The familial side of Prof Thandika Mkandawire

Condolence Messages

68 entries.

Edmond J Keller from Los Angeles wrote on 28th June 2021 at 6:17 pm:

A giant light of Africa; extinguished much too soon. This is a profound loss for all peoples who love freedom and independence. May his return HOME not let those whom he left behind continue to labor for human betterment no matter where they are to be found.

Olusegun Adesanya from Ado-Ekiti wrote on 8th June 2021 at 2:00 pm:

This is a colossal loss to scholarship. Adieu Thandika. Goodbye, goodnight.

Abdullahi Muhammad Maigari from Nassarawa Eggon wrote on 26th March 2021 at 7:27 pm:

A colossal lost to the family of Afrocentric Social Theorists. It is indeed a fall of an intellectual Iroko tree.

Ashiru Ibrahim Zurmi from Gusau wrote on 10th January 2021 at 1:20 pm:

The sad news of the death of this intellectual dynassour of Africa came to me as a shocker. humanity generally benefited from the reservoir of his intellect, R.I.P my celebrated scholar!

Fabiano Gontijo from Belém-Brasil wrote on 27th June 2020 at 7:00 pm:

Meus mais profundos sentimentos. O seu legado permanecerá para sempre entre nós. Viva Mkandawire!!

Professor Eze from Owerri-Nigeria wrote on 3rd June 2020 at 7:57 am:

My condolences to the Codesria family and the family of the departed. He impacted on the lives of many while he lived. May the families he left bear his loss with fortitude. Rest In Peace.

Catherine CHOQUET from Paris wrote on 26th May 2020 at 2:59 pm:

C'est une page historique qui se tourne avec la disparition de Thandika. je garde en mémoire le souvenir d'un homme chaleureux, un passeur, un médiateur, un personnage riche de connaissances qu'il voulait partager. C'était aussi un homme plein d'humour et d'ouverture d'esprit.
Que la terre lui soit légère

Santiago Daroca from Guatemala City wrote on 23rd May 2020 at 11:14 pm:

It was an honor to have met you and an invaluable learning to have shared that special space that is UNRISD. Thank you for your life. Rest in peace.

Fernando Calderon from Buenos Aires Argentina wrote on 23rd May 2020 at 2:40 pm:

Goodbye dear brother we live fantastiques aventures.
See you son

Olivia Lwabukuna from London wrote on 12th May 2020 at 10:58 pm:

What an amazing man and memory. I met him in Cape Town, He was a keynote speaker at the TRALAC ANNUAL CONFERENCE. Very humble, very knowledgeable in African political economy, and to the point. He was always an African, very connected to the continent. As an Africanist and a lawyer, a daughter of Tanzania, South Africa, Swaziland, Kenya and many other African countries, I have always looked up to people like Thandika Mkandawire, Issa Shivji (who incidentally guest taught constitutional law at Tumaini Makumira when I taught there), Adebayo Olukushi (a constant key note speaker at the Africa Institute in South Africa where I worked for years) and many more contemporary Africanists, Mazrui, Mamdani, Adesina, Adebajo, adesanmi. There are many more, but I most respect the ones who stay close to Africa in mind and deeds.

From the spaces I find myself in, we need more Africans to speak for Africa. Our agency, our narratives our very future needed people like you to prepare people like me.

Rest in Peace, ulale salama, Hamba Kahle Mwalimu na Shujaa!!

Prof. Isaac Nnamdi Obasi from Abuja wrote on 28th April 2020 at 9:34 pm:

It is with eternal gratitude to God that I consider myself privileged to be among distinguished intellectuals across Africa and the world that are paying glowing and befitting tribute to Prof. Thandika Mkandawire. I remember him with a spirit of gratitude also for creating the opportunity in CODESRIA that enabled me to become one of the lucky few that secured the Small Grant for Ph.D Thesis Writing in 1988. The award inspired me greatly to soar in my academic career. Prof. Mkandawire was a remarkable intellectual giant that provided the academic fertilizer that enabled many other intellectuals to grow and soar in Africa and beyond. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.

Jacques TSHIBWABWA KUDITSHINI wrote on 24th April 2020 at 10:30 pm:

Monsieur le Secrétaire Exécutif du CODESRIA, cher Godwin Murunga,
Mesdames et Messieurs les Membres du CODESRIA,

