(MISA/IFEX) – Rankin Nyekanyeka, editor of the “Daily Times”, one of only two daily newspapers in Malawi, has been suspended for allegedly ‘belittling’ a story about President Bakili Muluzi. The suspension letter takes issue with the paper’s Friday 25 August 2000 edition, in which the paper ran a story entitled “Malawi Police To Serve In […]
(MISA/IFEX) – Rankin Nyekanyeka, editor of the “Daily Times”, one of only two daily newspapers in Malawi, has been suspended for allegedly ‘belittling’ a story about President Bakili Muluzi.
The suspension letter takes issue with the paper’s Friday 25 August 2000 edition, in which the paper ran a story entitled “Malawi Police To Serve In Kosovo” as its front-page lead, despite the fact that the previous day, President Muluzi had presided over the opening of a factory in Blantyre.
In the suspension letter, the paper’s editor-in-chief, Mike Kamwendo, said Nyekanyeka should have used his judgement to know that the Muluzi story was more important than the Kosovo one. But Nyekanyeka said he still believed his choice was professional.
“My boss says my choice of the lead for Friday was wrong, but I thought our police going to serve in Kosovo was of national importance,” he told MISA-Malawi. “For me that was great news for both the government and everybody else since our police service is getting international recognition.”
Kamwendo refused to shed more light on the issue, saying it was an internal issue.
Nyekanyeka’s suspension came three months after the paper’s original board, which was appointed by the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP), was fired in order to pave the way for a government-appointed board.
Blantyre Newspaper Limited, publishers of the “Daily Times”, was part of the MCP establishment, but when former President Hastings Kamuzu Banda died in November 1997, the newspaper was put under a trust. Relatives of Banda sought a court order, saying his estate was not being properly distributed. The court ordered that the estate be put under an interim administrator until the case was settled. A new board had to be appointed to run the newspaper, effectively moving its editorial stance from the opposition to the government.
Tony Mita, a former chief information officer under Banda, who is one of the current board members, justified the suspension by saying that Muluzi’s function was more of national interest than Nyekanyeka’s choice.
MISA-Malawi condemned the action, saying it was a move to muzzle the free flow of information and editorial independence. In a statement, the organisation said the move will intimidate journalists at the paper from working freely.
