Can the state perpetuate the marginalisation of the poor? The socioeconomic effects of the state's ban on minibus 'callboys' in Malawi

Abstract

Malawi is a southern African country that has a huge informal sector due to high levels of unemployment. One of the ways people earned income in this sector was minibus-calling. This considerably reduced the vulnerability of many who would otherwise have been excluded economically. However, the state has recently declared such acts illegal and anyone found minibus-calling is now arrested. This paper critically investigates the socio-economic impacts of this ban on the former beneficiaries' livelihoods. A survey and interviews conducted in Zomba Municipality and Blantyre City (supplemented by various newspaper articles) show that the ban has adversely affected the socio-economic status of these marginalised Malawians.