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Abstract:
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This status report on the decentralisation policy in Malawi, is part of a broader regional research project on decentralisation within the SADC region, whose overall objective is to achieve a more intensive advocacy for, and active involvement in, decentralisation by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). The project, which is being coordinated by the Local Government Centre (LGC) within the Institute of Democracy in South Africa (IDASA), covers seven countries, namely, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa and Zimbabwe. This report identifies the key milestones reached, challenges and gaps in the process of decentralisation in Malawi and identifies areas where CSOs can take part in the entrenchment of a decentralised mode of governance.
The study suggests:
- it is worth pointing out that the decentralisation process is still in its implementation phase
- the major advantage in the implementation of the decentralisation process in Malawi is that the challenges and constraints can be seen, not as challenges to the process itself, but opportunities that can be worked on to ensure a better and more successful decentralisation process
- there is scope for civil society organisations to play an active and crucial role in advocating for a better decentralised system of governance of which they can be major players themselves. |