment more attractive.
Malawi has undertaken economic structural adjustment programs supported by the
World Bank, the
International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other donors since 1981. Broad reform objectives include stimulation of private sector activity and participation through the elimination of price controls and industrial licensing, liberalization of trade and foreign exchange, rationalization of taxes, privatization of state-owned enterprises, and civil service reform. Malawi qualified for
Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) debt relief.
As of late May 2004, the IMF program (begun in 2000) was canceled and a Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) was implemented. In the wake of questions about fiscal credibility, the SMP's goal is to give Malawi's newly-elected government the chance to establish a track record of fiscal discipline.
Real GDP increased by an estimated 3.9% in 2004, from 4.3% in 2003 and 2.4% in 2002. Inflation has been largely under control since 2003, averaging 10% in that year and 11.1% (est.) in 2004. Discount and commercial lending rates also declined from 40%-45% in 2003 to 25% in early 2004. The Kwacha slid from 90 to 101 against the U.S. dollar in mid-2003 and was at 108 to the U.S. dollar at the end of 2004.
Malawi has bilateral trade agreements with its two major trading partners,
South Africa and
Zimbabwe, both of which allow duty-free entry of Malawian products into their countries.
Main article: 2005 Malawi food crisis
Life expectancy in Malawi is now as low as 36.5 years; five years lower than it was 50 years ago. This drop is due to the population's impoverishment, which is constituted by many factors, including:
* low income (the mean per capita income in Malawi is less than $1 per day)
* insufficient nutrition
* poor access to medical treatment
* insufficient school education
* spread of HIV/AIDS
* government economic restrictions
Health
Child mortality is 103/1,000. There are more than a million
orphans, 700,000 of whom became orphans when their parents died of
AIDS.
According to Malawi government estimates, 14.2% of the population are HIV-positive, and 90,000 deaths in 2003 were due to AIDS. Unofficial estimates based on private hospital entries give a HIV infection percentage of 30%.
Nutrition
Malawi's staple food is maize but like other countries in Southern Africa, Malawi has repeatedly been affected by
famines since 2002, when food was scarce for almost one third of the population. In 2003, 30 percent of the population were affected.
According to a
FAO report from June 2005, 4.22 million inhabitants of Malawi, 1/4 of the population, would not have enough food in 2005 to survive. In the south of the country, the rate of the population affected will be between 55 and 76 per cent. In the end of November 2005, the first famine deaths were recorded.
These repeated famines are caused by different factors including:
*widespread
monocultures
*poor distribution of
fertilizers
*
droughts
*widespread AIDS epidemic
*
bilharzia*
malaria*government corruption and restrictions on economic freedom
Some relief organisations, such as the
Community of Sant'Egidio, Catholic Relief Services and other local and international organisations try to respond to the famine by distributing food parcels. The government also had a starter pack farm input programme for maize seed and fertilizer. The scheme was however subject to gross abuses and sometimes the poorest people did not receive any of the items that were purportedly earmarked for them. This programme was discontinued by the Bingu Wa Muntharika administration, which instead subsidised fertilizer for the local subsistence farmers.
Malawi has continued the pro-Western foreign policy established by former President Banda. It maintains excellent diplomatic relations with principal Western countries. Malawi's close relations with South Africa throughout the apartheid era strained its relations with other African nations. Following the collapse of apartheid in 1994, Malawi developed, and currently maintains, strong diplomatic relations with all African countries.
Between 1985 and 1995, Malawi accommodated more than a million refugees from Mozambique. The refugee crisis placed a substantial strain on Malawi's government but also drew significant inflows of international assistance. The accommodation and eventual repatriation of the Mozambicans is considered a major success by international organizations. In 1996, Malawi received a number of
Rwandan and
Congolese refugees seeking asylum. The government did not turn away refugees, but it did invoke the principle of "first country of asylum." Under this principle, refugees who requested asylum in another country first, or who had the opportunity to do so, would not subsequently be granted asylum in Malawi. There were no reports of the forcible repatriation of refugees.
Important bilateral donors, in addition to the
U.S., include
Canada,
Libya,
Germany,
Iceland,
Japan,
the Netherlands,
Norway,
Finland,
Sweden,
Taiwan, and the
United Kingdom. Multilateral donors include the World Bank, the IMF, the European Union, the African Development Bank, and the United Nations organizations.
