Malawians have ranked second to neighbouring Tanzania out of 34 African countries in terms of patronising election campaign rallies organised by various political parties, an Afrobarometer survey has shown.
Findings of the survey released in Ghana on Tuesday show that 59 percent of Malawians attend political rallies and local political analysts say the figure is likely to increase during the official campaign period for the September 16 2025 General Election set to roll out next Monday.
Tanzania scored 62 percent in the survey that also found that of the 59 percent of the Malawians who attend campaign rallies, 19 percent are affiliated to various political parties or candidates.
In separate interviews, political analysts Joseph Chunga and George Phiri said the findings is an indication that majority of people attending political campaign rallies are not affiliated to that particular party holding event.
Chunga, a fellow at the Centre for Social Research of the University of Malawi, said Malawians have a culture of participating in community activities, therefore, attending political rallies is an indication that they are ready and available to interact with political leaders.
“Most politicians misinterpret it [attendance] because when they see many people attending [political campaign rallies] they think they are their followers. So, politicians need to understand that they are dealing with people who are available to listen to ideas,” he said.
On his part, Phiri observed that most Malawians attend political rallies because they want to benefit from what politicians distribute during political campaign rallies such as money and party cloths.
“Some attend political campaign rallies just to hear what politicians are going to share, while others go there just because they have nothing to do,” he said.
The findings further suggest that initiatives aimed at boosting citizen engagement should focus on political factors, especially fostering open and responsive democratic institutions and improving election quality.
Afrobarometer said despite concerns about democratic backsliding and a loss of political freedom, the survey’s data from 39 countries shows that majority of Africans are finding multiple ways to make their voices heard, demonstrating engagement levels that compare favourably with other world regions.
