(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Malawi’s minister of information, Clement Stambuli, RSF expressed its concern following the Ministry of Information’s threats against journalists who have expressed their intention to relaunch the publication of the private daily “National Agenda”. The ministry issued the threats on 24 November 2000. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked for a […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Malawi’s minister of information, Clement Stambuli, RSF expressed its concern following the Ministry of Information’s threats against journalists who have expressed their intention to relaunch the publication of the private daily “National Agenda”. The ministry issued the threats on 24 November 2000. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked for a clarification regarding the legal status of the newspaper, which, according to the authorities, is under a permanent ban. The newspaper’s publishers claim that the ban is only temporary, however.
According to information collected by RSF, in a press release issued by public media, the Ministry of Information noted that the government would not tolerate the republication of the “National Agenda”, an opposition newspaper known for its critical tone. This statement follows the announcement by Chinyeke Tempo, an investigative journalist, that the newspaper was to begin publishing anew. “National Agenda” disappeared from newsstands after the October 1999 arrests of Brian Mungomo and Twabwa Kaiya, two journalists with the paper.
RSF recalled that the right to publish is guaranteed by Malawi’s Constitution and by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the country has ratified. As such, Malawi’s authorities have an obligation to protect press freedom and guarantee the protection of journalists in the exercise of their profession.
