Malawi: 'Tribalism Is Keeping Malawi Poor' - Chithyola's Scathing Attack At Politics of Division

What the report says

Opposition Leader Simplex Chithyola-Banda has used a public Facebook post to criticize what he describes as Malawi’s politics of division, arguing that the country will keep falling behind if leaders continue to favor political loyalty, tribal identity and regional ties over merit. The remarks were reported by Nyasa Times and distributed by AllAfrica on 3 November 2026.

Chithyola-Banda, a senior Malawi Congress Party figure and former finance minister, said appointments and opportunities should be based on qualifications, skills and ability rather than where people come from, which church they attend or which political camp they support. He said this pattern has weakened national development and encouraged a culture in which citizens are judged by identity instead of competence.

In the report, he also criticized the practice of new governments discarding projects started by previous administrations simply because they are associated with rivals. He argued that this leads to wasted time and resources and leaves Malawi unable to build steadily on earlier work. Malawi has faced long-running debates over regionalism, ethnicity and patronage in public life, and Chithyola-Banda’s comments are likely to add to that discussion.

He urged Malawians and political leaders to choose unity and cooperation, saying progress will be harder to achieve unless national interests are placed ahead of partisan and regional divisions.