Editing History of Malawi (section)

==Independence{{anchor|Malawi Independence Act 1964}}==
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Malawi Independence Act 1964
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to make provision for and in connection with the attainment by Nyasaland of fully responsible status within the Commonwealth.
| year                  = 1964
| citation              = [[List of acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1964|1964]] c. 46
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 10 June 1964
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = amended
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1964/46/contents/enacted
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = Malawi Independence Act 1964
| collapsed             = yes
}}
[[File:Un-malawi.png|thumb|Map of Malawi]]
Malawi became a fully independent member of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] (formerly the British Commonwealth) on 6 July 1964.

Shortly after, in August and September 1964, Banda faced dissent from most of his cabinet ministers in the [[Cabinet Crisis of 1964]]. The Cabinet Crisis began with a confrontation between Banda, the [[prime minister]], and all the cabinet ministers present on 26 August 1964. Their grievances were not dealt with, but three cabinet ministers were dismissed on 7 September. These dismissals were followed, on the same day and on 9 September, by the resignations of three more cabinet ministers in sympathy with those dismissed, although one of those who had resigned rescinded his resignation within a few hours. The reasons that the ex-ministers put forward for the confrontation and their subsequent resignations were the autocratic attitude of Banda, who failed to consult other ministers and kept power in his own hands, his insistence on maintaining diplomatic relations with South Africa and Portugal and a number of domestic austerity measures. After continuing unrest and some clashes between their supporters and those of Banda, most of the ex-ministers left Malawi in October. One ex-minister, [[Henry Masauko Blasius Chipembere|Henry Chipembere]] led a small, unsuccessful armed uprising in February 1965. After its failure, he arranged for his transfer to the USA. Another ex-minister, [[Yatuta Chisiza]], organised an even smaller incursion from Mozambique in 1967, in which he was killed. Several of the former ministers died in exile or, in the case of [[Orton Chirwa]] in a Malawian jail, but some survived to return to Malawi after Banda was deposed in 1993, and resumed public life.

Two years later, Malawi adopted a republican constitution and became a [[one-party state]] with Hastings Banda as its first president.