Life in Malawi

Life in Southern Africa

Author: Cecilia Lawrence

Paperback: 136 pages

Publisher: Continental Press (20 June 2010)

ISBN-10: 9987932282

ISBN-13: 9789987932283

Life in Malawi

General Background

MALAWI is located in East Africa. But it's usually not considered to be an East African country like Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania because it's located further south. It's in the southeastern part of the continent and is considered to be part of southern Africa.

It's also part of south-central Africa and was once a member of the Central African Federation during British colonial rule.

The federation was also known as the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Malawi was then known as Nyasaland. It changed its name after independence.

The federation was composed of Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe; Northern Rhodesia, renamed Zambia; and Nyasaland.

Malawi is one of the smallest countries in Africa in terms of area. But it's also one of the most densely populated in the world.

It's a landlocked country, heavily dependent on Mozambique as an outlet to the sea. Access to the Indian Ocean is normally by rail to the port of Beira in the former Portuguese colony.

Malawi is bordered by Tanzania on the north and northeast; Mozambique on the east, south and southwest; and by Zambia on the west and northwest. And it's separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Nyasa.

The lake is shared by all three countries. During the reign of Life-President Kamuzu Banda, Malawi claimed the entire lake and renamed it Lake Malawi. The claim was disputed by Tanzania. And the dispute continues today.

What's interesting about this border dispute is that during colonial rule, both countries – which were then known as Nyasaland and Tanganyika – were ruled by the same colonial power: Britain. And all the maps during that period showed the boundary between the two countries ran in the middle of the lake. The lake was also known as Lake Nyasa.

The maps were issued by the British colonial rulers. And they were used in government offices and in schools in Tanganyika and Nyasaland showing that both countries shared the lake.

Yet the British did nothing to change the boundary and the name of the lake. That's because they knew there was nothing wrong with the boundary and the name of the lake.

They also knew there was nothing wrong with the maps showing the boundary running in the middle of the lake. because it was they, together with the Germans, who drew the demarcation line between Nyasaland and Tanganyika.

Tanganyika was then known as German East Africa and was ruled by Germany. And Nyasaland was ruled by Britain. After the Germans lost World War I, the British took over Tanganyika.

If the boundary was wrong, the British would have changed it when they ruled both Nyasaland and Tanganyika.

They also would have changed the maps and even the name of the lake.

They would not have allowed the maps to be issued and to be used in government offices and in schools in both countries – Tanganyika and Nyasaland – if the maps were wrong.

Fortunately, the boundary dispute has not escalated into war. The two countries have enjoyed very good relations through the years since the end of Banda's reign.

One of the best ways to resolve the matter is unification. If the two countries unite under one government and form one country, the boundary won't exist anymore. But that seems to be remote possibility. And historically, the two countries have never had strong ties until recently, especially since the mid- and late 1990s after the end of Banda's rule.

Banda was an Anglophile. Called Ngwazi, or ("Fearless Warrior,") he was mesmerised by Britain.

He modeled his government on the British Parliament and built Kamuzu Academy as a private school patterned after Eton. Only the brightest and wealthiest were able to attend; students were required to wear uniforms with straw boater hats and played cricket and rugby.

British influence is still strong in Malawi, clearly evident, among other things, in the way the people dress and speak; how they drive – always on the left side of the road; in the existence of roundabouts in towns and speed bumps on roads; and the use of school uniforms.

Dr. Banda left an indelible mark on Malawi. The history of Malawi during the post-colonial era until his death was inextricably linked with his life.

With the fly whisk of a king and the homburg of a banker, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda saw himself as the supreme ruler of Malawi – and he was. And it's almost impossible to understand post-colonial Nyasaland – renamed Malawi after independence – without knowing and undersating who Banda was. According to a report from Johannesburg, South Africa, entitled “Kamuzu Banda Dies; 'Big Man' Among Anticolonialists,” in The New York Times, Thursday, November 27, 1997:

“Hastings Kamuzu Banda, a founding father in postcolonial Africa who led Malawi to independence in 1964 and then ruled it with a combination of caustic wit, eccentricity and cruelty for 30 years, died on Tuesday night in a hospital here.

Dr. Banda died of respiratory failure. He had been at the Garden City Clinic here for a week with pneumonia and fever after being transferred from a Malawian hospital. There is no record of his birth date; the clinic gave his age as 99, but Government documents during his rule would have made him about 90.

His longtime companion, Cecelia Kadzamira, was with him. She was giving updates on his condition, which apparently deteriorated after he seemed to be recovering two days ago. Many Malawians came to the hospital to wish him well, she said, and the Malawi Government had been very helpful.

That was no doubt a pleasant surprise: Dr. Banda generated mixed feelings among Malawians.

Many regarded him as the father of their nation, the former British Nyasaland, a Pennsylvania-sized splinter of land between Zambia and Mozambique. But after a revolt within his cabinet, he declared himself President for Life in 1971 and said his opponents would become 'food for crocodiles.'

Hundreds were killed, tortured or forced into exile -- and yet Malawi, which describes itself in tourist brochures as 'the warm heart of Africa,' managed to keep its reputation among Africans as a pocket of gentle-spirited people.

Dr. Banda was perhaps the most idiosyncratic of the 'big men' who led their countries out of colonialism. He held degrees from American and Scottish universities and his London medical offices became a sort of anticolonialist salon frequented by Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya and Kwame Nkrumah of the Gold Coast (now Ghana).

But once in power, Dr. Banda simultaneously affected the lion-tail fly whisk of an African king, the dark suits and homburgs of a British businessman and the arms of a Scottish baron. He refused to make speeches in African languages and established a school modeled on Eton in his birthplace, Mtunthama, where penniless students were taught Latin, Greek and African history from the British point of view. He hired only white foreigners to teach at the school and to run the ministries and businesses that built his personal fortune.

Under his rule, Malawi spurned black nationalist movements and was the only African nation with diplomatic ties to apartheid South Africa and to Israel. He was the darling of cold warriors and big business, and amassed power in his own hands, keeping the Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture and Public works to himself, as well as the trusteeship of the state monopolies in tobacco farming, factories, oil and banking.

He was also the rector of the state university and the dominant figure in the local Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

He never married and said he had no children, but lived with Miss Kadzamira, his 'official hostess,' for 30 years. Victorian in his demands on public morality, he banned women from wearing pants or miniskirts. Long-haired male tourists arriving in Malawi either submitted to shearing by the airport barber or went home.

He also banned television, though he watched it himself by satellite, and prevented the Simon and Garfunkel song 'Cecelia' from being played on local radio, considering it an affront to his consort. He referred to Malawi's 10 million citizens as ''my children'' and was said to be deeply embittered when they turned him out in 1994.

There was always a Potemkin-village quality about his reign. Dr. Banda proudly claimed that Malawi was self-sufficient in food, but an annual ritual -- his visit to a field bursting with grain -- was carefully stage-managed in special fields seeded with hybrid plants artificially watered and fertilized. In fact, malnutrition was widespread by the late 1980's, with one child in five dying died before the age of 5.