Cher-e-s collègues
Je viens d’apprendre la mort de Thandika Mkandawire, économiste de renommée internationale, professeur et universitaire originaire du Malawi. Ce décès intervient dans un contexte particulier déjà chargé de tristesses et d’émotions, parce qu’il survient au moment où nos blessures ne se sont pas encore refermées du fait de la disparition du professeur Samir Amin qui nous a quittés il y a seulement quelques mois. Le professeur Thandikak était un membre très influent du et au CODESRIA. Il est parmi les personnalités et figures emblématiques qui ont donné une âme et un esprit au Conseil. Thandika était un monument de la pensée, un mentor et un économiste de classe exceptionnelle dont les écrits ont constitué une source d’inspiration pour plusieurs chercheurs africains et étrangers. Thandika fait partie de la classe des chercheurs africains qui ont fait de la décolonisation des sciences sociales et humaines africaines leur cheval de bataille et qui ont milité pour casser les fractures épistémologiques et instaurer une diversité épistémique. En tant que membre du Comité Exécutif du CODESRIA, je salue la mémoire et l’œuvre immense de cet érudit qui vient de nous quitter au moment où l’on avait encore besoin de ses services et présente, à l’occasion, mes tristes condoléances à la famille biologique de Thandika Mkandawire, et à toute la communauté africaine des chercheur-e-s.

Que Dieu puisse avoir en repos l’âme de celui que nous appelions affectivement Mkandawire pour les uns ou Thandika pour les autres.

Jacques TSHIBWABWA KUDITSHINI
Université de Kinshasa/Université de Paris 8

Oluyele Akinwalie Akinkugbe from HALIFAX wrote on 23rd April 2020 at 11:10 pm:

Rest in Perfect Peace Thandika. Africa and its Development appreciates what you stood for, worked hard for, wrote about, and whose course you are propagating, even in the heavens. You are fondly remembered.

Michael Cross from Johannesburg wrote on 23rd April 2020 at 10:41 pm:

We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of the greatest intellectuals and leaders this continent has produced. He remains one of the most inspiring role models for all young scholars across the world. He was humble enough to spare some time to share his ideas with my students during the several times he visited South Africa. We will miss him. Michael, Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies

Ndeye Fatou CISSE from DAKAR wrote on 21st April 2020 at 11:31 am:

Je présente mes sincères condoléances à sa famille, au CODESRIA, à l'ensemble de la communauté scientifique du monde, africaine en particulier

EBENEZER ISHOLA from LAGOS wrote on 21st April 2020 at 10:36 am:

Good night Professor Mkandawire!
Your works on Developmental State will forever be cherished!

Michael Neocosmos from Pretoria wrote on 18th April 2020 at 1:11 pm:

It is with great sadness that I learnt of Thandika's passing. Having lost my beloved partner in life recently I can easily imagine what his family is feeling. I am sure many people will write about what a great African intellectual, economist and institution-builder Thandika was, but I would like to remember him as a warm human being: passionate, extremely easy going and approachable, open to debate and discussion without any hint of arrogance. In addition his sense of humour and ability to laugh at situations made it easy for people to be at ease in his company. As well as losing a major intellectual, the Codesria community is losing a wonderful human being. He will be sorely missed.

Abdelali NACIRI from Rabat wrote on 17th April 2020 at 11:19 am:

C’est avec grande tristesse que j’ai appris la disparition d’un éminent intellectuel et scientifique resté toujours attaché à son continent l’Afrique.
J’ai eu l’occasion de le rencontrer et de discuter avec lui dans son propre pays le Malawi dans la conférence Guy Mhoné en 2007, puis en Zambie dans la même conférence en 2008. J’ai pu voir de près ses qualités scientifiques et humaines de modestie et de gentillesse.
Mes sincères condoléances à sa petite famille, aux proches, et à toute la communauté scientifique du CODESRIA.
Abdelali NACIRI, Economiste, Mohammedia, Maroc.

Jeanne Ngutete Gahamanyi from Kigali wrote on 16th April 2020 at 6:56 pm:

J'ai appris avec une grande tristesse que le Professeur Thandika Mkandawire s'en est allé, qu'il a rejoint sa dernière demeure. Toutes mes sincères condoléances à ses enfants, ses petits-enfants et sa compagne Kaarina. J'ai eu la chance de côtoyer Thandika pendant longtemps au CODESRIA, à son retour du Zimbabwe où il venait de passer 2 ans pour créer le ZIDS (Zimbabwe Institute of Development Studies). C'est dans son sillage que j'ai rencontré d'autres exilés célèbres qui trouvaient leur place dans la communauté du CODESRIA. Je n'oublierai pas de sitôt ni le supérieur qui m'a beaucoup appris, ni la personne simple et pleine d'humour qu'il était. Il restera dans la mémoire de nombreux universitaires des quatre coins de l'Afrique pour son travail intéllectuel, et pour son soutien sans relâche à la production et la publication de connaissances sur l'Afrique. Qu'il repose en paix.

Muleya Coster from Itezhi tezhi wrote on 16th April 2020 at 2:17 pm:

Indeed the great oak has fallen. both Academia and the political world is turmoil. Go well son of the soil.

