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  Safeguarding constitutionalism in Malawi: The role of malawi defence force

  (2026) Nundwe, Vincent Thom

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  The principle of civil military control places ultimate military authority in the hands of civilian leadership, with civilian responsibility and control of the military being balanced between the Executive and the Legislative branches of government. For democracy to thrive, civilian authorities must maintain a delicate balance: controlling the military while ensuring its operational effectiveness to avoid a legacy of military interventionism. A key issue is how to cultivate a military force that remains subordinate to political control, without compromising its autonomy. Evidence from Malawi shows that some civilian leaders have overstepped boundaries, influencing military actions against constitutional guidelines, though the study has also shown that Malawi Defence Force (MDF) demonstrated resilience against political influence that sought MDF’s intervention beyond constitutionally sanctioned mandates. The study highlights the challenges of applying Western civil-military control theories to developing democracies, where traditional models may falter. However, contemporary theories that encourage stakeholder partnerships within the nation-state are proving successful in harmonising political and military leadership dynamics. The primary objective of this research was to assess the evolving relationships between civil authorities and the military in Malawi, focusing on constitutional adherence and interaction with civilian oversight institutions. Using qualitative methods, data was collected through key informant interviews and document reviews, analysed via content analysis. The findings reveal several “critical junctures” between 1993 and 2020, where civilian leadership allegedly pressured the military to breach its constitutional role. Notable events include, “Operation Bwezani, the death of the Head of State in 2012, the contested 2014 general elections, and the 2020 fresh presidential elections, which followed widespread protests. The study concludes that MDF must operate strictly within legal boundaries for continued professionalism. Recommendations include implementing policies that strengthen civilian-military control mechanisms while respecting constitutional limits to prevent undue political influence over the military.

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  Investigating citizens’ participation through information communication technology in community policing in Muloza, Malawi

  (2025) Kumwenda, David Phelemero

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  ICTs have been used to facilitate already programmed policing activities since 1996. Digital monitoring and surveillance has defied geographical and cultural boundaries, gaining sharing of information, intelligence gathering, reporting crimes, citizens-police collaboration and reduction of crimes. Malawi has gained wide pervasive use of social media via mobile devices in both rural and urban areas. This study aims to analyse the role of ICT in community policing and citizen participation at Muloza Border in Mulanje. The study adopts exploratory sequential mixed methods design and the pragmatics paradigm with total population sample of 550 respondents. The study has 10 Focus group discussions and 18 key informant interviews purposely selected outside the quantitative 432 randomly selected respondents within conveniently selected 10 locations in Muloza. Qualitative used focus group discussion guide while survey implored structured questionnaire instruments. Quantitative analysis used SPSS version 20 to come up with descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and ANOVA test were utilised in SPSS version 20. Qualitative utilised thematic analysis. Guided by Participatory Democracy Theory, Social Disorganisation Theory, and Frame Theory of Communication, the study findings show that mobile phones are dominantly used supported by phone call, SMS and WhatsApp applications. WhatsApp is gaining influence because of multimedia capacity of sending photos, videos, voice notes et cetera. ICTs enabled citizens to communicate and deposit evidence. Citizens are responsible for neighbourhood security and ICTs have integrated them into formal, informal and non-formal policing structures, promoting wide participation that improved accountability and transparency in handling policing. Through ICTs, citizens acted by (a) sharing information about suspicions (b) alerting neighbors of crime and emergencies (c) organising themselves virtually. Technology usage was affected by (i) age (p=0.001), (ii) education (p=0.000), (iii) income (p=0.000), (iv) knowledge/expertise (p=0.000), (v) the cost of accessing technologies (p=0.009), and (vi) trust issues between the police and the public (p=0.009). Use of ICTs has positive effects and the digital platform of community policing will (a) improve communication between police and community, (b) identify a wider variety of insecurities (transparency), (c) promote effective use of limited resources (d) move beyond customary bureaucratic procedures. The current study contributes that technology enhances formal, informal and non-formal integration improving weaknesses of participatory democracy and social disorganization theories gaining social cohesion, collective efficacy and community guardianship promoting wide participation, sparking investigations into rights abuses and helping to reduce corruption. Technology enhances, empowers, and transforms citizens’ integration, widening socialisation and interactions gaining social cohesion, collective efficacy, and community guardianship, all of which play crucial roles in preventing crime and arresting suspects. The study recommends more civic education campaigns to practitioners for sustainable adoption and deliberate policy intervention on subsidised ICTs for internal security by concerned governments.

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  Integrating local ecological knowledge, functional ecology and conservation strategies of wild loquat (uapaca kirkiana müll. arg.) in Malawi