Such extraordinarily suffering was a result partly of poor harvests, and partly of Government demands that peasants grow tobacco and other crops for export. One year, protesting farmers chopped down the model field he was to visit. Dr. Banda simply went to another.

His sleek capital, Lilongwe, was built with South African money and South Africa underwrote and trained the red-shirted Young Pioneers, a paramilitary youth group that spied on citizens and terrorized dissidents. And in one of the world's smallest and poorest nations, where the per-capita income was $200 a year, Dr. Banda kept five residences, a fleet of British luxury cars and a private jet.

Dr. Banda was born near the turn of the century of Chewa parents who named him Kamuzu -- Little Root -- because a shaman's root medicine apparently cured his mother's barrenness. He chose the name Hastings later, after a missionary he admired.

His first education was at a Church of Scotland mission, but he left at a young age to run away to South Africa. Malawian legend has it that he walked the 1,000 miles, but took two years because he stopped to work as a hospital orderely and a water-pumper in a mine.

After eight years as a clerk at a Johannesburg gold mine, studying at night, he won help from a Methodist bishop to come to the United States. He studied at the Wilberforce Institute in Xenia, Ohio, and at Indiana University before becoming the only black to graduate from the University of Chicago in 1931.

He received an M.D. from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, then moved to Britain to train at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh and study tropical medicine in Liverpool.

He prospered as a physician in suburban London, but in 1953, furious that Britain had allowed the establishment of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland instead of taking power away from white expatriates, he moved to the Gold Coast, now Ghana, and railed against British treachery. Despite their fear of his firebrand tendencies, the colonial authorities let him return in 1958 to lead the Nyasaland African Congress.

He had apparently forgotten his native tongue, but got an uproarious welcome when he told his audience in English, borrowing from Patrick Henry, 'In Nyasaland, we mean to be masters. And if that is treason, make the most of it.'

Riots broke out, and he spent a year in prison in Rhodesia before being released to lead his new Malawi Congress party to victory in a 1961 election. He told white settlers to accept majority rule 'or pack up.' Sixty-five years of British rule ended in 1963 and the Federation dissolved in 1964, and he became Prime Minister of a nation that adopted a red, black and green flag with a rising sun as its symbol.

He took the presidency when Malawi became a Republic in 1966. Over the years, his rule became more idiosyncratic and more vicious. Former allies died in jail and rioters died in the streets. Toward the end, he suffered from senility, had brain surgery in 1993 and seemed very dependent on Miss Kadzamira and her uncle, John Tembo, the Minister of State.

In 1994, under pressure from Western nations who cut off aid to enforce demands for democratic reforms, he called elections. He was defeated by Bakili Muluzi, a former protégé who had resigned from the Cabinet in 1982 suspecting he was about to be killed. His replacement, Mr. Muluzi said, was murdered.

After Dr. Banda was removed, he was tried for the 1983 murder of three Cabinet minsters and a Member of Parliament who were beaten to death with crowbars and hammers by the police and stuffed into a blue Peugot that was then pushed over a cliff in a staged accident. He was excused from court because of sickness, and ultimately was acquitted.

The Malawi Government said today that Dr. Banda would be given a state funeral on Dec. 3 with a 19-gun salute and military honors. He is to lie in state at New State House in Lilongwe beginning on Friday.”

And he kept his country isolated from the rest of Africa except apartheid South Africa and other white-ruled territories in the region – Rhodesia and Mozambique – with whom he maintained ties in defiance of the wishes of other independent countries on the continent.

But today, Malawi serves as vital link between East Africa and Southern Africa. And it has excellent relations with a country – Tanzania – with whom it was at odds during the liberation struggle in southern Africa. Tanzania was the headquarters of the liberation movements in Africa and strongly supported the freedom fighters in southern Africa while Malawi, under Banda, did not.

Malawi is divided into three administrative regions: Northern, Central and Southern.

The capital of Malawi is Lilongwe. It's roughly located in the centre of the country.

The largest city is Blantyre. It's also the nation's commercial centre and is named after the birthplace in Scotland of the first European to discover Lake Nyasa, the English explorer Dr. David Livingstone.

The Great Rift Valley runs through the country from north to south. To the east of the valley lies Lake Nyasa, also known as Lake Malawi to Malawians. In neighbouring Tanzania, it's always called Lake Nyasa, not Lake Malawi.

The lake makes up about three-quarters of Malawi's eastern boundary. Lake Nyasa is 365 miles long and 52 miles wide. It's sometimes called the Calendar Lake because of that.

There is one main river in Malawi: The Shire. It flows from the south end of Lake Nyasa and joins the Zambezi River farther south in Mozambique.

The Zambezi, also spelled as Zambesi, is one of the largest and longest rivers in Africa. It's the fourth-longest. And it's the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean.

Twenty per cent of Malawi's landmass consists of water.

The topography varies from the high Nyika plateau in the north to the Shire River valley in the south that is an extension of the Great Rift Valley. In the far southeast corner is Mount Mulanje. It's the highest mountain in Malawi and one of the highest in Africa.

Malawi has a hot climate in the low-lying areas in the south and a temperate climate in the northern highlands.

The Shire Highlands located east of the Shire River in the southern part of Malawi is a major agricultural area. It's also the most densely-populated part of the country.

Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world and even in Africa itself. Most of the people live in the rural areas. And its economy is based on agriculture. The country has few minerals.

Agriculture accounts for more than 90 per cent of Malawi's export earnings, contributes 45 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), and supports 90 per cent of the population.

Malawi has some of the most fertile land in the region. Almost 70 percent of the country's agricultural produce comes from small-holder farmers.

The main crops are tobacco, tea, sugarcane, cotton, maize, sweet potatoes, groundnuts and sorghum.

Livestock, especially cattle and goats, are also an important part of the economy.

The main industries are tobacco, coffee, tea and sugar processing, sawmill products, cement and a variety of consumer goods, mainly import-substitution items.

Tobacco is the main foreign-exchange earner. It accounts for about 70 per cent of export revenues. But such heavy dependence on tobacco places a heavy burden on the economy as world prices decline and the international community increases pressure to limit tobacco production.

The country also relies heavily on tea, sugar and coffee. Together with tobacco, they constitute more than 90 per cent of Malawi's export revenue.

Other exports include cotton, groundnuts, wood products and apparel.

The most common food in Malawi is nsima. It's a standard dish of boiled maize flour. It's a thick porridge eaten with beans, meat or vegetables.

Rice, potatoes and cassava are also common food items.

Fish are also an important part of the diet. There are plenty of fish in Lake Nyasa. Others are caught in rivers and small lakes.

Fruits also are plentiful in Malawi. They include mangoes, melons, oranges, bananas, and pineapples.

Also, millions of people in villages and even in towns have chickens. They eat chicken and also have an ample supply of eggs.

Because foods are not widely imported, the availability of agricultural products depends on the growing season.

Tomatoes, onions, bananas and a few varieties of greens are available year round.

Other fruits and vegetables such as pineapples, guavas, mangoes, papayas, tangerines, lemons, cucumbers, eggplants, carrots, green peppers, and cabbage are also available depending on the season and region.