Siphokazi Magadla from Makhanda, South Africa wrote on 16th April 2020 at 10:16 am:

Hamba kahle, Mkhonto! I was introduced to your work by my former teacher, Prof Jimi Adesina, who would tell us that you are "the smartest man in Africa!" Thank you the gifts of your intellect and for have been the teacher of our teachers. Although some of us would never meet you in person, through your thinking, the respect and love with which our elders hold you, give us a piece of the person that you were. Rest in power, Mwalimu.

Moses Khisa from Raleigh, North Carolina wrote on 16th April 2020 at 5:02 am:

Thandika has left behind indelible foot-marks. Many of us have immeasurably benefited from his enormous scholarly work and his distinguished service to mother continent. We'll greatly miss his sharp intellect, kind demeanor, dedicated service, and unique humaneness . Wishing him peace on the other side.

Ndiaye Fatim from Dakar wrote on 15th April 2020 at 8:19 pm:

C'est avec une immense tristesse que j ai appris le décès de Thandika. la communauté scientifique a perdu un Grand intellectuel qui a beaucoup œuvré pour la science. Nous avons cheminé avec lui pendant longtemps au CODESRIA ou il s est beaucoup donné. Nous avons beaucoup appris de lui, de son humanisme et de sa joie de vivre.Il était a l écoute du personnel local qu il défendait.On ne l oubliera jamais.Que Dieu le tout puissant l acceuille dans son paradis
Adieu Thandika le sénégalais.

Radha Upadhyaya from Nairobi wrote on 15th April 2020 at 2:33 pm:

While I never got to meet the Professor, I was greatly inspired by his writing including his work on financial reform in SSA.

I quoted the line below by him in my Phd and to date I continue to try to ensure that I work towards changing this irony.

“A major irony of African development history is that the theories and models employed have largely come from outside the continent. No other region of the world has been so dominated by external ideas and models.” Mkandawire and Soludo (1999)

Mshai Mwangola from Nairobi wrote on 15th April 2020 at 1:41 pm:

Today we formally farewell Professor Thandika Mkandawire as his physical body is laid to rest. His prodigious body of intellectual work remains with us, and for that, I am immensely grateful.
As many others, especially my colleagues in CODESRIA, I have been greatly influenced by Thandika, both directly as an individual, and indirectly as a member of the fourth generation of post-colonial academics nurtured by CODESRIA. I have cited his work - my very first publication on "nurturing the fourth generation" was indeed built on his own thinking, cited in this official tribute by CODESRIA's Executive Secretary, Godwin Murunga. I cannot remember how many times I have quoted his pithy, profound, memorable one-liners, especially to my peers and students, whether it be reminding us that we must be careful in negotiating the "networks" of relationships we enter into as African intellectuals, or in understanding what it means to "run as others walk" as we figure out how to meet our historical mission as the different generations engaged in intellectual work. I have used the "confession" he made with regard to his conversion to embracing feminist theories as an introduction to students on epistemic communities, as thinking, debating, engaging communities where the emphasis is not so much to defend positions but to grow together in thinking together. I have returned to his reflections on development and on SAPs to bolster my understanding of the contexts in which I work.
But perhaps my favourite memory of Thandika dates back to my first "real" encounter with him at my very first CODESRIA General Assembly. I have to admit that I was somewhat awed to be in that space with so many of intellectual giants whose names were familiar in bibliographies I was then reading as a graduate student. I was waiting for some friends in the lobby of the hotel, I think the plan was to go out for dinner. Thandika was "presiding" over a group sitting at some chairs in the lobby, engaged in some happy debate on something I can no longer remember. He spotted me standing by myself, called me to join them, mentioning a comment I had made in a session and saying he thought I had made a good point, and seamlessly integrated me into the group. If I remember correctly, when the friend I was waiting for came to the lobby, he insisted that she join us for a while before we went on our way. I learned an important thing about mentoring as a way of life and not an assigned task that day that I have carried through my own understanding and practice of nurturing and being nurtured by colleagues who share a space that I am in.
Farewell Mwalimu. You will be greatly missed - but oh, how so richly blessed we were as a community to have you!

Njuguna Ng'ethe from Nairobi wrote on 15th April 2020 at 12:32 pm:

I shall miss you my dear friend. You have left an enormous contribution to African development. You have mentored and nurtured several generations of African social scientists and led a heroic fight in explaining Africa to an audience who sometimes would rather not hear the uncomfortable message. Like the good teacher you were, you were patient and compassionate, driven by your faith in Africa. RIP

Cyril Obi from New York wrote on 15th April 2020 at 12:50 am:

Thandika, we all owe you great gratitude for your work, words, light, love and the great ideas that you shared across generations and the world. We celebrate you as a great African voice and bearer of a message of hope and change. Wishing your family strength and peace...

suren pillay from Cape Town wrote on 14th April 2020 at 2:39 pm:

the influence of Thandika expands beyond the fields of his discipline, and even beyond his profound influence on developmental thinking and the state across the third world and Africa in particular. Above all for many of us inspired by him his are the words of a critical sage, demonstrating to us what a commitment to think the world from Africa is. It is also the example of an ethical practice of building an intellectual community and honouring its traditions of thought as dynamic, and plural, as combative but with a smile drawing others in, rather than alienating them as foes. And never patronizing nor imbued with the egoism that defines so much of the academy today. Thank you for your example. Hamba Kahle mwalimu.

