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Legacy of one party dictatorship : collective memory and contestation in Malawi 1994-2004
Includes bibliographical references.
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| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
African Studies
2015
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| _version_ | 1867614204510339072 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Mweso, Clemence |
| author2 | Garuba, Harry |
| author_browse | Garuba, Harry Mweso, Clemence |
| author_facet | Garuba, Harry Mweso, Clemence |
| author_sort | Mweso, Clemence |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Includes bibliographical references. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/12836 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:48:19.797Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| publisher | African Studies |
| publisherStr | African Studies |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/12836 Legacy of one party dictatorship : collective memory and contestation in Malawi 1994-2004 Mweso, Clemence Garuba, Harry African Studies Includes bibliographical references. This thesis explores the significance of the use of historical memory in shaping the nature and dynamics of the democratic dispensation in Malawi, particularly in relation to the legacy of the authoritarian past. The memory of the one-party dictatorship was reactivated on numerous occasions to address contemporary political challenges. Focusing on the period during the second term of the first democratic government when there was a debate on whether or not to extend the terms of office of the president, the thesis investigates how people, individually or as groups, chose to deal with the heritage of the authoritarian past in a democratic era. The proposals to extend the presidential term limit ignited political debates in the contemporary period, that involved collective remembering of the past dictatorship, and political contestation over the shared past in order to create a vibrant democratic process. The thesis shows how the new political elites in democratic Malawi tended to utilise the collective memory of the past dictatorship to legitimise their rule, mobilize support and at times push through agendas that were detrimental to the young democracy. While civil society actors building on strong antidictatorship and anti-authoritarian sentiments, relied on the same collective memory to criticise the actions of the new elite and protest against undemocratic political moves. It is demonstrated that the memory of the atrocities and abuses of the one-party regime played a major role in influencing the masses and civil society to fight against any relapse to authoritarianism. The study ultimately demonstrates the importance of collective memory and its preservation in ensuring that lessons from the past contribute to a better present and future for the nation. 2015-05-26T14:06:14Z 2015-05-26T14:06:14Z 2014 Master Thesis Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12836 eng application/pdf African Studies Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | African Studies Mweso, Clemence Legacy of one party dictatorship : collective memory and contestation in Malawi 1994-2004 |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Legacy of one party dictatorship : collective memory and contestation in Malawi 1994-2004 |
| title_full | Legacy of one party dictatorship : collective memory and contestation in Malawi 1994-2004 |
| title_fullStr | Legacy of one party dictatorship : collective memory and contestation in Malawi 1994-2004 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Legacy of one party dictatorship : collective memory and contestation in Malawi 1994-2004 |
| title_short | Legacy of one party dictatorship : collective memory and contestation in Malawi 1994-2004 |
| title_sort | legacy of one party dictatorship collective memory and contestation in malawi 1994 2004 |
| topic | African Studies |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12836 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mwesoclemence legacyofonepartydictatorshipcollectivememoryandcontestationinmalawi19942004 |