Malawi is a member of the following international organizations:
UN and some of its specialized and related agencies (i.e.
UNCTAD,
UNESCO,
UNIDO),
IMF,
World Bank,
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA),
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),
Berne Convention,
Universal Copyright Convention,
African Union,
Lome Convention,
African Development Bank (AFDB),
Southern African Development Community (SADC), the
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA),
Nonaligned Movement,
G-77, and the
World Health Organization (WHO).
Malawi is also a member of the
International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the
US-military (as covered under
Article 98).
Main article: Demographics of Malawi
Malawi derives its name from the
Maravi, a
Bantu people who came from the southern
Congo basin circa
1400. On reaching the area north of Lake Malawi, the Maravi divided. One branch, the ancestors of the present-day
Chewas, moved south to the west bank of the lake. The other, the ancestors of the
Nyanjas, moved down the east bank to the southern part of the country. By
1500, the two divisions of the tribe had established a kingdom stretching from north of the present-day city of
Nkhotakota to the
Zambezi River in the south, and from Lake Malawi in the east, to the
Luangwa River in
Zambia in the west.
Migrations and tribal conflicts precluded the formation of a cohesive Malawian society until the turn of the 20th century. In more recent years, ethnic and tribal distinctions have diminished, although regional distinctions and rivalries persist. Despite some clear differences, no significant friction currently exists between tribal groups, and the concept of a Malawian nationality has begun to take hold. Predominantly a rural people, Malawians are generally traditionalist, which includes nonviolence.
The Chewas constitute 90% of the population of the central region; the Nyanja tribe predominates in the south and the
Tumbuka in the north. In addition, significant numbers of the
Tongas live in the north;
Ngonisâ€"an offshoot of the
Zulus who came from
South Africa in the early 1800sâ€"live in the lower northern and lower central regions; and the
Yao, who are mostly
Muslim, live along the southeastern border with
Mozambique. Bantus of other tribes came from Mozambique as refugees.
Europeans and
Asians also live here. Most Europeans are
British and
Portuguese from Mozambique, and Asians are mostly
Indians.
|
An initiation ritual in Malawi |
Main article: Culture of Malawi
*
African Baptist Assembly of Malawi*
Malawian English*
Music of Malawi*
Athletics in MalawiPeople
Ethnic Groups
The people of Malawi belong mainly to various Central
Bantu groups. About half belong to the
Chewa and
Nyanja groups, known collectively as Malawi (or Maravi) before the 19th century. About 15% are
Lomwe (Alomwe), who live south of Lake Chilwa. Other indigenous Malawians include the
Tumbuko,
Tonga, and
Ngonde. The Ngoni and Yao arrived in the 19th century; together they constitute about 15% of the population. There are a few thousand Europeans, mainly of British origin, including descendants of Scottish missionaries. There are also small numbers of Portuguese, Asians (mainly Indians), and persons of mixed ancestry.
Religions
Most Malawians are Christian. About 55 percent are Protestant and 20 percent Roman Catholic. Christians often mix their beliefs with local traditions. For instance, the
gule wamkulu (great dance), popular in the central and southern regions, uses various masks representing ancestral spirits, people, and animals to tell stories and teach traditions. The different belief systems are not considered contradictory because each plays a role in people's daily lives. Muslims (20 percent) are concentrated in lakeshore areas. The remaining 5 percent of Malawians practice traditional indigenous beliefs through rituals, festivals, and dances.
Languages
English, an official language, is used in government and business.
Chichewa (also official) and
Chitumbuka are the two most widely spoken languages. Banda, who was a Chewa, selected Chichewa as the main national language, and it is taught in schools along with English. Chichewa dominates in central and southern regions, while Chitumbuka is spoken mostly in the north. Smaller ethnic groups speak their own
Bantu-related languages but usually know some Chichewa. These Bantu languages are melodic and expressive; every syllable ends in a vowel, though some are not pronounced.
