Malawi

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world with 70 per cent of the population living below poverty line. 80 per cent of the country's population lives in rural areas where access to basic social services is severely limited. Malawi attracts little foreign private investment. This partly reflects its limited resource base, but rising crime, poor physical and financial infrastructure and a weak policy and legal environment are other inhibiting factors.

Although Malawi is, in terms of the constitution, a multi-party democracy, the country is fragmented politically along largely ethnic, regional and religious lines. In 1994, following pressure from international donors and local civil society, multiparty democracy was introduced. After fifteen years, there are grave concerns about the state of democracy. Civil society is weak, the media is far from independent and other than the ruling party, political parties remain fragile and wracked by internal wrangling.

Although the constitution enshrines freedom of expression and media freedom, laws dating back to the eras of the one-party state and colonial rule, remain on the statute books and so continue to infringe upon and limit freedoms related to the media and the people's right of expression.
The human rights situation is generally acceptable although there are significant challenges in respect of prisons.