Simon Rwabyoma from Kabale, Uganda wrote on 13th April 2020 at 9:25 pm:

I consider Prof Mkandawire a doyen of African development. He will continue to live through his ground breaking intellectual debates. I never met him in person, but I first 'interacted' with him through his Inaugural Lecture as Chair and Professor of African Development at LSE, 'Running while others walk: Knowledge and the challenge of Africa's developmemt'. I read and cited his insightful lecturer in my MA dissertation (2011) 'Knowledge for Development: The Contribution of endogenous knowledge to local economic development in Uganda'. As a member of CODESRIA for the past 10 years, it was gratifying at some point to know he was a former Excecutive Secretary, since then I have keenly read his other intellectual works, using them for my university teaching of Development Economics and for developing my new research interest in Social Economics.
My most sincere condolences to his family, my thoughts and prayers are with them.

Inocência Mata from Lisbon, Portugal wrote on 13th April 2020 at 2:33 pm:

Immortality in the words that came out of your pen, Professor Thandika Mkandawire!

From you, Professor Thandika Mkandawire, I will always keep and visit the words through which I learned that thinking on Africa is not transferring knowledge, but creating the possibilities for the real production and the construction of knowledge on and from Africa.

Prof Mohammed Bello Yunusa from Zaria wrote on 12th April 2020 at 12:24 pm:

He lived a life, impacted on Communities and achieved himself. My condolences to CODESRIA, his country, family and loved ones. Adiu Thandika!

Brahim ELMORCHID from Marrakech wrote on 11th April 2020 at 10:28 pm:

C’est avec une grande tristesse et une profonde émotion que j’ai appris le décès de Thandika. L’Afrique vient de perdre l’un de ses grands économistes et intellectuels visionnaires. Il faisait partie de cette minorité des grands chercheurs engagés, pragmatiques et pleins d’énergie ; un homme particulièrement sympathique.
En cette douloureuse circonstance, je présente mes sincères condoléances à sa petite famille, au CODESRIA et à toute la communauté des chercheurs en Afrique.
B. Elmorchid, Université Cadi Ayyad de Marrakech

José Mvuezolo Bazonzi from Kinshasa wrote on 10th April 2020 at 11:36 pm:

J'adresse mes sincères condoléances à la famille biologique et aux proches de feu le Professeur Thandika Mkandawire.
J'ai été particulièrement touché par la disparition du Professeur TM ... J'ai eu l'honneur de le rencontrer pour la première fois, et d'une heureuse manière, à Lusaka, à l'University of Zambia (UNIZA) en 2008 lors de la Conférence Guy Mhone organisée par le CODESRIA. En effet, j'étais l'un des 3 lauréats du prestigieux prix africain Guy Mhone, (du nom d'un autre brillant économiste qui nous déjà quitté hélas !). Encore jeune Assistant, j'avais beaucoup d'admiration pour nos aînés du CODESRIA (nos "héros scientifiques"), et j'étais donc fier de recevoir le prix Guy Mhone des mains de l'un de ces baobabs scientifiques ... C'était en présence du Professeur Adebayo Olukoshi, alors Secrétaire Exécutif du CODESRIA. Et je m'en souviens encore ... comme si c'était hier... Et le Prof. Thandika Mkandawire a lancé une petite boutade : "Eh mon ami, on va partager ça !" [et en français, lui qui était anglophone]. Et nous trois, nous nous sommes mis à rire pendant quelques instants; puis les Prof. Adebayo Olukoshi a lancé à son tour: "c'est pour encourager les jeunes chercheurs !" Et finalement, lui d'ajouter: "Oui, mon ami, il ne faut pas tout bouffer, il faut acheter des livres !"
Son passage au CODESRIA, à l'UNRISD et à la LSE ainsi que son acuité intellectuelle nous auront beaucoup marqué et édifié: tu laisses une oeuvre monumentale. Je suis fier de toi, oh que dis-je, nous sommes fiers de toi, cher Maître. Reposes en paix !
Prof. José Mvuezolo Bazonzi, Sociologue, Université de Kinshasa, RDC

Colman Msoka from Dar EsSalaam wrote on 10th April 2020 at 5:13 am:

Again, this is a loss to all Pan Africanists.... Baobabs are falling and the land is becoming empty. Prof. TM spoke at the UDSM and I was inspired by his deep recollection of the trajectory of young scholars who were emerging immediately after independence in Africa. Those who were sitting in the monumental hall of the UDSM- Nkrumah, will recall this very well. indeed, he challenged how non Africans see Africans and their struggles, encouraged Africans to organize, and emerging young scholars to remain in their course unwavering. . We will miss you Prof. TM

RONALD ELLY WANDA from Nairobi wrote on 9th April 2020 at 7:22 pm:

Rest easy my old friend, I will truly miss our conversations and your advise over warm beers at the Institute of Education pub near SOAS. So long my good friend and teacher. Africa is proud of you!

