(MISA/IFEX) – A Malawian civil servant has been interdicted for writing an article exposing poor safety standards at Malawi’s international airports. MacDonald Mukorongo, a senior assistant air traffic controller, was interdicted on 11 September 1997 after his article outlining the obsolete civil aviation equipment in Malawi and its dangers to travellers was published in “The […]
(MISA/IFEX) – A Malawian civil servant has been interdicted for
writing an article exposing poor safety standards at Malawi’s
international airports. MacDonald Mukorongo, a senior assistant
air traffic controller, was interdicted on 11 September 1997
after his article outlining the obsolete civil aviation equipment
in Malawi and its dangers to travellers was published in “The
Nation” newspaper on 19 August.
Mukorongo was interdicted under the 1966 Malawi Public Service
Regulations (MPSR) act, some sections of which prohibit civil
servants from publishing or even leaking information to the
media. Civil servants in Malawi can only write an article to the
media with the approval of a cabinet minister.
Deputy Director of Civil Aviation MacFallain Chimombo said that
Mukorongo had not only breached the MPSR but his article was
“false” and ill-timed. “It appeared at a time when Malawi was
hosting the Southern African Development Community Summit. Did
Mukorongo want to scare the delegates or the airlines from
operating in Malawi?”, asked Chimombo.
“The Nation” editor Jika Nkolokosa said the article had been
cleared by the civil aviation authorities for publishing.
“Although it was only published this year, and most likely some
of the things have changed in aviation, the article remained
valid,” said Nkolokosa. Mukorongo had written the article in
1996.
Another officer from the aviation department told MISA in an
interview on 22 September that the MPSR is “very restrictive and
should have been reviewed to give clarity on the civil servants’
right to free expression,” he said. The officer said the MPSR,
together with other Malawi laws, were contrary to the new
Constitution. “Most of these laws, including the MPSR, are very
restrictive and should have been reviewed to give clarity on the
civil servants’ right to free expression,” he said. The officer
said Mukorongo’s motive behind the article was the safety of the
passengers and planes adding: “This is the truth the Malawi
government authorities would like to suppress.”