General attitudes
Malawians are proud of their nation's reputation as the "warm heart of Africa." The people are kind, courteous, and hospitable. They also describe themselves as friendly and trusting. Many Malawians, especially young people, are optimistic about building a democratic and progressive nation. Many older people remain unsure of democracy and would prefer a stronger leader. Some tension also exists between generations due to the influence of Western culture among the youth. Many people feel that Western influence threatens traditional ways of life. For others, the debate is irrelevant; they focus their efforts on housing and feeding their families. Material possessions are few but well cared for. Bicycles are prized, and it is quite an achievement to own a car.
In Malawian society, the family is considered a person's greatest asset. Parents fondly refer to children as "Firstborn," "Secondborn," and so on. Society is group oriented; individuals sacrifice their interests for the good of the family or community. They expect to share their incomes with poorer family members.
Personal appearance
Although poverty prevents people from always looking their best, Malawians strive to be clean, neat, and modestly dressed in public. Western-style dress is common but may be combined with local fashions. Men wear pants, shirts, and often a suit jacket.
Women wear blouses, skirts, and dresses. They might also wrap a
chitenje around their waist. This 7-foot-long (2-meter-long) African-print cotton fabric protects dresses from dust and dirt. The
chitenje can also serve as a shield from wind and rain, as a baby carrier, or as a coiled support for baskets carried on the head. Major cities and tourist spots are the only places where women wear pants, shorts, and short skirts. Children are encouraged to wear school uniforms to help them develop a sense for "dressing smart" later in life.
Media
Postal and telecommunications services are the responsibility of the government; there were 38,000 mainline telephones in use in 1999 with an additional 49,000 cellular phones in use in 2000. Radio broadcasting services are provided in English and Chichewa by the Malawi Broadcasting Corp. In 2001 there were 9 AM and 5 FM radio stations and 1 television station. In 2000 there were about 499 radios and 3 television sets for every 1,000 people. Seven Internet service providers were serving 15,000 people in 2000.
The
Daily Times, published in English in Blantyre, appears Monday through Friday and had a circulation of 22,000 in 2002. The other major daily publications were Computer Monitor, Michiru Sun, The Enquirer, and U.D.F. News (United Democratic Front). The
Malawi News, a weekly, had a circulation of 30,000. Other weeklies include
The Independent, The Nation, and
The New Express.
Though previously strictly controlled by the government, the media now enjoy new constitutional provisions suspending censorship powers. The government is said to respect these new provisions.
Libraries and museums
The Malawi National Library Service, founded in 1968, has more than 804,000 volumes and maintains a nationwide
interloan system. The largest library is that of the
University of Malawi (375,000 volumes). The
US Information Agency maintains a small library in
Lilongwe, and the
British Council has libraries in
Blantyre and in the capital. The National Archives are in
Zomba and contain 40,000 volumes. The
Museum of Malawi (1959), in Blantyre, has a collection displaying the nation's archaeology, history, and ethnography. Other museums include the
Lake Malawi Museum in
Mangochi and a regional museum in Mzuzu. There is also a postal museum in Namaka housed in a traditional postal carrier's rest hut.
Customs and courtesies
Greetings
When meeting, Malawians shake right hands while placing the left hand under the right forearm. Showing both hands in this way demonstrates sincerity and trust. Women and men dip their knees slightly when exchanging greetings. If greeting elders or people of authority, they kneel down and clap their hands quietly two or three times. Women dip their knees whenever they meet someone, even if the person has lower status. Placing the prefix
a- before a name or title shows respect. For example,
bambo is the word for man, but usually one would address him as
abambo.
People greet with an exchange of "Hello, sir!" (
Moni bambo! in Chichewa;
Monire adada! in Chitumbuka) or "Hello, madam!" (
Moni mayi! or
Monire amama!). This is followed by "How are you?" (
Muli bwanji? in Chichewa;
Muli uli? in Chitumbuka). The common response is "I am fine!" (
Ndili bwino! or
Ndili makola!). People also ask about each other's families.
Malawians rarely use first names. They address others as "Madam" or "Sir," followed by the
surname. Informally, they use surnames alone. Persons in authority are addressed as
Bwana (Boss). Young adults and teens may address each other as
chimwali (sister) or
chimwene (brother). Children are called
iwe (you).
