Amid power outages, water shortages, and repression, young Malagasy demand accountability and light in more ways than one.
Madagascar is burning not just from the flames that scorched shops and cable car stations in Antananarivo this week, but from the frustration of a generation that feels unheard, unseen, and betrayed.
On September 25th, what began as a peaceful protest led by young people spiraled into the most dramatic unrest the country has seen in years. With banners raised and voices echoing through the streets, Gen Z in Madagascar is not just protesting electricity and water shortages they are challenging a broken system and demanding to be heard.
What Sparked the Fire?
Madagascar, one of the poorest countries in the world, is facing a full-blown energy crisis. Rolling blackouts lasting over 12 hours a day have become the norm in many neighborhoods. Water shortages are crippling homes and businesses alike.
The national utility, Jirama, long plagued by corruption and mismanagement fails to deliver basic services to two-thirds of the country. With around 80% of Malagasy people living below the poverty line, the impact is devastating.
A Generation Fed Up And Fed Online
This protest wave is youth-led, powered by online mobilisation and coordinated largely by Gen Z activists. Despite government attempts to suppress demonstrations including banning gatherings, the movement has only gained momentum.
In Antananarivo, students and young workers flooded the streets on Thursday, waving placards denouncing corruption, government neglect, and worsening poverty. But peaceful marches were met with rubber bullets, tear gas, and brute force.
Many young protestors dispersed and regrouped in smaller clusters, dodging police cordons. Others weren’t as lucky.
A Night of Darkness, Death, and Defiance
By nightfall, the capital was in turmoil. Fires burned, shops were looted, and vandalism spread through the streets, some of it clearly planned. Protest organizers were quick to denounce the violence, urging people to return to peaceful demonstrations on Saturday instead.
A strict curfew was enforced from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
At least five people are reported dead, though officials have yet to confirm an exact number. In the chaos, cable car stations tied to a controversial government project were set on fire. The homes of pro-government lawmakers were attacked. Banks and stores were looted.
Still, the protests haven’t stopped.
Governance on Trial
On Friday, Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina fired his energy minister in a last-minute effort to defuse mounting protests over economic hardship and fuel shortages. However, instead of addressing public grievances, Rajoelina struck a defiant tone, dismissing the demonstrations as “an attempted coup d’état.” The move has drawn sharp criticism, with many pointing out the irony: Rajoelina himself first seized power in a 2009 coup before later winning elections plagued by low turnout and opposition boycotts. Once seen as a man of the people, critics now accuse him of becoming the very thing he once opposed an aloof leader backed by elites and increasingly out of touch with everyday Malagasy citizens.
What Democracy Demands
At Voices for Democracy and Justice, we believe what’s happening in Madagascar is a case study in how democratic failure not just at the ballot box, but in basic governance breeds unrest.
When services break down, when institutions crumble under corruption, and when youth are silenced, people don’t just protest they erupt.
We call on:
The Malagasy government to protect protestors’ rights, investigate the deaths, and immediately reform Jirama.
International observers to monitor the crisis and pressure for peaceful, rights-based resolution.
Malagasy youth to continue to protest peacefully, their voices matter, and the world is watching.
A Global Generation, a Local Fight
From Santiago to Soweto, Hong Kong to Madagascar; young people are rising. Not to destroy, but to demand a future. One with jobs. One with electricity. One with water. One where their voice isn’t just tolerated, but heard.
In Madagascar, the fight is far from over. But a spark has been lit. And it’s not going out anytime soon.
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