Gilbert Shang from Bayreuth wrote on 9th April 2020 at 5:28 pm:

Prof. You are a good man.Remember the way you treated me in Yaounde during the 2008 during the Codesria General Assembly. The 3 CDs you gave me have been so invaluable for my research. Thanks for making me dream and for always answering my mails. I will deeply miss you.

Jean LIYONGO EMPENGELE from Kinshsasa wrote on 9th April 2020 at 4:06 pm:

Cher aîné Thandika Mkandawire. Je t'ai rencontré pour la première fois en avril 2016 à Lilongwe, capitale du Malawi ton pays, à l'occasion du colloque organisé par CODESRIA pour te rendre hommage. Hommage mérité pour les services que tu as rendu au continent africain. Quand je t'avais approché, à cette occasion, tu m'avais dit: "Tu es Congolais/Rdc? J'été étudiants-Lumubistes mais je n'ai jamais visité le Congo, si tu m'invites ça me ferait plaisir...". Hélas, tu es parti, tu ne visiteras point le pays de Lumumba. Mais ton oeuvre scientifique ayant frappé les esprits en Afrique, elle ne marque pas moins ta présence symbolique au Congo. Que ton âme répose en paix.

TEKOU Vidaley Fabrice from Abomey-Calavi wrote on 9th April 2020 at 3:36 pm:

Je suis profondément triste non pas parce que le Senior Thandika est parti mais plutôt pour l'avoir connu trop tardivement. Ces derniers jours, je découvre plus amplement grâce au CODESRIA l'homme et je réalise quelles expériences les uns et les autres ont faites à ses côtés. Moi, qui voyais l'essentiel dans la sublimissence de sa plume, je partage depuis peu des souvenirs que rien ne pourrait effacer, témoin des larmes qui ne cessent de couler et d'un vide que ce départ charge si intensément d'interrogations. Une chose est sûre, il mérite de vivre pour toujours dans nos mémoires car c'est un modèle de dignité africaine. Mes condoléances à la famille scientifique éplorée et la famille Thandika.

Steven Kator Iorfa from Nsukka, Nigeria wrote on 9th April 2020 at 1:49 pm:

Professor Thandika was a great source of inspiration and motivation to young academics across Africa. We read about him and hoped to meet him some day, maybe we still will. You live on in our hearts Prof, and in all the pages of your wisdom. CODESRIA and the rest of the world won’t forget your efforts. Rest on Prof.

Nimi Hoffmann from University of Sussex wrote on 9th April 2020 at 1:26 pm:

What will we do without your wisdom, humility and gentle humour Thandika? We will all of us have to pull up our socks and work harder together, because no one person can fill your shoes.

You were a light unto this world, and we will miss you terribly, even though you liked to make jokes about the state of South African soccer.

Joachim Emmanuel Goma-Thethrt from Brazzaville (Congo) wrote on 9th April 2020 at 12:14 pm:

J'adresse mes sincères condoléances à la famille de notre aîné dans la recherche, le Pr. Thandika Mkandawire. La communauté des chercheurs africains, et particulièrement le Codesria, vient de perdre une de ses figures emblématiques. Il a non seulement porté haut les idéaux du Codesria, mais a surtout contribué à une meilleure connaissance de l'Afrique et de ses enjeux contemporains. Pr. Thandika, tout homme est appelé à mourir un jour, mais toutes les morts n'ont pas la même signification. Ton oeuvre continuera à nous éclairer. Que la terre de nos aïeux te soit légère ,!

Joseph CIHUNDA HENGELELA from Kinshasa (RDC) wrote on 9th April 2020 at 10:43 am:

Que son âme repose en paix! Comme on dit pour les artistes, le professeur Mkandawire n'est pas mort. Ses oeuvres vont continuer à parler de lui. Je rappelle de sa préface 'toujours actuelle' dans l'ouvrage intitulé "Zaïre: vers quelles destinées?". Toutes mes condoléances à famille!

Giovanni SPALIVIERO from Venise wrote on 9th April 2020 at 8:45 am:

first professor of Regional Planning at IDEP, Dakar

Véronique Koffi from Abidjan wrote on 9th April 2020 at 8:31 am:

Difficile de perdre un gros homme. Mais ainsi va la vie. Certes nous ne l'avons plus parmi nous mais nous avons ses œuvres, ces écrits et publications. Un scientifique ne meurs jamais. Mes sincères condoléances à sa famille biologique ainsi qu'à sa famille scientifique.

