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Abstract
The promotion of basic elements of good governance including community involvement through a decentralised local governance system has been at the centre stage since the advent of the multiparty democracy in Malawi in the 1990s. This article examines the role of Malawian local government in community development and analyses the context of community involvement in local governance. The article is primarily based on documentary research, which includes journal and newspaper articles, and interviews with senior district assembly officials and local people. The major conclusions drawn are that, firstly, the decentralisation process tends to feature the district assembly very highly, with little clarity on how community-based institutions are integrated into the local government system. Secondly, the political, socio-economic and administrative factors prevailing at the local level need to be addressed pragmatically for efficient and effective community participation in development.