Malawi: The contested legacy of the Ngwazi

Abstract

The year 1997 saw the double departure of Ngwazi Hastings Kamuzu Banda from the Malawian political scene. In July he finally retired from the Life Presidency of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and in November he died in a South African hospital. From independence in 1964 until his defeat in the multiparty elections of 1994 Banda had dominated Malawian political life. This article analyses the circumstances and consequences of his departure in the context of contemporary post‐transition Malawian politics. Close attention is paid to the structure of party political competition in the post‐Banda period with particular reference to the general election due in 1999. It is emphasized that assessments of the Banda period are highly contested in Malawi and this forms an important part of current political debate.