Bahru Zewde from Addis Ababa wrote on 9th April 2020 at 6:56 am:

What a tragic loss! Africa has lost a great thinker who combined scholarly erudition with a modest personality. We will miss his wit and charm and above all his capacity to listen and learn all the time. I recall in particular his engagement with the research network on The Military and Militarism in Africa in the early 1990s. That network eventually produced one of the major publications of CODESRIA. I distinctly recall how he engaged with us during the methodology workshop in Accra. He was particularly intrigued by my portrayal of the saxophone as the chosen modern instrument for war chants and, as he sat next to me on the bus, he kept prodding me for more elaborations. I recall also with gratitude constant encouragement that I received from him in the early years of editing Africa Review of Books. His review of Jeffrey Sachs' The End of Poverty: How We Can Make it Happen in Our Lifetime remains one of the seminal pieces of that Journal. RIP dear Thandika!
Bahru Zewde

Blessing Mabuto from Pretoria wrote on 9th April 2020 at 3:15 am:

I first met Prof Mkandawire at LSE in 2012 as an LSE Programme for African Leadership (PfAL) fellow and what struck me was his humility despite being one of the finest minds from the African continent. I am grateful for all his contributions in both social policy debates and praxis. May he rest in eternal peace.

Shadrack Wanjala Nasong'o from Memphis wrote on 9th April 2020 at 2:11 am:

It was a pleasure sharing a dinner table with Prof. Thandika Mkandawire at the 15th CODESRIA General Assembly in Dakar, Senegal in December 2018. It is so unfortunate that this was the first and last time I was meeting this erudite African scholar. May his soul rest in eternal peace. May God grant his family the grace to bear the loss. His intellectual legacy lives on in his powerful scholarship.

Georges NZONGOLA-NTALAJA from Cary wrote on 9th April 2020 at 12:26 am:

Thandika Mkandawire was a dear friend and pan-African comrade. While we only met at scholarly conferences, it was always a pleasure not only to learn from his abundant knowledge about Africa and the world, but also to have good time in the company of like-minded peers. I would like to send my deepest condolences to his Malawian and Swedish families, his former colleagues at ZIDS, CODESRIA, UNSRID and LSE, and to all of his comrades in the struggle.

Tony Obeng from Accra, Ghana wrote on 8th April 2020 at 10:52 pm:

May your trademark ability to convert received wisdom into foundations for original contributions to the weapons of struggle continue to inspire

ZEMMOUR ZINE-EDDINE from Oran-Algérie wrote on 8th April 2020 at 9:55 pm:

Que Dieu le prenne parmi ses élus. Aaamiiine.

ZEMMOUR ZINE-EDDINE from Oran-Algérie wrote on 8th April 2020 at 9:53 pm:

Membre du CRASC-ORAN-ALGÉRIE

Osita Agbu from Baze University, Abuja wrote on 8th April 2020 at 9:20 pm:

Fare thee well Thandika. Your towering academic achievements and contributions to the African social science community speak volumes. May your gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.

Abou-Bakar Mamah from Memphis, USA wrote on 8th April 2020 at 8:59 pm:

May the soul of Prof Thandika rest eternally in peace. My deepest condolences to the family and to everyone affected by this departure!

Ishmael Irungu Munene from Flagstaff, Arizona, USA wrote on 8th April 2020 at 8:34 pm:

The towering figure who nurtured the path of intellectualism that so many of us now courageously pursue relentlessly. Your duo heritage and academic worker of indefatigable repute taught us to strive to excel despite the many obstacles in our paths. Rest well Thandika, we will miss you yet be nourished by the intellectually stimulating fruits of your scholarship that abound in our libraries.

Professor Owojecho Omoha from Department of English, University of Abuja wrote on 8th April 2020 at 7:44 pm:

To die and resurrect in books the way Thandika did makes a jest of death. We will hear echoes of his fleeing voice, even as the world has gone mad with us, centuries to come. That alone makes him to rest in peace beyond the corridors of CODESRIA.

Ademola Oluborode Jegede from South Africa wrote on 8th April 2020 at 7:31 pm:

Travel safely, Prof, your intellect was towering, and your mind so beautiful. Your torch has fallen, not in vain, but into the hands of watchmen here and there...keeping its shining light on...

Adieu!!!

ENOCENT MSINDO from GRAHAMSTOWN wrote on 8th April 2020 at 7:22 pm:

Great scholar, the fall of such a huge tree who was a shelter to many younger scholars and middle-level scholars. He walked his long road and his legacy will be remembered.

OLADEEBO Job Olatunji from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, OGBOMOSO. NIGERIA wrote on 8th April 2020 at 7:08 pm:

May the gentle soul of Prof Thandika rest in perfect peace.

David Mwambari from London wrote on 8th April 2020 at 6:54 pm:

Thank you for your mentorship over the years and being a good role model for many of us. We will miss you and will continue to use your work to inspire and teach generations to come! Pole to your family and community!