Foods that can be stored easily – such as groundnuts, maize, and beans – can be purchased cheaply at harvest time but increase in price as the year progresses.

And some fresh food products are imported. They include grapes, strawberries, garlic, broccoli and cauliflower from South Africa and Zimbabwe. These are sold outside import shops in the cities. But the cost is high and most Malawians can't afford that.

The biggest market for Malawian products in Africa is South Africa, followed by Zimbabwe.

And the countries on the continent which are the major source of products destined for Malawi are South Africa, Zambia and Tanzania.

But like all other countries on the continent, Malawi also exports its products to other countries outside Africa. And it imports goods from overseas.

The country had a population of about 14 million in 2009. But the AIDS pandemic has had a profound impact on population growth. And it remains a major problem as in many other countries in the region and elsewhere in Africa.

Although the vast majority of the people are black African, significant numbers of whites and people of Asian descent also live in Malawi. Whites are mostly British, and Asians mostly Indian and Pakistani. They live mostly in towns and cities unlike their black counterparts more than 80 per cent of whom live in villages in the rural areas throughout Malawi.

Black Malawians are members of extended families so common across Africa. A common feature of extended families is cooperation among family members and even with neighbours not related to them. Many Malawians live with their extended families in huts or houses which are grouped together to form villages.

Malawi has a number of ethnic groups or tribes. They are of Bantu origin.

They include the Chewa, Tumbuka, Yao, Ngoni, Tonga, Ngonde also known as Nyakyusa (I am a Nyakyusa myself), Lomwe, and Sena.

Others include the Ndali and the Lambya who also live in Tanzania like the Nyakyusa do. More than 1 million Nyakyusas live in Tanzania, and fewer than that in Malawi. The three groups straddle the Tanzanian-Malawian border.

The Chewa are the largest ethnic group in Malawi. They live mostly in the central and southern parts of the country.

The Yao, who live around the southern area of Lake Nyasa, are also a major tribe in southern Tanzania and in Mozambique.

English is the official language of Malawi. It's widely spoken in the country, especially in main towns. You can also find people who speak English even in remote rural areas.

The main African language spoken in Malawi is Chichewa. It's spoken by almost 60 per cent of the population.

The other major languages are Chinyanja, spoken by about 13 per cent, Chiyao spoken by more than 10 per cent, and Chitumbuka spoken by almost 10 per cent.

Another language spoken by a large number of people in Malawi is Ngonde-Nyakyusa. It's spoken by 300,000 in northern Malawi bordering Tanzania; followed by Lomwe spoken by 250,000 in the southeastern part of the country. Lomwe is also spoken in Mozambique. And there is a variation in the language resulting in two distinct varieties: Malawian Lomwe and Mozambican Lomwe.

Another language spoken by a significant number of people in Malawi is Kokola. It's spoken by around 200,000 people, also in the southeast like Lomwe.

Sena – Malawian Sena – is spoken by around 270,000 in southern Malawi.

Tonga is spoken by around 170,000 in the north.

Other languages include Ndali spoken by around 70,000 in the northwestern part of Malawi bordering Tanzania, and Lambya spoken by about 45,000 also in the northwest.

Most of the people in Malawi are Christian. According to 2007 estimates, approximately 80 per cent of the population is Christian. The Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Central African Presbyterians – also known as CCAP – are the largest churches.

There are other Christian denominations. But they are much smaller than the Catholic Church and the Presbyterian Church of Central Africa. They include the Anglican, Baptist, Evangelical and Seventh-Day Adventist churches.

Jehovah Witnesses are also an integral part of life in Malawi. And they have had an impact on the country in terms of national image because of the mistreatment they suffered at the hands of the authorities during President Banda's autocratic rule. Their sect was outlawed by Banda's regime. However, Dr. Banda's successor, Bakili Muluzi, restored its legal status in 1995 and Jehovah Witnesses have thrived since then.

Christianity has had the biggest impact on Malawi more than any other religious faith unlike, for example, in neighbouring Tanzania where Islam has been equally competitive with Christianity claiming about the same number of adherents – roughly 35 per cent Moslem and 35 per cent Christian – with the remainder being followers of traditional religions and other faiths.

And like everywhere else in Africa, the impact of Christianity in Malawi has been both positive and negative.

Some of the biggest achievements by Christian missionaries include provision of education and medical services.

On the negative side has been erosion of traditional values, customs and traditions under the influence of Christianity which in many cases is synonymous with Western civilisation:

“Christianity has a huge presence in Malawi . Until 2001, Bible Knowledge was a required subject for all Malawian secondary school students – it has since been replaced with a Religious Education curriculum that includes other world religions.

Christianity was first introduced to Malawians by David Livingstone and other missionaries who worked along the lake shore in the late 1800’s.

Christianity spread rapidly under British colonialism despite an initially hostile welcome.

Now most villages have a mission or an extension of some Christian sect. Some of the missions provide vocational training, schools, or hospitals at low cost for the local community.

Services are in the local language in all areas and areas with large populations of whites/expatriates may offer services in English.

Although Christianity has had a number of positive influences on Malawi (i.e. education and provision of health care institutions), it has not been without cost.

In many cases Christianity considers traditional beliefs and ways of living to be incompatible or inferior, and as a result, these cultural values have dwindled, if not disappeared altogether.

Which is not to say that traditional beliefs do not have a place in contemporary Malawian spiritual life. Despite a strong mission presence in Malawi ’s history and society, the Christianity that Malawians practice does not completely conform to a Western model.

For many Malawians, Western Christian beliefs are intertwined with traditional African practices and beliefs. For example, it is not uncommon to find men who consider themselves Christians, but have multiple wives or mistresses.

In addition, many Malawian Christians consult traditional healers or even participate in the traditional beliefs of Gule Wamkulu. While these practices are not necessarily non-Christian, they are different from the traditional Anglo-Saxon variety of Christianity with which Americans are familiar.

The second most prominent religion in Malawi is Islam – Muslims make up 15-20% of the population.

Islam was introduced by Arab slave traders who traveled largely by boat. They reached Malawi via the lake in the early 1800’s, and converted tribes along the lake shore.

The people of the Yao tribe along the southern lake shore are most strongly associated with Islam. Almost every village in the areas of Balaka, Machinga, and Mangochi has a mosque. Many women in these areas wear veils that cover their heads, but not their faces, and some boys learn Arabic and Kiswahili to pursue study of the Koran.

Conflict between Christians and Muslims is rare in Malawi ; when it does erupt, as occurred in mid-2003, it is usually politically motivated.

Political affiliation, religious persuasion, and tribal identity are closely bound together in Malawi, and mosques are one of the most visible elements of that identity.

Outside of election time, relations between Christianity and Islam are quite calm. Malawians are generally tolerant of the three Old Testament religions, and tend to be more concerned about whether or not a person actively worships a god than what form that worship takes.

Indigenous beliefs and religions make up approximately 5% of the population, though they are rarely discussed, especially in Christian circles. Nonetheless, their influence is profound: nearly every market has a section or two for the local African doctor’s medicines, and Gule Wamkulu dancers are present at many funerals.