Gestures
Malawians give and receive items with both hands. Tossing food (such as fruit) is considered rude. A verbal "tss-tss" or "a-a-ah" expresses displeasure or disbelief. A loud and long hiss is used to get someone's attention from far off. When near, one says
Aisse (Friend). Public displays of affection between men and women are not acceptable in most places. However, men may walk arm in arm or hold hands while laughing and exchanging stories; women will do the same. Hand gestures are dramatic and conversation is lively. Eye contact is important but direct gazes are limited, especially toward elders or persons of authority. The youth use the "thumbs up" gesture and
Sure! (in English) in friendly exchanges. It is offensive to make the U.S. "OK" sign, with the thumb and index finger forming a circle. When describing a child's size to others, Malawians extend an upraised hand to the approximate height. Extending a level hand, palm down, is used only for animals.
Visiting
Strong family and community ties make visiting a common activity. Unannounced visits occur anytime, but especially on Sunday. Rather than knock at a door, Malawians call out
Odi! Odi! until someone welcomes them in with
Odini! A house with frequent visitors is highly regarded. The Chichewa proverb
Alendo ndi mame (Visitors are like dew) means that a visitor's presence is short-lived and hence precious. Hosts automatically serve tea or water and refreshments to their guests; asking if a guest wants something is considered rude. Visitors customarily bring a small gift of money, tea, or sugarâ€"especially if invited, visiting a new baby, or coming after a funeral. Attending funerals is extremely important, and people will travel great distances after the death of even distant relatives.
Eating
Malawians usually begin their day with corn
porridge or a piece of bread and tea. They eat their main meal in the evening; lunch may or may not be available. There is a greater abundance of food after the April harvest. Women often cook meals over a fire, either in small mud-brick kitchens or over an open fire with three stones supporting a pot. Food is kept covered until it is ready to eat. Among some traditional families, women and children eat apart from men, who are served first. All wash their hands in a basin of water before and after eating. Most food is eaten with the right hand.
Nsima (starchy porridge made of corn flour and water) is balled in the right hand, dipped in
ndiwo (a sauce or condiment), and eaten.
Ndiwo may be made of fish, meat, beans, greens, or other ingredients, depending on what is available. It is impolite to smell food or comment on the aroma of a meal. Leaving a small amount of food on the plate when finished assures the cook that a person has had enough to eat.
Lifestyle
Family
Malawians value large families; a typical household includes extended members, especially the husband's brothers. Most men assist with farming but may also hold jobs as teachers, health workers, fishermen, or general laborers, depending on where they live and their level of education. Some men practice
polygamy; in which case, they build a separate hut for each wife and her children.
Throughout Malawi, women raise the children, care for the home, cook, and farm. They teach children socially acceptable behavior, responsibility, respect for elders, and work skills. The elders of all ethnic groups reinforce these lessons.
Girls care for younger siblings, gather firewood, clean, and collect water. They often drop out of school to assume these responsibilities. Boys stay in school longer than girls but still assist with farming, sweeping, and other chores.
In rural areas, extended families live together in a compound of several huts, typically thatch-roofed, mud-brick dwellings with one or two rooms. A compound also includes a kitchen hut, a
borehole or well, a
nkhokwe (a structure for storing grain), and perhaps an enclosure for livestock. The family's fields are located nearby. Urban houses have electricity and running water and may be constructed of
cinder block and tin roofs, though makeshift squatter areas are also common.
Dating and marriage
Some ethnic groups celebrate the transition from youth to adulthood at about age 12 through initiation rituals. In such rituals, youth are prepared for their future roles as mothers and fathers; young men are circumcised&emdash;an increasing number have it done in hospitals.
There is little formal dating in Malawi; school dances are popular at secondary schools. In rural areas, a young man may notice a young woman's quiet manner and hardworking character. He must approach the girl's uncle to request marriage. Before the wedding, a group of elders meets with the couple to discuss marriage roles and responsibilities. In the north, the groom's family must pay a
lobola (bride-price), usually in cattle or goats. Village weddings are less elaborate than urban celebrations. Typically, traditional dancing and food follow a church ceremony.