Rest In Power!

Ismail Rashid from Poughkeepsie, NY, USA wrote on 8th April 2020 at 6:25 pm:

My sincerest condolences to Prof Mkandawire's family and to all of his friends and all of us who mourn his passing. He was a formidable intellectual and brilliant voice for Africa. I was honored to know him, learn from him through his seminal publications works and incisive contributions in many conferences. Travel well, Mwalimu.

Prof. Isaac Olawale Albert from University of Ibadan, Nigeria wrote on 8th April 2020 at 6:21 pm:

I am extremely happy to be one of the African scholars Thandika Mkandawire mentored. I was doing my MA in African Studies at the University of Ibadan in 1992 when he gave me the opportunity of sitting down with the big names across Africa to attend the historic CODESRIA conference on Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in Africa. One of his colleagues was feasibly unhappy with him for inviting an MA student to such a “big meeting”. The conference gave me one of my most cited publications: titled "The University Students in the Nigerian Politics of Structural Adjustment" in a publication Thandika coedited with Adebayo Olukoshi in 1995. Under him, I got the CODESRIA thesis writing awards in 1992 for my MA and 1994 for my PhD. That was the beginning of my academic career. He mentioned the Rockefeller Foundation fellowship at the Bellago Centre in Italy to me and I was there as a Resident Fellow in 2016. Our last physical meeting was at the Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford in August 2005. He looked at me and said “I knew you would be a successful scholar”. Yes, I am by the grace of God and the foresight of Thandika. I thank him and CODESRIA. May the gentle soul of my mentor rest in peace.

Dr. Kellen Kiambati from Nairobi wrote on 8th April 2020 at 6:20 pm:

Rest in Peace Prof Thandika. You are the best economist that I have ever met. We shall greatly miss you.

Kate Meagher from Oxford wrote on 8th April 2020 at 6:04 pm:

Such a loss, and yet we have gained so much from the time he spent among us. When Thandika spoke, you could hear the synapses crackle around the room. Such a warm, wonderful, wise man. I am bereft. Just knowing him was a rare gift, an inspiration to carry on the struggle for truth and justice. Go well Thandika.

Gordon Omenya from Nairobi wrote on 8th April 2020 at 6:03 pm:

My heartfelt condolences to the doyen of African Economic history, Prof. Thandika Mkandawire. I last saw him during the 2015 CODESRIA General Assembly in Dakar, Senegal. Although he has left an intellectual gap in the African academy, his academic legacy will forever remain with us. Shine on, Shine on, Shine on Prof till we meet again.

Joel Netshitenzhe from Johannesburg wrote on 8th April 2020 at 5:52 pm:

Joel Netshitenzhe (MISTRA, SOUTH AFRICA)

The Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) has learnt with great shock and sadness of the passing of Professor Thandika Mkandawire.
An accomplished scholar, researcher and teacher, Prof Mkandawire was one of the shining stars in the firmament of African intellectual pursuits. Born in Malawi, his career spanned many geographies and disciplines, displaying a profound understanding of the African and global political economy. Prof Mkandawire eschewed the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake and sought always to complement his probing analysis of African societies with bold propositions on how the continent can lift itself from the legacies and path-dependencies of the colonial era.
We are proud as the Mapungubwe Institute and its partners to have been among the beneficiaries of his erudition and wisdom. In particular, we are truly honoured that he delivered the inaugural Mapungubwe Annual Lecture in 2012. His profound thoughts on the theme, Building the African state in the age of globalisation – the role of social compacts and lessons for South Africa, remain an enduring source of knowledge and inspiration as South Africa climbs out of the quagmire of debilitating neopatrimonialism and state capture.
In this hour of grief, MISTRA draws solace from the conviction that Professor Thandika Mkandawire will continue to inspire intellectuals and practitioners alike in the cause of improving the human condition in Africa and further afield.
We express our profound condolences to his family and all his colleagues around the world.

Executive Director

Amiri Saint-Luc Dieudonné Akoué from Bouaké wrote on 8th April 2020 at 5:44 pm:

Travailler infatigable, pour le développement de la recherche scientifique scientifique tu t'es consacré. Ta course s'achève mais le combat continue. May your soul rest in perfect peace Dear Master

Nhamo Anthony Mhiripiri from Gweru wrote on 8th April 2020 at 5:36 pm:

RIP Thandika. You had a beautiful mind. You played your part. I will always cherish the way you said or wrote complex ideas in easy accessible style. I remember the last day we met at Codesria GA15, you and Mamdani worrying the youthful plenary presenters said things in difficult diction. But you still had hope in all of us.

Odair Barros-Varela from Praia (Cabo Verde) wrote on 8th April 2020 at 5:31 pm:

Rest in power Professor. You were and continue to be a great inspiration! My deep condolences for the family.

