Jessie Kabwila
Jessie Kabwila | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kabwila in 2017 | |
| Born | Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula |
| Alma mater | Binghamton University |
| Occupations | Politician and academic |
| Employer | University of Malawi |
| Known for | Union organiser and Minister of Higher Education |
Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula is a Malawian academic, feminist, educator and activist.[1] Her scholarship focuses on African feminism. She was chair of the Malawi Parliamentary Women's Caucus and in 2025 she became the Minister of Higher Education. She lost her seat in the 2025 Malawian general election.[2]
Life
Kabwila-Kapasula was the acting president of the Chancellor College Academic Staff Union that was fired during the standoff to ensure academic freedom at the University of Malawi that has not been resolved.[3] She is one of the fired lecturers at the center of the standoff for academic freedom that occurred at the University of Malawi (UNIMA) which resulted in her dismissal. This prompted protests from the UNIMA students and faculty that stood in solidarity with Kabwila-Kapasula and the eventual closure of the university. It led to a standoff between President Bingu wa Mutharika and the lecturers. Her dismissal centering academic freedom was also one of the events that led to the 2011 Malawian protests.[3]
Early career
Kabwila earned a doctorate in comparative literature from Binghamton University, where she served as president of the Graduate Student Organization in 2008–2009.[4]
Academic freedom standoff
Blessings Chinsinga, an associate political science professor, was interrogated by Peter Mukhito, who was Malawi’s Inspector General of Police, about a parallel he drew in a lecture between Malawi’s fuel crisis and popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt during the Arab Spring.[5] Chinsinga was eventually fired for drawing these comparisons between the economic conditions in Egypt and Malawi in a political science class. This prompted support from the UNIMA students and faculty including Kabwila. They stood in solidarity with Chisanga and this led to the closure of the university's Chancellor College and its Polytechnic. As a condition to return to class, the academics asked for an official apology from the police chief, Peter Mukhito and assurances of respect for academic freedom.[5] Mukhito declared that academic freedom had to be balanced with issues of national security and this was backed by President Bingu wa Mutharika.[6] Mutharika ordered the faculty to return to work but the lecturers refused, since there was no guarantee of freedom.[7] The government was unwilling to provide this under the leadership of The Minister of Education, Peter Mutharika. The students stood in solidarity with the fired faculty which resulted in the use of teargas to disperse students. A standoff occurred between lecturers and students on one side, and the President of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika.
After the incident, Kabwila reported that she has been denied a passport renewal and she had received harassing phone calls and death threats.[8]
In 2017, domestic violence was in the news, when seven women were killed or wounded in attacks. Protests and a petition were organised in Lilongwe. Sarai Chisala Tempelhoff of the Women's Lawyer Association read a petition and Kabwila, who was a member of parliament and the chair of Malawi Parliamentary Women's Caucus, was there is support of the protests.[9] During Kabwila's time as chair of the caucus, the age of consent in Malawi was raised to eighteen to prevent child marriage.[10]
Court case
The lecturers sued the government in order to ensure academic freedom and non-interference by the police in academia.[7]
Support of academic freedom
Many Malawian organizations are showing their support to guarantee academic freedom including the Malawi Law Society and Malawi Congress oTrade Unions.[7] Students at Binghamton University (SUNY), Kabwila's alma mater, have urged Amnesty International to take up this case.
Student activist death
Kabwila attended the funeral of Polytechnic student Robert Chasowa, a Malawian student at the same university that was a student activist of Youth for Freedom and Democracy (YFD), a student activist group. Kabwila-Kapasula dressed in red clothes with a red cloth around her mouth to symbolize the silencing of students under the Bingu wa Mutharika administration.
Politics
Kabwila was the member of parliament for the Salima North west constituency under the Malawi Congress Party before 2021.[11]
In 2024, she returned, forgiven, to the Malawi Congress Party where she was appointed to be the party's publicity secretary. She was confident at that time that the MCP would be re-elected in 2025.[12]
In 2025, she became the Minister of Higher Education after she was appointed by President Lazarus Chakwera. On the same day others were also appointed including Joyce Chitsulo who became the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Patricia Nangozo Kainga became Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.[13] She stood in the 2025 Malawian General Election to represent the Lilongwe Msozi constituency and lost her seat.[2]
References
- ^ Unisa Online – African Women
- ^ a b Banda, Ephraim Mkali (21 September 2025). "Several former cabinet ministers lose parliamentary seats". Malawi 24. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Kabwila-Kapasula receives death threats". The Malawi Democrat. 8 April 2011. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
- ^ Bykofsky, Melissa (22 April 2008). "Graduate student organization elects new president". Pipe Dream. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ a b Mudika, Matamando (5 April 2011). "Malawi University lock-out is illegal, court agrees". the Malawi Democrat. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
- ^ Soko, Dillinger (21 September 2011). "Police quiz Poly academic dons over pressure group | Malawi news, Malawi - NyasaTimes breaking online news source from Malawi". Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
- ^ a b c Butty, James (21 March 2011). "Malawi College Teacher Boycott Shows No Sign of Ending". Voice of America.
- ^ Kamiyala, Kondwani (18 January 2025). "PAC, court APM as well". Nation Online. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ Masina, Lameck (14 September 2017). "Gender-based Violence Spurs Protest in Malawi". Voice of America. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
- ^ Masina, Lameck (25 April 2017). "Malawi Outlaws Child Marriage". Voice of America. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
- ^ Semu, Angella (30 July 2021). "Former Malawi' Salima North-West lawmaker Jessie Kabwila drags Health Sciences boss Chidyaonga to court for defamation". The Maravi Post. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
- ^ 247Malawi (14 August 2024). "Kabwila vows MCP will win 2025 General Election based on 'delivery". 247MALAWI NEWS. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Chakwera Calls New Ministers To Serve Malawians or Face Dismisal". Malawi Voice. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2025.