Diet
Malawians do not feel they have eaten unless they have had
nsima. Rice is a more expensive, less filling alternative to
nsima. Water is taken with meals. Malawians drink tea daily if they can afford it. Most Malawians do not consume enough calories to meet basic nutritional needs. Dried or fresh fish from Lake Malawi is the most abundant protein source. It is available in markets along with beef, chicken, and goat. But these foods are expensive. Alternative protein foods such as red beans and peanut flour are plentiful; insects such as grasshoppers and termite larvae are another source of protein. Locally grown fruits and vegetables include
papaya,
mangoes, bananas, tangerines, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and avocados. Hawkers approach local buses to sell produce, dried fish (
nsomba), and among certain tribes, even roasted mice on a stick (
mbewa). People of all ages like sugarcane for a snack.
Recreation
Soccer is the most popular national sport. Young boys create soccer balls out of plastic-bag scraps. Boys also make highly prized
magalimoto (cars) out of scrap metal and bits of trash. Girls and boys play games like hide-and-seek (
kalondolondo). Girls play
netball, a game similar to basketball. People in a village, market, or at a bus stop gather around anyone playing
bao, a strategy game with pebble or seed tokens on a carved-out board. Families enjoy church- and school-sponsored activities. Men often gather at local "bottle stores" to drink traditional beer or bottled soft drinks.
Recreational travel is rare, but urban dwellers may travel to home villages on holidays. Although Malawi has one television station, most people do not have access to a television set. In villages, someone who owns a television and VCR will charge people (mostly men) admission to watch videos. Action movies are the most popular.
Art
Imported goods and ideas have almost eclipsed many traditional arts. These included the carving for indigenous use of ornamented furniture, household objects, human figures and smoking pipes. There has also been a decline in the production of finger rings, bracelets and anklets made of copper, brass, iron and ivory, and of beaded headdresses, necklaces and women's waist ornaments; the latter were made of colourful beads worked into patterns. Additionally the region was once renowned for the smelting and skilful working of iron implements and weapons, and for the manufacture of cotton cloth on broad horizontal looms. Some traditional art has continued undiminished into modern times. Fine masks and extraordinary basketry and fiber constructions are produced for the Gule Wankulu (Great Dance) performances of the ancient Maravi Nyau association. Face masks are made of a variety of materials and follow well-established conventions specific for each type. Kasiyamaliro and Chimkoko are enormous fibre sculptures animated with elegance and style by dancers inside them. Women still produce pottery vessels that are often incised with patterns, covered with
graphite and burnished to a lustrous black. Handwoven mats and baskets can also be found throughout Malawi. Examples of the region's art and craft traditions can be seen at the Museum of Malawi, Blantyre.
Although the visual arts were not particularly encouraged by the government before independence, their development was assisted by the establishment of the University of Malawi,
Zomba, in the late 1960s. In 1967 the first university-level art courses were offered at
Soche Hill College,
Blantyre, this art programme eventually becoming part of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at
Chancellor College, Zomba. From 1970 the accomplished sculptor
Berlings Kaunda, with an art degree from Makerere College, Kampala,
Uganda, was on the faculty. With a growing international reputation, Kaunda travelled to Japan in 1991 to oversee an exhibition of his work. He has also taught some of Malawi's finest artists and teachers, including
Willie Nampeya (b. 1947). Nampeya studied in London, earned an
MFA in 1981 from the Pratt Institute, New York, and returned to Chancellor College to chair the fine-art section of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts in 1982. His work (in wood, stone, clay and concrete) is sometimes on a large scale, although he often produced smaller, more intimate pieces such as
Family (see fig.). He received commissions from the architects Oldfield and Denn for wood, sculpture and clay reliefs (1985) for the Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre and for a figurative work,
Mother and Child (1990-92), several metres high in
terrazzo-covered cement for an office complex in Lilongwe city centre by R. S. Mthawanji and Associates. Nampeya also exhibited works in oil, pastel and other media.
Like Nampeya, the artist Kay Chiromo (
b 1951) served as head of the fine art section at the University of Malawi. He received an MFA from the Pratt Institute in 1986, and he illustrated books and produced a documentary video. His oil paintings are irregularly shaped canvases, their surfaces sometimes built up with fabric, sand or pebbles to produce a deep relief. His paintings have been exhibited at the 1982 United States Information exhibition in Lusaka, in a one-man exhibition in 1984 at the Africa Centre, London, at the Akwaa-Harrison Gallery, Toronto, and the Workshop Platform, Durban, in 1989.