Gule is an animistic religion common among the Chewa tribe in the central region. In Gule Wamkulu, the “big dance,” leading dancers are elaborately costumed in ragged cloths, animal skins and usually a mask, all of which are designed to project the spirit they embody while dancing.

The dancers themselves form a secret society that follows stringent initiation practices and meets in cemeteries – a practice which sets them apart from ordinary Chewa. Generally, cemeteries are taboo for any purpose other than a funeral.” - (Friends of Malawi (FOM), “Religion in Malawi”).

There is, of course, a significant Muslim population as noted above, but estimates vary. Some say about 13 per cent of Malawians are Muslim, mostly Sunni. The Yao constitute the largest number of Muslims among native Africans.

There are also Hindus, Jews, Baha'is, Rastafarians and others. A significant number of people, including Christian converts, are also adherents of traditional religious practices.

Traditional religious beliefs are deeply rooted in traditional African societies especially in the rural areas. And Malawi is no exception. It's an integral part of African culture. That's why even many Christians have not entirely abandoned their traditional religious practices. Many of them still make offerings to departed ancestors. Some of the offerings include animal sacrifices in different parts of Africa.

Usually people who have been converted to Christianity won't admit that. And many Africans who have been modernised – euphemism for westernised – or urbanised shun those practices.

But a significant number of them still practise traditional religious beliefs and make offerings to appease ancestral spirits and seek guidance from them. And there are such people in Malawi just like in other African countries.

There is also a major difference between the people in the rural areas and those who live in towns.

People in the rural areas are more conservative and have great respect for traditional values and customs deeply rooted in African culture.

Among many urban dwellers, there has been an erosion of African culture – values and customs – threatening to weaken or undermine their identity as Africans; a problem compounded by propagation of alien ideas and values.

Many Africans in urban areas are mesmerised by Western civilisation which has had a profound impact on the people of Malawi and others across Africa since colonial times even in some parts of the rural areas. They think foreign influence, especially Western, is better than their African traditional way of life.

But in spite of all that, African culture is still strong in Malawi.

One of the most important aspects of Malawian culture is traditional music and dances. Marriage ceremonies and initiation rites are some of the social and religious activities accompanied by traditional music and dances in different parts of Malawi.

In fact, music from Malawi has had a big impact beyond its borders on countries such as Zimbabwe and South Africa which have drawn a large number of immigrants from that country through the years. This has been going on for decades since colonial times when many people from Nyasaland – now Malawi – went to work in the mines in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and in South Africa.

One of the best and most well-known kinds of music which originated from Nyasaland in Kwela. It became extremely popular in South Africa where it assumed the status of “national” music. And it's now claimed as South African music, and as a product of South Africa, although it actually originated in Nyasaland.

Efforts are also being made to preserve and promote traditional music in Malawi. According to a report on BBC Africa by Nikki Jecks entitled “Reviving Malawi's Music Heritage,” 6 August 2009:

“You might not think you know much about Malawian music, but chances are you have heard it, or at least musicians influenced by it.

African music in general first came to international attention in the 1950s with the popularity of 'kwela' in the urban townships of Johannesburg.

South Africa claims kwela for its own, but Kenny Gilmore, the director of a documentary that charts the history of Malawian music, says kwela was actually popularised in South Africa by Malawian musicians.

'The founding fathers of kwela kwela, a lot, not all of them, were Malawian, Malawi's never been that famous so nobody hears about them,' he told the BBC World Service.

'Then they take a holiday down to South Africa, play some music, then, boom, the kwela kwela revolution [happens] and everybody thinks its South African.'

Even a capella made famous by groups like Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and more contemporary styles like Afro-jazz, both owe much of their distinct style to Malawian musicians according to Mr Gilmore.

Melting pot

Malawi has nine tribal and linguistic groups, each possessing its own traditional dances and indigenous rhythms.

'True African music all comes from a traditional dance somewhere...and Malawi has got unique dances with unique rhythms,' he says.

He cites dances such as the Chewa's masked 'Gule Wamkulu' (the big dance); the Ngoni's 'Ingoma' war dance; the Beni military dance; and the healing 'Vimbuza' spirit dance of the Tumbuka.

But sadly only a handful of these were recorded in the 1940s and 1950s.

Inspired by the late musical archivist Alan Lomax's famous journey to collect early blues recordings in the deep American South, for six weeks last year Mr Gilmore and his team travelled to villages across Malawi hoping to document and record some of this musical heritage, both past and present.

He hoped to record as much as possible of what is left of these traditions before the memories and the music are gone forever.

'Outside Malawi you never hear the words 'music' and 'Malawi' next to each other. I went to Cape Town record shops, nothing, London, nothing, America, New York, nothing.

'I'm on a mission to change it, I think the world needs to hear music and Malawi in the same sentence.'

Using a portable studio, musicians from Malawi's most rural and remote areas were given the opportunity to record, promote and preserve their musical heritage.

What the team got was a mix of individual musicians, small groups and cultural dance troupes, some of it purely traditional, some of it more of a fusion of traditional with contemporary and jazz influences.

'Sometimes you get these places in the world when you get these really interesting melting pots of cultures,' says Mr Gilmore.

'You have the Congolese influence just above Malawi, you've got the Zambian influence to the west, you've got Zimbabwe to the east and you've got South Africa to the south.

'These country boundaries actually mean nothing in cultural terms - so all these great influences come into Malawi, mixing - we've got a unique musical melting pot.'

'Massive riotous party'

Well-known Malawian musician and politician Lucius Banda says what makes Malawi music so special and deserving of greater interest is the way it has absorbed other influences into its musical traditions, making them their own.

'Malawi music is different, the special thing about Malawi music is [that it is] so cultural,' he says.

'South Africa has disco and other Western influences. But Malawian music is quite unique in its own perspective.'

One such influence which dramatically influenced the country's musical style was the banjo.

The banjo was brought back to Malawi by soldiers who had served in East and Western African battalions during WWII.

The banjo and blue grass influences were infused with traditional beats and dominated the country's music for nearly 20 years.

In the 1970s jazz made an appearance in Malawi, then in more recent times has come gospel, reggae and pop influences.

But what is most special about Malawi music according to Mr Gilmore is not the way it has fused the traditional with the contemporary - it is its energy and passion.

'I've played round the world and most of the times you get the beginning and it's warming up, people not getting too excited, then there's a kind of warm phase.

'In Malawi, from the first song boom, the whole club just kind of ignites in a fire bomb and it carries on until the last.

'The bartenders have left the bar, security have left the gate, someone's climbed over the fence you can see the whole nearby village dancing next to the gate.

'It's just a massive riotous party and it just leaves me filled with so much happiness.'”

The same report was also published in a Malawian newspaper, The Daily Times, 12 August 2009.

The people of Malawi are also known for making baskets and carvings some of which have won international acclaim. These products are very popular with tourists. They are also popular in urban areas where they are sold to foreigners and other people including Malawians themselves.

Through the years especially since independence, the people of Malawi have achieved a remarkable degree of unity transcending tribal loyalties and differences, although they have not been as successful as their counterparts in neighbouring Tanzania where tribalism has never been a major problem. But Malawians are more united than many other people in a number of countries on the continent.

