Contesting the State in Malawi: Covid-19 and the Quest for Inclusive Democracy

In April 2020, the Malawi government declared a 21-day lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. This decision was met with protests across the country. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition obtained a court injunction restraining the government from implementing a lockdown. Although the state implemented several Covid-19 preventive measures, many were unsuccessful, and the state did not force their implementation on the populace. This article analyses events surrounding the government’s Covid-19 response in order to gain insight into the heart of the Malawian state and its democratic culture. Drawing on print and online media reports, social media memes, government gazettes and public and private records, it argues that the apparent failure of the Malawian state to impose lockdowns on the population is, in fact, demonstrative of a strong democratic maturity. The manner in which the protests flourished and the state’s response display a democratic culture where citizens have the political space to question the state and make their demands heard. In contrast to other democratic countries, where certain rights were suspended to contain the pandemic, the Malawian state allowed citizens to express their frustrations through open demonstrations, sit-ins and dialogue, while accepting the untenability of lockdown measures. The article illustrates the people’s awareness of their civil and political rights and how they used them to negotiate for a more inclusive democratic state that would address the deep-seated social and economic injustices that are often ignored in debates on democracy. In this way, the article displays Malawi as an example of a country that seeks to cultivate an inclusive democratic society.