ASCL Seminar: Democracy and corruption in Malawi - Between resilience and backsliding

Malawi, a poor and aid-dependent country in southern Africa, has been hailed as beacon of democratic resilience in a region where democracy is increasingly under threat. Courts, parliamentarians and civil society have repeatedly rallied to check executive overreach. In 2020, the constitutional court annulled the 2019 presidential election due to widespread irregularities. This gave the opposition a shot in the arm and the opposition candidate Lazarus Chakwera won the re-run of the election in June 2020. This unprecedented turn of events made international headlines and was widely celebrated as crucial win for democracy in Africa.

However, this positive picture has been tainted by a series of major corruption scandals threatening to undermine democratic institutions. Law enforcement agencies have struggled to clamp down on the large-scale theft of public funds and high-level procurement fraud. Lazarus Chakwera promised to tackle corruption but a string of scandals since he took office suggests that high-level corruption has become more deeply entrenched. The elections scheduled for 16 September 2025 promise to throw this into sharp relief.

Gerhard Anders examines the multifarious connections between high-level corruption and Malawi’s democratic institutions. His research presents a comprehensive and nuanced picture of democracy in Malawi where democratic advances have been undone by high-level corruption. It provides vital context to analyse the general elections on 16 September 2025. Beyond Malawi, his findings are a contribution to the wider debate about democratic backsliding across Africa. The focus on grand corruption and criminal justice adds an important dimension to the study of democratic institutions and political debates.

Image: government office in Zomba