Yet, in spite of all that success, regional loyalties remain strong in Malawi in some cases; for example, during national elections when politicians and their supporters exploit regional differences and capitalise on ethno-regional loyalties.

Major political parties are somewhat aligned along regional lines. Most of the Chewa identify with the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) which ruled Malawi for about 30 years under the leadership of President Hastings Kamuzu Banda, the most prominent Chewa in the country's post-colonial history.

The United Democratic Front is strong among the Yao and other groups in the Southern Region. It also produced a president, Bakili Muluzi, a Yao and a Muslim, who succeeded Banda in 1994 after winning the first multi-party elections in Malawi's history since independence.

Tribalism also remains a problem but not of the virulent kind as in Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi where ethnic rivalries have led to bloodshed. In fact, it almost destroyed Kenya in 2007. That's unthinkable in Malawi.

The people

The people of Malawi are known for their hospitality. Many people who visit Malawi return to their home countries with fond memories of the people they met in this country. Malawi is also known as “the warm heart of Africa” because of the warmth and friendliness of the people.

The Chewa, who constitute the largest ethnic group in Malawi, are closely related to the people who live around them. These are mostly the Tumbuka and the Nsenga.

The Chewa are also historically related to the Bemba of Zambia. The Bemba are the largest ethnic group in Zambia. And like all the Bantu groups in East, Central and Southern Africa, they all trace their origin to what is now the Democratic of Congo (DRC) and, before then, West Africa especially in Cameroon and the eastern part of Nigeria.

The Chewa are also sometimes known as Nyanja. But many of them don't like the term because the word nyanja means “lake” - in Nyakyusa language which I also speak nyanja or inyanja also means “lake” - and refers to the broader range of peoples who also speak Chewa as a first or second language.

And because Chewa is the common language in the Lake Malawi area, it is often called Nyanja, a term derived from Chinyanja which means “Language of the Lake.”

Many smaller tribes like the Ngoni, who traditionally speak a Nguni language related to Zulu, now speak Chewa/Nyanja as their mother tongue or first language.

The Chewa are divided into two subgroups or clans: the Phiri and the Banda. These are also some of the most well-known names for individuals in Malawi, including some of the nation's most prominent leaders through the years.

Chewa society is matrilineal. The language is called Chichewa and it's also related to Shona, the main language spoken in Zimbabwe. This linguistic affinity points to a common origin in the Congo.

Like the Chewa and the Bemba, the Shona also migrated from what is today the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Bemba settled in what's Zambia today; the Shona moved further south to Zimbabwe, and the Chewa went southeast, settling in what came to be known as Malawi.

The first president of Malawi, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, was a Chewa. It was also during his reign that Chichewa became the national language of Malawi. But English is still the official language as it has always been since colonial times. However, it was not until 1968 – about two years after independence – that Chewa and English were made the official languages of Malawi.

And, coincidentally, the capital of Malawi – Lilongwe – is also located in the homeland of the Chewa in the Central Region.

As the largest ethnic group, the Chewa are scattered throughout the country. But the vast majority of them still live in the Central Region.

The Chewa also live in Zambia and constitute one of the ethnic groups in that country.

And since they are representative of Malawi in some fundamental respects as the largest ethnic group and as the custodians of the “national language” since it's their indigenous language as well, it's important to take a comprehensive look at them; not only because of their status in Malawi but also on the continent as one of Africa's most prominent groups:

“The Chewa are predominantly concentrated within the central region, surrounding the capital city of Lilongwe, in areas such as Dedza, Kasungu, Dowa, Ntchisi, Mchinjui, Ntcheu, Salima, and Nkhota Kota....

Although English has been the official language in Malawi since 1968, Chichewa has remained the national language, meaning present day Malawian culture includes significant Chewa influence.

For the Chewa, this is empowering – meaning education systems, health care, publications, governing boards, and radio broadcasts all utilize Chichewa, opening a wide opportunity of exposure to an outside world....

Man-made borders are useless to people whose culture originates from descendants of a different type of unity. Perhaps Chewa now consider their identity as Malawian and Bantu, or perhaps they have simply learned to fulfill the duties of a number of identities in order to better their own livelihood.

Although Malawians demonstrate comparatively strong national unity, the Chewa have not lost their tribal unifications and divisions.

Within the Chewa there exist various clans; cousins if you will. The Banda and Phiri clans, for example, represent some of the largest groups, evident through the popularity of this clan name as a surname.

Traditionally, stories also hold that the Chewa themselves came from a merger of the Banda and Phiri clans....

Chewa Traditions

The Chewa believe that living things were created by God – Chiuta – on the mountain of Kapirintiwa, which borders present day Malawi and Mozambique.

Ancestors and spirits of other living creatures play an important part in present day society by being in constant contact with the living world, predominately (sic) through dance of those initiated to Nyau, or secret societies.

'Gule Wamkulu,' literally meaning 'big dance,' have become a sort of title for secret societies of traditional Chewa religious practices.

The Gule Wamkulu ceremonies consist of formally organized dances to admire the remarkable physical abilities of these individuals – considered to be adept at their dance as a result of their spiritual state.

Informally, Gule Wamkulu, or 'Gule,' is a term associated with anyone who participates in the rituals of these secret societies.

The peak season for Gule occurs in July, with young men dressed as ancestral animals, trees, or in masks of ancestral spirits.

The Gule themselves are initiated through formal ceremony into this society.

Gule are considered to be in ‘animal state’ when they are dressed in such attire, and are not to be approached.

If one has the misfortune of passing a Gule on the road, traditional behavior consists of dropping a few coins for the Gule – never handing them the money directly for fear they will grab you and take you to the cemetery for ritual purposes.

Generally, it is best to avoid Gule in informal situations. In their animal or ancestral state, they are unpredictable.

Within the village, Gule may appear in small groups of 4 or 5 and villagers do their best to avoid any encounters.

Gule are common in the afternoons, a strong incentive for tending to all business outside the home in the early hours.

These secret societies have allowed for a close knit kinship between members of the Chewa – and equally divided them from neighbor groups.

In a village known for its abundance of Gule’s, I once made the mistake of making my way back home in the late afternoon. As the Gule’s ran through the village, I ran too – into the opening door of a stranger.

A local village woman who did not know me flung open her door offering her home as a sanctuary. Together we watched – unable to speak each other’s language – as the Gule ran past her window. I understood that it is not only the Gule Wamkulu themselves who receive the feeling of community, and solidarity, but also they who provide such to the rest of us.

The following day I planned to leave the village, but villagers suggested I wait a few more days until the festivities of Gule’s had passed. By doing so, it was anticipated that during my two-mile journey to the main road I would encounter fewer Gule’s.

In my urgency to leave, I summoned the help of a middle-aged man who had an ‘exemption’ from Gule harm. The man was lucky enough to own a bicycle and he traveled quite frequently to town. Because he was at risk for increased interaction with Gule, he had requested to witness the Gule ceremonies.

After paying a small sum of money, he had become a sort of honorary Gule, to whom no harm would come. He had 'bought the way.'

But he still would not accompany me on my journey to the main road.