  (2025) Bruno, Kokou Kokouvi

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  Uapaca kirkiana Müll. Arg. is an indigenous fruit tree of Malawi’s Miombo woodlands that provides vital nutritional, economic, and ecological services. Despite its crucial importance to the ecosystems, its populations are declining due to overharvesting, unsustainable pruning, habitat loss, charcoal production, wildfires, and climate change. Its decline is a huge threat to both livelihoods and ecosystem functioning. Despite its importance, limited integrated understanding exists of its ecological, functional, and socio-economic dynamics across Malawi, which constrains sustainable management and conservation planning. This study aimed to analyse local ecological knowledge, ethnobotanical uses, and community-based conservation strategies of U. kirkiana in Malawi, characterize woody species composition and phylogenetic structure along elevation gradients associated with U. kirkiana, quantify intraspecific functional trait variation of U. kirkiana across eco-geographical regions and its relationship with environmental gradients, evaluate population structure, regeneration dynamics, and carbon storage potential of U. kirkiana across geographic regions and model the current and future distribution of U. kirkiana under climate change scenarios. Understanding these aspects is essential to inform sustainable conservation strategies, enhance livelihoods, and maintain ecosystem services. The methods in this study included a stratified survey of 1,222 households to capture local ecological knowledge, conservation practices, species use and perceived vulnerability. Forest inventories were conducted in six forests across the country, with two forests per region, assessing 149 plots and 72 trees for 21 morphological and functional traits. Taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity, diameter distributions, and community structure were analyzed, while trait variability was assessed using mixed-effects models, discriminant and redundancy analyses and hierarchical clustering. Species distribution modeling employed MaxEnt and habitat prioritization used Zonation. The results indicated widespread recognition of population decline, varying by region, profession and education. Deforestation and charcoal production were the main threats, whereas agroforestry, cutting prohibition, regeneration protection and pruning restrictions were key conservation measures. Fruits, trunks, and branches were most utilized for food, firewood and medicine. A vulnerability index of 2.25 reflected moderate risk. Four morphotypes indicated adaptive differentiation across environmental gradients, while small diameter classes dominated populations, suggesting active regeneration but overharvesting of large trees. Phylogenetic diversity and community assembly varied with elevation, mainly influenced by temperature. Structurally, U. kirkiana populations were dominated by small diameter classes (10-20 cm), with few mature individuals (>45 cm), indicating regeneration disturbance. Diameter at breast height (DBH) was positively correlated with the structural quotient (Qs) and inter-tree distance, but negatively correlated with diameter differentiation, suggesting low heterogeneity in mature stands. U. kirkiana tolerated mixed-species stands (mingling index: 20-44%), supporting its suitability for agroforestry systems. The Northern region had the highest carbon storage (57.80 tCO₂/ha), significantly higher than the Southern (51.25tCO₂/ha) and Central (43.80 tCO₂/ha) regions (p < 0.05), because this region is characterized by greater annual rainfall (>1,600 mm), which supports better tree growth and biomass accumulation. The estimated economic value of U. kirkiana was MWK 1,011,997.57 (577.95 USD/ha). The current distribution indicates that only 9% of habitats are suitable for U. kirkiana. Future projections suggest a decline in its range (from 9% to 6%), with a shift toward higher altitudes in the northern and central regions. Temperature emerges as a key factor determining its distribution, emphasizing the importance of strategies such as assisted migration, domestication, and climate-adapted plantations. Overall, U. kirkiana is a multifunctional species facing moderate anthropogenic and climate threats. Integrating LEK and functional ecology with climate models provides a more robust and socially relevant conservation framework than any single method.

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  Prevention of mother to child transmission of human immune virus infection and its determinants among women in selected health centres in Zomba.

  (2025) Mbendera, Yanjano Grace

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  Good health is a human right that is recognised in different international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. One public health challenge that has affected human health and has implications on development is Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Mother to child transmission is still prevalent among women and remains the most common cause of paediatric HIV infection in Malawi. This study assesses the level of knowledge, attitude and practice, as well as determinants of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV infection among women in selected health centres in Zomba district.The study employed mixed methods research design. Stratified sampling technique was used to sample 250 respondents to participate in the quantitative survey in the selected health centres. Qualitative interviews and focus group discussions complemented quantitative data. Descriptive statistics, test, analysis of variance and thematic analysis were used to analyse data. The study results reveal that women have 59.19% (with the mean score of 9.47 out of 16) knowledge towards prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission. Overall, women hold positive attitudes toward the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) in the visited health centres, as indicated by an overall mean score of 3.76 (S.D.=1.28). The study also revealed that majority of the women (87.19%) are observing PMTCT practices to protect their babies. Depression, fear of husbands, negligence, income status, and education level are some of the factors associated with the adherence of PMTCT practices in the surveyed health centres. The study is informing government and other stakeholders to develop strategies to respond to knowledge, attitude and practice of pregnant women in preventing mother to child HIV transmission.

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  Adherence to covid-19 preventive measures in traditional authority Mwakaboko in Karonga district.

  (2025) Mwafulirwa, Annie Nyabweka

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  The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a global health crisis with far-reaching economic, social and psychological consequences. In response, governments and health organisations worldwide implemented preventive measures to curb the spread of the virus. However, adherence to these measures varied across populations due to factors such as individual perceptions, religious beliefs, and occupational commitments. This study specifically aimed to (i) assess individual perceptions of COVID-19 preventive measures, (ii) analyse the influence of religion on adherence, and (iii) examine the effects of occupation on adherence. A mixed methods approach was employed, combining quantitative data from 338 survey respondents with qualitative insights gathered through eight focus group discussions and ten key informant interviews. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, and linear regression in Stata and SPSS. Findings revealed that overall adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures was moderate (M = 1.85, SD = 0.54), with 41.9% of respondents expressing neutral perceptions. Perceived susceptibility was negatively associated with adherence (P < 0.001), while cues to action and self-efficacy significantly enhanced compliance. Religious affiliation influenced adherence, with structured religious groups showing higher compliance than less organised groups. Occupation also played a role, as farmers demonstrated greater adherence than casual labourers, the self-employed and the unemployed. The study concludes that structured beliefs and work environments promote better adherence. It recommends enhancing risk communication to address neutral perceptions, leveraging religious structures to encourage compliance and strengthening cues to action through local leaders. Further, promoting self-efficacy, implementing occupation-specific interventions and investing in resilient community health systems are essential to improving adherence in future pandemics.

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