In the early 1990s opportunities for contemporary artists included exhibitions organized by the Arts and Crafts Department of the Malawi Cultural Affairs Office, by the university art faculty and students and by other art organizations and individuals. Such artists as
Alice Kaunda,
Louis Dimowa,
N. E. Kapitapita,
Cuthy Mede and
Tiona Mwera were exhibiting new work regularly. Various exhibitions without catalogues were held every few weeks at the French Cultural Centre, Blantyre. In addition, the textile firm of David Whitehead and Sons employed a group of artists, coordinated by
Vina Simbale, who designed printed cotton cloth with colourful patterns based on indigenous themes, for both the home and export markets. A number of Malawi artists also worked in layout and as illustrators for newspapers, books and other materials produced by the Blantyre Print and Publishing Company and its affiliates.
Brian Hara (b 1946), whose cartoon, "Pewani," appeared in the
Malawi News, produced a weekly illustrated feature article, "Kwinyani," that commented satirically on current issues. Victor Kasinja (b 1957) drew the "Joza" cartoon each week for the
Daily Times. The Malawi Council for the Handicapped published cards, stationery and calendars with designs by disabled artists. A variety of paintings, batiks, craftwork, jewellery, masks and figures are made for export and for sale to tourists. Wooden bowls, platters, candle holders, cups and chairs, often with decorative borders, were produced by carvers' cooperatives in several parts of the country.
Holidays
Malawi's official holidays include New Year's Day; Chilembwe Day (15 Jan.); Martyrs' Day (3 Mar.), honoring those who gave their lives in 1963 in the quest for independence; Easter (Fridayâ€"Monday); Labor Day (1 May); Freedom Day (14 June); Independence Day (6 July); and Mother's Day (second Monday in October). Malawians celebrate Christmas Day (25 Dec.) and Boxing Day (26 Dec.). Boxing Day comes from a British tradition of giving small boxed gifts to service employees. It is now a time for visiting friends and relatives. Muslims observe
Idul-Fitr, a three-day feast at the end of the month of
Ramadan. During
Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from sunrise to dusk. During evening hours, people visit friends and eat.
*
List of cities in Malawi*
Transport in Malawi*
Malawi national football team*
Military of Malawi* Owen J. M. Kalinga and Cynthia A. Crosby,
Historical Dictionary of Malawi, 3rd ed. (Scarecrow Press, 2001) ISBN 0810834812
* Mitchell, Maura. "Living Our Faith:" The Lenten Pastoral Letter of the Bishops of Malawi and the Shift to Multiparty Democracy, 1992â€"1993.
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 2002 Mar; 41(1):5â€"18. (This article looks in depth at the role religion played in the transition to democracy in Malawi.)
*
Malawi In Figures (Zomba: National Statistical Office, 2005)
*
BBC News country profile* [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/mi.html CIA World Factbook entry]
*
CountryReports.org entryDirectories
*
- Meet Malawi Connecting Malawians Worldwide
*
Malawi's e-community - Malawi For Everything Malawian
*
Stanford University - Africa South of the Sahara: Malawi directory category
*
The Index on Africa - Malawi directory category
*
University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: Malawi directory category
*
Open Directory Project - Malawi directory category
*
Yahoo! - Malawi directory category
*
Zikomo.Net free online business directory for Malawi
*
New Malawi free forum and classifieds for Malawi
Government
*
Government of the Republic of Malawi official site
*
Malawi National Assembly official site
*
Ministry of Information and Tourism official site
News and Entertainment
*
Malawi Music OnlineFlavor Malawian Music online
*
The Nation Online daily national newspaper
*
The Daily Times daily
Blantyre-based newspaper
*
allAfrica.com - Malawi news headline links, features articles from
Lilongwe-based weekly
The Chronicle*
Friday in Malawi weekly electronic magazine
Tourism
*
Go 2 Malawi travel log to promote Malawi
*
Visit Malawi official tourism site
*
Go2Africa.com - Malawi travel guide Malawi travel guide
Other
*
Find your Malawi Classmates here*
Malawi's location on a 3D globe (Java)*
Child Rights in Malawi*
Human Rights in Malawi*
Malawi National Game*
2005 Malawi Famine*
Community of Sant'Egidio's page about the predicted 2005 Malawi famine*
Watering Malawi, a project to help irrigate the country