'I will take you in two days; I don’t want money to take you now…wait two days and we will go.'

Take me in two days he did – and our trip was Gule free!

Formally, the Gule Wamkulu dance is performed when the headman requests such festivities, generally corresponding with weddings, funerals, or initiation rite ceremonies.

The dances are a great source of celebration, and although the mystery and excitement still surrounds the presence of the Gule Wamkulu, the community reacts to their show with great giddiness and giggles.

There are a number of traditional dances of the Gule Wamkulu, all performed for various events.

The 'Zilombo,' or masked dancers, perform with extraordinary movements and energy, wearing elaborate traditional masks and attire.

According to local folklore, it is said that the Queen of England witnessed a traditional Gule Wamkulu celebration, and was so captivated she asked to take some home; a request that was unfulfilled.

Masks worn by the Gule Wamkulu include thousands of different representations – generally each developed hundreds of years ago by unique tribes, and accented with their own individual touch – for example one accenting bright colors, one dark.

Today, these masks, with their different origins, are part of what is now the Chewa culture.

The female version of Gule Wamkulu, called Chisamba, occurs for female initiation rituals. During this ceremony a woman is taken into a private room, and instructed by her elders of how to be a proper woman.

The solidarity of these women does not diminish after the ceremony, but rather is rooted during this event. The celebratory Chisamba dance accompanies this event. Historically, a number of initiation practices have been involved – today these words of wisdom and celebratory event comprise the event.

The presence of Christian missionaries has resulted in large numbers of converts throughout Malawi – although this was not always the case.

In the 19th century, converts to Christianity from all tribes were often asked to cut all ties with other Chewa.

It is believed that Christianity among the Chewa has increased in part because of the Dutch missionary influence since the mid 1980’s.

However, the Gule Wamkulu, the Chewa language, and the Chewa traditions appear deep rooted among these people, and changing their spiritual beliefs doesn’t appear to have taken away their traditional ceremony – maybe it’s only taken away those willing to do so publicly.

Chewa Village Life

Within a Chewa village the chiefs are a central unit of rule.

Village life is somewhat self-contained, although not independent.

Typical homes have numerous commodities that are purchased or obtained through bartering.

Lamps, chairs, oil, salt, mats for sitting, pots and pans, and jewelry are commonly seen within the homes of some villagers.

Chewa communities cover a vast land area and individual communities have progressed at their own pace. Those near the main road, for example, have increasingly adjusted to outside influence while those closer to the lake have developed a dependency and connection to utilization of this body of water.

Chewa rural life revolves around agricultural activities geared towards increasing production of maize (corn), vegetables, and groundnuts. All of these crops are used for consumption, and any excess is sold either within the village or occasionally at the increasing markets scattered along the roadside.

The only crop produced predominately (sic) for sale in Chewa villages in central Malawi is tobacco.

Tobacco is started slightly before maize, however the two crops are produced during the same season. This time of year, during land preparation, planting and maintaining crops, and of course the tremendously important harvest, provide focal points for the year.

Because of the physical structure of the village, most farmland is located on the outskirts of the village, often requiring long walks to and from the fields. Because of this, there are generally small gardens, known as dimba, located nearby the home where vegetables and small amounts of maize are grown. If any of these crops are sold, the income usually belongs to the woman of the house.

Land ownership is determined by the village headman, and is constantly changing.

With births, marriages, and deaths come changes in one’s land allotment. Sometimes a husband and wife will have their own land, while sometimes they will share, in which case the husband decides if and how to sell the excess.

Traditionally, the Chewa were described as a matrilineal society, however the Chewa today include influences of both matrilineal and patrilineal leadership.

Landowners are considered to be of higher status, however owning more land means working more land, and this often requires hiring additional labor. This informal employment consists of hiring neighbors to work as 'Ganyu' or informal laborers.

Women and men are hired as Ganyu labor, and payment is usually made in maize itself, and is often given upon completion of a particular project. Ganyu labor is essential to the functioning of the village, and creates a strong interdependency on one another.

Children are also a valuable source of labor, with young boys beginning to assist in farm activities around the age of six or seven.

Young girls are also valuable to the functioning of these activities, as they are responsible for the laborious chores of fetching water, caring for younger children, helping their mothers cook, clean, take maize to the mill, and look after the sick.

In addition, women and children laboriously process the staple crop of maize into the commonly eaten 'Nsima.' Nsima requires much preparation; first the maize is dried, sorted, pounded, and finally cooked into a pasty patty. Routinely prepared with whatever vegetables are available, Nsima is eaten with the hands and used as a palate with which to scoop up the rest of the meal.

Since planting generally occurs around November, with the harvest seen near June, the days in between are filled with laborious work for adults and children.

From June to October, however, the days are sometimes long and filled with much more free time.

All households are required to spend a certain amount of time participating in activities that enhance village life – sometimes construction of the church, work on an elderly person's land, or simply assisting as instructed by the village headman.

In today’s modern day Chewa villages, the option exists to replace the community service hours with a simple payment to the village headman, intended as a contribution towards the community project.

Aside from community service, some village women will engage in additional income generating activities, such as the sale of small goods (usually from the house garden), or occasionally crafted or handmade goods.

Men sometimes will seek outside employment, perhaps working for daily salary in the nearby tea plantations of central Malawi, or involve in making and selling bricks, which are burned in ovens....

Often times, however, these months are filled with hardship. Households struggle to make sure their maize supply will last through these months, and to avoid the downfall of disease.

Formal village events generally include typical celebratory and mourning activities – birthdays, weddings, ritual transitions into adulthood, and the ever increasing funerals.

All celebrations are elaborate, and it is at these events that the spirit of traditional Chewa culture comes to life – that is, the spirits of Chewa ancestors, and revered animals – come to life.” - (Amy Gough, “"The Chewa." The Peoples of The World Foundation, 2004).

There are other well- known ethnic groups in Malawi. Even those not well-known outside Malawi are equally important. And I ca not cover them all in this book which focuses on other countries as well.

But I have decided to focus on the Chewa because as the largest ethnic group in the country, and because of its influence across the nation in many areas – an influence facilitated by the status of the Chewa language as the national language – it is broadly representative of Malawi across the spectrum, especially as a microcosm of the nation's demographic composition.

The culture

The culture of Malawi is predominantly black African because the vast majority of the people are black.

Different cultures of different tribes or ethnic groups collectively constitute the culture of Malawi, although there really is no single culture for the country as a whole. There is no well-defined national culture except for some attributes derived from the cultures of various tribes which are shared by the vast majority of Malawians. And those attributes have a lot do with the common history and common origin of the people of Malawi hundreds of years ago.

Therefore the cultures of the different tribes or ethnic groups are not sub-cultures of one national culture. They are independent of each other as entities with their own individual identities. Yet they are united by what they have in common.

Still, different tribes have different customs and traditions. They also have different religious beliefs. Also their music is different and their dances are different even when they have some things in common.

There are also significant regional differences. People from the northern region have a reputation for being better educated and more skilled in business. For this reason, they are mistrusted by people from the southern two-thirds of the country and efforts are made to keep them out of government positions.

