Civil society organisations (CSOs) have lamented a shrinking civic space, warning that it puts Malawi in a precarious situation breeding a polarised political environment, reputational threats and a funding strain. The CSOs expressed their fears in Mzuzu yesterday during an engagement organised by National Advocacy Platform (NAP) to strengthen action in safeguarding the civic space in the country. “You will agree with me that the issue of funding is also shrinking the civic space. He cited President Peter Mutharika’s remarks last October threatening unspecified action against civil society leaders as having exposed the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration’s false promises for a vibrant civic space. On December 16 2025, Malawi Government and CSOs signed a civic space agreement to promote democracy.