Malawi's Transition from Neo-Colonial Rule

The phrase a culture of silence is attributed to Jerry Rawlings in the late 1980s, at a time when he was military head of state in Ghana. In a culture of silence the masses are mute, that is, they are prohibited from taking part in the transformation of their society. In a neo-colonial state, a culture of silence is imposed on the masses and peace and order are guaranteed by ferocious repression. The basic premise that motivates this research is that the neo-colonial state, a by-product of the colonial state was influential in imposing the culture of silence and fear in the lives of ordinary people. As such, a defining feature of the neo-colonial state, it is argued, is a culture of silence . Definitions and analysis of the neo-colonial state follow lines of arguments put forward by African writes such as Claude Ake, Ngugi wa Thiong o and Mahmood Mamdani. Within this broad paradigm of neo-colonialism, and analysis of Banda s Malawi is developed which pays particular attention to a culture of silence . This in turn leads to an examination of the effect of liberalization on political and civic space in Malawi.

Autorentext

Domoka Lucinda Manda holds a PhD in Applied Ethics and an MA in Political Science. She currently works at the College of Medicine, University of Malawi and serves as the IRB Administrator for the College of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee (COMREC), as well as an honorary lecturer in Bioethics in the Department of Community Health.

Klappentext

The phrase a 'culture of silence' is attributed to Jerry Rawlings in the late 1980s, at a time when he was military head of state in Ghana. In a 'culture of silence' the masses are mute, that is, they are prohibited from taking part in the transformation of their society. In a neo-colonial state, a 'culture of silence' is imposed on the masses and peace and order are guaranteed by ferocious repression. The basic premise that motivates this research is that the neo-colonial state, a by-product of the colonial state was influential in imposing the 'culture of silence' and fear in the lives of ordinary people. As such, a defining feature of the neo-colonial state, it is argued, is a 'culture of silence'. Definitions and analysis of the neo-colonial state follow lines of arguments put forward by African writes such as Claude Ake, Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Mahmood Mamdani. Within this broad paradigm of neo-colonialism, and analysis of Banda's Malawi is developed which pays particular attention to a 'culture of silence'. This in turn leads to an examination of the effect of liberalization on political and civic space in Malawi.