They include the Tumbuka, and the Ngonde who are known as Nyakyusa in neighbouring Tanzania. Coincidentally, members of the Nyakyusa tribe in Tanzania are also some of the most highly educated people in that country together with the Chaga and the Haya.

The three tribes have virtually dominated Tanzania in terms of education since – and even before – independence. Tanzania has 126 tribes or ethnic groups, contrasted with Malawi which has only a few.

Malawi does not have a national dress. Men dress in a Western style, wearing shirts and trousers.

Women often wear traditional costumes consisting of two or three chitenjes – known in Kiswahili or Swahili as kitenge (singular) and vitenge (plural) in Tanzania. They are large pieces of coloured fabric used as a skirt, as a headdress, and as a sarong-like wrap that holds a small infant on the woman's back.

One way to distinguish between the three regions of Malawi – North, Central and South – is by the colour of the dress. Red, blue, and green represent the north, central, and southern regions, respectively.

Men dominate society as they do elsewhere across Africa. And gender roles are well-defined except in a few cases in urban areas where educated women have tried to break down gender barriers.

Still, men are in a privileged position, resulting in social inequalities. For example, historically, it is men who have had the opportunity to go to school, not only in Malawi but in other African countries. That was also the case during colonial rule.

Most of the educated people in Malawi or those who can read and write are men. At least 75 per cent of literate persons are men.

Even when food is served, men come first. And usually, men eat separately from women, using the only table in the house. The woman serves the meal to the man, often on her knees. But that's mostly in the rural areas although the practice is not uncommon in towns and cities among Malawians who stick to tradition.

And at weddings, it is customary for the bride to serve food to the husband's parents while on her knees as a sign of respect and submissiveness.

Marriages often are arranged by parents and other relatives such as uncles and aunts. That's mainly the case in the rural areas.

Dowries are presented by the bride's parents to the husband-to-be and play a significant role in the selection of a partner.

Dowries are usually in the form of livestock such as cattle, goats and even chickens, but may consists of grain or land.

Larger women often are favoured as brides because they appear to come from a well-to-do family that can provide a significant dowry and seem strong enough to carry heavy loads.

Preference for large or fat women is common in many African societies. Female relatives even over-feed girls to fatten them and make them more attractive to men as prospective brides or future wives. Men also see them as being more beautiful and attractive than smaller or skinny or thin women.

Polygamy is still practiced by a significant number of men especially those who can afford it. Sometimes the co-wives even share the same house with the husband.

But many people of the younger generation – both men and women – prefer monogamy and don't like polygamy.

Divorce is not uncommon. But it can be very hard on women because in many cases their families are reluctant to take them back They are also required to return the dowry to the husband.

Also, after divorce, the husband is entitled to all property. He gets all the couple's possessions leaving nothing for his ex-wife.

But there is closeness in kinship that's not common in some societies. Families are quite close and often live in adjoining houses. Elderly persons are taken care of by their children. And usually, the oldest members of a family have a strong voice in running the household and raising the children.

Especially important is the uncle. Male adolescents ask advice first of the uncle who is also influential in the selection of a bride.

The process of socialisation, training children to be responsible members of society, starts early as is the case in most traditional societies on the continent. Children are raised under strict family control, usually by the mother, until they leave home. And they are expected to help with the chores of daily living.

Most tasks are done by female children. Tasks include carrying water, cleaning the home, washing dishes, and going to the market to buy or sell a variety of items.

There is an emphasis on education in Malawi. Half the population over the age of fifteen can read and write, but education is reserved for those who can afford school fees and uniforms. Most children have to end their education before high school to help tend the fields or care for younger siblings.

Like most Africans, Malawians welcome and help strangers. Any visitor almost always is offered a drink and something to eat. Eating usually is done only with the right hand. The left hand is considered “dirty.”

A person approaching someone's house will often cry Odi, Odi to announce his or her presence. It sounds almost identical to the Swahili term, hodi, which means the same thing.

All that is part of ubuntu, a philosophy and way of life typical of traditional African societies. It emphasises hospitality, sharing, sympathy. What's mine is yours, and what's yours is mine. I am diminished as a human being when any human being is diminished. Your suffering is my suffering, and your joy is my joy.

That is the essence of ubuntu. And Malawians, like other Africans, take it very seriously.

Another very important aspect of Malawian life is how funerals are conducted. Reverence for life includes a long period of mourning which can last for several days.

Life is generally short because of disease including the AIDS pandemic.

Modern medicine is available but traditional healers also play a very important role. Medicine men and women provide health care for many people, especially in the rural areas, using traditional or folk medicine. They use natural medicines such as roots, herbs, and potions.

Medicine men base their healing on the assumption that most illnesses are caused by supernatural powers and that supernatural powers are required to cure them.

The individual may fall ill after offending one of the gods, through witchcraft or sorcery, or through the unprovoked attack of an evil spirit.

The task of the curer is to diagnose the disease and then apply the spiritual remedy, such as retrieving a lost soul, removing a disease-causing object, or exorcising an evil spirit.

Often medicine men are called on to help in areas not considered medical problems in the West, such as finding a wife or a lover, conceiving a child, getting a job or a scholarship, and helping in business matters.

What this clearly shows is that, in spite of Western influence which has radically transformed Malawian society in many fundamental respects including availability of modern medicine, the traditional way of life is still very strong in Malawi. Even highly educated people including Christians go to traditional healers.

Customs and traditions remain the essence of the African way of life in Malawi. And no amount of foreign influence is going to change or destroy that.

Towns and Cities

Malawi is one of the least urbanised countries in Africa. And it does not have large towns or cities even by African standards.

There are only four major urban centres in Malawi: Blantyre, Lilongwe, Zomba and Mzuzu.

More than any other urban centre in Malawi, Blantyre has attracted the largest number of people from all parts of the country for a variety of reasons.

It's the largest city in Malawi. It's the nation's financial and commercial centre. It's the most cosmopolitan, with all the glitter and glamour associated with city life and cultural diversity.

It also has the widest range of opportunities across the spectrum among all the towns and cities in Malawi, attracting people from all walks of life, and in all fields, from the most humble to th most exalted.

In 2008, Blantyre had a population of more than 732,520, and still growing.

It's also contrasted with Lilongwe in one fundamental respect. While Lilongwe, as the nation's capital, is known as the political capital of Malawi, Blantyre is called Malawi's commercial capital and not just the nation's commercial centre. It's also the capital of the Southern Region and the Blantyre District.

It's located in the Shire Highlands and the geographical centre of the Southern Region.

The city is on the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley. And because of that, some prominent faults occur within and in the vicinity of the city rendering it prone to earthquakes.

The main faults and associated zones of deeply fractured bedrock run from the north of the city in a south-westerly direction, and are potential acquifers for groundwater.

In terms of demographic composition, the city is predominantly black. But there are significant numbers of whites mostly from England and other parts of Europe as well as South Africa. It had a small expatriate population of about 25,000 in 2008.

The Supreme Court of Malawi is located in Blantyre. And the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) which is the nation's broadcaster and the provider of the country's only television channel is also based in Blantyre.