Tributes from Colleagues

Thandika Mkandawire: A kind of Homecoming

CODESRIA Bulletin N° 2 & 3, 2020: Special Issue Tributes to Thandika Mkandawire (1940 - 2020)

What Thandika Mkandawire taught me about African development - by Teniola Tayo

I first heard Thandika Mkandawire’s name from my friend, Vivian, a fireball Tanzanian woman who shows more daring…

In Memoriam | Thandika Mkandawire

In Memoriam: Thandika Mkandawire (1940-2020) Development Economist, Pan-Africanist and Mentor Thandika Mkandawire, who passed away in Stockholm on…

Thandika Mkandawire: Tribute to a Mentor and Game-changer

Thinking about Thandika, A Friend, Mentor, and Africa’s Foremost Social Scientist

SE SOUVENIR DE THANDIKA MKANDAWIRE PAR LA CHRONIQUEUSE DE SENEPLUS, RAMA SALLA DIENG

Entretien pour la revue Roape avec le directeur de l’IDEA, Adebayo Olukoshi, sur la contribution de l’économiste malawite…

Deaths of Professors; Harry Garuba, Thandika Mkandawire, Euphrase Kezilahabi and Ken Walibora Waliaula: Cruel Impeachment to Africa’s Course of Self-Determination by Alexander Opicho

Zoya Zaidi, wrote in Awaaz Magazine, a short dirge in respect of his late brother Ali Nadim Zaidi that; whoever…

Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) conveys condolences on the passing of Professor Thandika Mkandawire

Pretoria, Wednesday 1 April 2020 – The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) extends it condolences to the family,…

A Transformative Economist: Remembering Thandika Mkandawire

Thandika laid to rest in a private ceremony in Stockholm

CODESRIA Tribute to Thandika Mkandawire (1940-2020): Scholar, Mentor and Institution Builder

Hommage du CODESRIA à Thandika Mkandawire (1940-2020): Chercheur, mentor et bâtisseur d’institutions

Prof. Thandika Mkandawire’s Remarks at the 15th CODESRIA General Assembly

Thandika Mkandawire has passed on!

It is with great sadness and a deep sense of loss that the Council for the Development of Social Science in Africa, CODESRIA, announces the passing away of Professor Thandika Mkandawire on March 27, 2020. Thandika as he was fondly known was a brilliant economist and prodigious scholar whose works on African political economy challenged dominant ways of seeing the African continent on a wide range of issues that included structural adjustment and economic reform, democratic politics, neopatrimonialism and insurgent violence. Thandika was a very dedicated member of CODESRIA. He led the Council as its Executive Secretary from 1985 to 1996 and continued to play important roles in the life of the organization after moving on to head UNRISD and later taking on a distinguished professorship at the London School of Economics. From 2015-2016, he led the internal review of CODESRIA’s governance and membership whose recommendations underpin an ambitious process of reform that the Council is undertaking. On April 11-13, 2016 CODESRIA organized a conference in Lilongwe, Malawi with the theme “Thinking African, Epistemological Issues: Celebrating the Life and Work of Thandika Mkandawire” in his honor. Thandika will be sorely missed by the CODESRIA community and the entire African social science community. His brilliance was matched by his humility, wit and willingness to mentor new generations of scholars. CODESRIA extends its sincere condolences to Thandika’s family. CODESRIA will announce its plans for celebrating the life and ideas of Thandika in the days ahead. May his soul rest in perfect peace.

Reflections of an Engaged Economist: An Interview with Thandika Mkandawire

Below is a link to an interview that our colleague Kate Meagher conducted with the late Prof. Thandika Mkandawire. The interview was published under the title “Reflections of an Engaged Economist: An Interview with Thandika Mkandawire,” in Development and Change, vol. 50 no. 2, 2019, pp. 511-541. More…

THANDIKA MKANDAWIRE LE BOSS – Par Mamadou Diouf

Je n’aime pas les oraisons funèbres. Elles annoncent, avec brutalité et désespoir, la disparition d’un être cher qui a marqué son temps et laissé une marque. Elles s’évertuent à tracer une histoire, exhumer une contribution remarquable, pour attester de sa clôture, même si l’on clame la continuité. Nonobstant nos efforts, l’oraison funèbre signale la mort ; elle enterre la personne pour n’en laisser qu’une trace et obturer une vie. More…

Thandika Mkandawire the Boss – By Mamadou Diouf

I do not like funeral orations. They announce, with brutality and despair, the disappearance of a loved one who has marked his time and left a mark. They strive to tell a story, to unearth a remarkable contribution, to bear witness to its closure, even if we claim continuity. Notwithstanding our efforts, funeral orations signal death; they bury a person and leave only a trace and seal a life. More…

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Prof. Thandika Mkandawire’s Remarks at the 15th CODESRIA General Assembly

Thandika Mkandawire has passed on!