Politics of Malawi takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Malawi is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly. There is a cabinet of Malawi that is appointed by the President of Malawi. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The government of Malawi has been a multi-party democracy since 1994. The Economist Intelligence Unit has rated Malawi as "hybrid regime" in 2016.
Emmie Takomana Chanika born 26 May 1956 is a Malawian human rights activist. A trained registered nurse, Chanika began working in 1992 as human rights groups started to form and agitate for political change in Malawi which at the time suffered under the dictatorship of Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Emmie Chanika then founded the Civil Liberties Committee (CILIC), which was established in February 1992 as the first human rights organisation in Malawi. Emmie Chanika has been its executive director ever since. Under the banner of CILIC Emmie Chanika has been actively involved in the 1993 Referendum and the 1994 general election Civic Education which led to major democratic change and the end of Hasting Kamuzu Banda's dictatorship in Malawi. Although a trained registered nurse, Emmie Chanika continued to educate herself and among other qualifications obtained her Master of Science degree in Strategic Planning in 2007.
Joyce Hilda Banda is a Malawian politician who was the President of Malawi from 7 April 2012 to 31 May 2014. She is the founder and leader of the People's Party, created in 2011. An educator and grassroots women's rights activist, she was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and Vice-President of Malawi from May 2009 to April 2012.
Madame Callista Chapola-Chimombo is a Malawian politician and the widow of President Bingu wa Mutharika. She served as the First Lady of the Republic of Malawi from 2010 to 2012. Chimombo is a current member of the Cabinet of Malawi as a National Coordinator of Maternal, Infant and Child Health and HIV/Nutrition/Malaria and Tuberculosis. She has also previously served as a member of the Pan-African Parliament, and as the Malawi Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture. As of 2005, she was Secretary of the Malawi Women’s Caucus. Chimombo is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party and a former member of the United Democratic Front (UDF).
Goodall Edward Gondwe is a Malawian economist who has served in the cabinet of Malawi as Minister of Finance since 2014. Previously he was Minister of Finance from 2004 to 2009, Minister of Local Government from 2009 to 2010, and Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment Affairs from 2011 to 2012.
Arthur Peter Mutharika is a Malawian politician, educator and lawyer who has been President of Malawi since 31 May 2014. Mutharika has worked globally in the field of international justice. He is an expert on international economic law, international law and comparative constitutional law. He informally served as an adviser to his older brother, President Bingu wa Mutharika, on issues of foreign and domestic policy from the onset of his election campaign until the President's death on 5 April 2012.
Dr. Ken Lipenga was born on February 14, 1952 at Chiringa, Phalombe District. He is a Malawian politician, journalist, and writer. He is the current Member of Parliament for Phalombe East. He was the Minister of Finance under the presidency of Joyce Banda, until 10 October 2013, when he was dropped in a cabinet reshuffle and replaced with Maxwell Mkwezalamba following the Capital Hill Cashgate Scandal.
Ken Kandodo is a Financial Manager, MP and politician who was appointed Malawi's Minister of Finance on 15 June 2009. As of 8 September 2011, he is no longer finance Minister in Malawi due to the reshuffle in the Cabinet of Malawi. Kandodo is a grand nephew of former president Hastings Banda. He is a Chewa from the midlands of Malawi.
Anna Andrew Namathanga Kachikho is a politician who has held various cabinet positions in the government of Malawi.
Margaret Roka Mauwa is an expert in agriculture who, in June 2009, became Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security in the cabinet of Malawi.
Otria Moyo Jere is a politician who was appointed Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology in the cabinet of Malawi in June 2009.
Patricia Annie Kaliati is a Malawian politician and former educator who has held various ministerial positions in the Cabinet of Malawi.
Theresa Gloria Mwale is a nurse who entered politics in Malawi, and was appointed Deputy Minister of Health in 2009.
Lucious Grandson Kanyumba is a politician who has served in ministerial positions in Malawi. He was appointed Minister of Youth Development and Sports in the cabinet of Malawi in June 2009. He later served as Minister of Education.
Eunice Kazembe was a Malawian politician who was appointed Minister of Industry and Trade in the cabinet of Malawi in 2009. On 26 April 2012 President Joyce Banda named her new cabinet. Kazembe became minister of Education.
Etta Elizabeth Banda is a former Malawian politician who was the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2009 to 2011. Prior to entering politics, she worked as a health professional and university administrator.
Dr. Cornelius T. Mwalwanda is a development economist from Malawi. He once served as Deputy Minister of Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in the Cabinet of Malawi under Minister Ken Lipenga. Prior to this he has worked for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
This is a list of past cabinets in Malawi that preceded the current cabinet of Malawi.
The 2012 Malawian constitutional crisis occurred from April 5, 2012 - April 7, 2012 after senior members of the Democratic Progressive Party-led cabinet failed to notify the public of the death of the sitting president, Bingu wa Mutharika on April 5. Instead, cabinet ministers held a series of meetings in Lilongwe, Malawi without vice-president Joyce Banda with the aim of undermining the constitution and Banda's succession to Presidency. News confirming his death had, however, quickly spread across the country through word of mouth, cellphone text messages, Malawian bloggers, Twitter, Facebook, and on listservs by the end of the day on April 5, 2012. Therefore, the failure to announce his death resulted in speculation over the real health of the president and over whether the succession procedures would be followed as outlined in the constitution. According to the constitution, the vice-president takes over but there had been no official word on a successor or communication with the vice-president. Amidst growing speculation, the Cabinet announced that the president's brother, Peter Mutharika, the foreign minister, was the new President of the party on April 6. The Cabinet only announced his death two days after his death, after which Banda became Malawi's first female President.
Grace Chiumia, is a Malawian politician who has served as Minister of Civic education in the Malawian cabinet, since 24 October 2017. Before her current appointment, she was the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, in the Malawian Cabinet, from 6 September 2016 until 24 October 2017.
