Malawi: Information on the government treatment of members of the Nkmolde (a northern tribe) in Malawi
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1991 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | MWI7476 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Malawi: Information on the government treatment of members of the Nkmolde (a northern tribe) in Malawi, 1 January 1991, MWI7476, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab138c.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to the New African (November 1989), "northerners" (Malawians from the northern part of the country), have been subjected to discrimination in employment and education (20).The same source reports that during a tour of the north, President Hastings Kamuzu Banda, "openly accused the northern civil servants of regionalism and condemned northern teachers for allegedly supporting a secessionist plot by former foreign minister and a leading opposition leader in exile, Kanyama Chiume. This was to unleash the brutal repression of northerners" (Ibid). Consequently, many civil servants including teachers, doctors and journalists from the north were arrested and a decree issued prohibiting teachers from working outside their own regions. This move was reportedly perceived as a manoeuvre to exclude teachers from employment as there are few schools in the north. The education system allegedly discriminates against students from the north as entrance into secondary schools is based on a quota system (Ibid). New African further reports that the northern region has suffered from economic underdevelopment as all economic projects are concentrated in the south and central regions.
According to New African (January 1989), opposition to Banda's regime emanates from the north popularly known as "the dead north" due to economic underdevelopment (44).
