Poverty and Inequality and the Quest for Inclusivity: A Case of Malawi at 54 Years of Independence
[1]
Shawo Mwakilama Mwakilama, Mwaki Consulting, Lilongwe, Malawi; Development Studies Programme, Faculty of Social Science, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi.
The paper argue that since the country’s attainment of independence in 1964 the political leadership has to a large extent failed to implement inclusive policies and programmes to address poverty and inequality, except for very brief moments when some efforts were discernible. Malawi continues to witness the pursuit of self-interests and high levels of corruption by the political elites during each and every regime, which is evident by their massive accumulation through looting and sharing of the spoils at the expense of the poor, which ultimately further widens the poverty and inequality gap. There are serious access issues pertaining to land which is essential for production, capital, education and health services, among other things. The paper argues that at the current pace and ‘modus operandi’, it is very unlikely for Malawi to tackle the problems in question unless if a structural transformation agenda, drawn from a consultative process, is pursued to engineer inclusive growth and development.
Poverty, Inequality, Inclusivity, Structural Transformation, Corruption, Political Economy, Political Leadership, Malawi
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