It is a well-known fact that Malawi is still a bitterly divided country even though unity is one of the country’s guiding principles. The disunity has glaringly manifested not only in the voting patterns along regional and tribal lines during the presidential elections; but also through deep-rooted nepotism, which is commonplace in employment in public and private sectors. The prevalence of nepotism is traced from as way back as the colonial era through the one-party system of rule where leadership and development opportunities were arguably polarized. No one chooses to be born in the tribe, race, region, or such other inherent status that forms the basis for division and disunity. From a nation-building perspective, the 2022 Peace and Unity Act may fail to achieve its intended goal of uniting Malawians if the underlying structural divisions in the country’s social and physical landscapes are not addressed. Therefore, this paper uses systems thinking to explore options to overcome racism, nepotism, regionalism, and tribalism that has been deepened by geographic discrimination and cultural claustrophobia in Malawi. The discussion outlines a ten-step strategy for utilizing Malawi’s rich cultural heritage to identify common values and a shared identity. In this sense, the paper promotes the idea of “Malawianity,” which is a progressive attitude that sees Malawians as a unified people of one nation with shared values, aspirations, and goals. With tolerance as a basic starting point, the Malawi Peace and Unity Commission should coordinate efforts to enforce legislation and implement a policy aimed at eradicating the superficial distinctions and barriers that foster division to promote unity among all Malawians and inculcate a culture of Malawianity.

Read more: https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_jonps_v6_n3_a5