Blantyre is also an education centre with constituent colleges of the University of Malawi. Other academic institutions include the College of Medicine, the Kamuzu College of Nursing, Blantyre School of Health Sciences, Malawi Polytechnic, and the Malawi College of Accountancy. There are others.

Individual entrepreneurs provide specialised training in varied fields such as management, secretarial, business, accounting, and computers.

The city also has more schools than any other urban centre in Malawi.

Blantyre was founded in 1876 through the missionary work of the Church of Scotland. It's named after the town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, where the explorer and missionary-doctor David Livingstone was born.

And its historical importance is rivaled by no other town or city in Malawi. It has many historic and cultural heritage resources which constitute a vital part of the city. And they are very important to the city's identity. They include the Museum of Malawi.

They also constitute a vital part of the city's cultural and social wellbeing and are a powerful magnet attracting businesses. They have also helped to boost tourism through the years.

Blantyre is Malawi's oldest municipality and one of the oldest urban centres in East, Central and Southern Africa. It was built before Nairobi, Harare and Johannesburg and has the longest historic and cultural heritage in the region.

Blantyre also is the nation's main manufacturing centre. A variety of industries are based in the city, including shoe and cotton manufacturing. There are also metal and plastic-producing factories.

No other urban centre in Malawi can rival that. Blantyre stands out among all the nation's towns and cities as the industrial capital of the country.

It's also a transport communications node with road, rail and air links to all parts of the country and the neighbouring countries of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia and Tanzania.

As the nation's commercial and industrial capital, Blantyre has a strong economic base for sustained economic growth. And its diversified economy offers a wide range of employment opportunities, attracting people from all parts of the country in search of better life. Its magnetic pull especially on the rural areas is irresistible, but also potential for disaster.

Uncontrolled population growth, an influx fuelled by dreams of good life in the city, may lead to urban unrest with dire consequences for the nation as a whole. Fortunately, Blantyre has not yet reached that point and has a chance to avert a catastrophe – an urban explosion which has rocked other countries in different parts of the Third World including Africa.

As a growing commercial centre, Blantyre has the potential capacity to absorb a significant number of people who continue to flock into the city. It has a strong economic sector since commerce, trade and industry – all based in Blantyre – collectively constitute a major component of the economy, second only to agriculture. This economic sector also has the greatest multiplier effect on the urban economy.

The informal sector also plays a very important role in the economic well-being of the city; a phenomenon common in other major urban centres across the continent where the subterranean economy, more often than not unregulated, is the primary source of income and means of livelihood for millions of people on the periphery of the mainstream.

A large population is a burden on the city in terms of service provision. One of those areas is health. But Blantyre still is the nation's best hope in terms of health care.

It has the biggest referral hospital in the country, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) which is run by the government. But the best hospital is run by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA). Blantyre Adventist Hospital and Mwaiwathu Private (PVT) Hospital are the best medical facilities in Malawi.

Following the liberalisation policy, the city has witnessed the establishment of many private clinics and hospitals. The majority of them offer out-patient services. And the few well-established ones offer both out-patient and in-patient services. Besides the city-based health services, many city residents make regular use of mission hospitals which are located outside the city.

Traditional healers (herbalists) and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) also play an important role in providing health care to the city residents in the form of curative and maternal delivery services respectively.

The health delivery system of the city is grossly inadequate.

The public hospital wards are very congested and long queues are characteristic of outpatients services.

The average clinic-population ratio for the city is between 25,000 and 28,000 persons per clinic, and the unplanned settlements are the least served with over 40,000 persons per clinic, compared with the recommended urban planning standard of 10,000 persons per clinic.

Mwaiwathu Private Hospital and Blantyre Adventist Hospital not only provide the best medical services in the city; they serve the whole country.

Many residents from the nation's capital Lilongwe – including high-raking government officials and their families – travel to Blantyre to receive treatment from the two hospitals. Also, other people from different parts of Malawi travel long distances to go to Blantyre and get treatment at these hospitals.

It is a searing indictment against the government. It has not done enough to provide adequate health care for its people. Even its referral hospital, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital which is supposed to be the pride of the nation, is no match for them.

When people in Malawi talk about excellent medical service, they ate talking about Blantyre Adventist Hospital and Mwaiwathu Private Hospital.

The two are synonymous with excellence in the medical field.

And the city of Blantyre itself is synonymous with modern development in the context of Malawi even if many of its facilities are not necessarily among the best.

Next we look at Lilongwe.

Lilongwe, the nation's capital, is the second-largest city in Malawi. It has a population of about 600,000.

It became the capital in 1974, replacing Zomba.

Located in the Central Region, it's built on the banks of the Lilongwe River near the border of Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Lilongwe had two advantages which made it the capital of Malawi: its central location; it's also in a region which is home to Malawi's first president, Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

But although it's the nation's capital, it has yet to reach the stature and status of the nation's commercial centre, Blantyre, which is also the economic capital of the south.

Lilongwe's population remains at approximately half of Blantyre's; and international business continues to look to Blantyre for banking and commercial interests.

In terms of demographic composition, besides black, a significant number of whites who live in Malawi also come from South Africa. Others are Europeans working for different organisations. The city has also attracted an large number of people from the rural areas seeking employment and better life. It's also under severe strain because of rapid population growth.

Next we go to Zomba.

The former capital Zomba is the third-largest city in Malawi.

Located 40 miles north of the commercial capital Blantyre, Zomba had a population of about 101,140 in 2009.

And it has a unique place in history. During colonial times, it was the capital of British Central Africa, a British protectorate established by the British in the area of present-day Malawi. The British Central Protectorate existed between 1891 and 1907.

Zomba then became the capital of Nyasaland before this colonial possession was renamed Malawi in 1964. And it remained the capital of independent Malawi for 10 years until 1974.

The city is also known for its British colonial architecture. The town's British colonial past is reflected in the architecture of its older buildings and homes. Zomba was once a hub for expatriates in Malawi. Its diverse cultural mix included British tobacco farmers and Dutch, German and American emissaries.

It's also home to Chancellor College of the University of Malawi. Chancellor College is the largest of the constituent colleges of the University of Malawi. The college has five faculties: the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Social Science and the Faculty of Education.

Although the capital was moved north to Lilongwe after the end of colonial rule, Zomba still remained the home of Parliament until 1994 when the government finally made the move complete to Lilongwe in the central region. Zomba is 40 miles north of Blantyre and is situated at the foot of Zomba Mountain.

Mzuzu, the capital of the Northern Region, is the fourth-largest city in Malawi. It had a population of more than 80,000 in 2009.

But there's dispute on its status as the fourth-largest city. Some statistics show it as the third-largest, and Zomba, the fourth-largest, depending on the source.

Mzuzu is the centre of an agricultural region. The areas around it produce tea, coffee and rubber.

The coffee which is grown in the areas around Mzuzu is well-known for its high quality. And the tea grown in both the Northern and Southern regions of Malawi is recognised around the world as being among the finest on the market.

To the south of the city of Mzuzu is Viphya Forest, the largest man-made forest in Africa. And the area lists itself as containing the third-largest rain forest in the world.

To the northwest of the city is the Nyika National (Game) Park, Malawi’s largest.