Malawi

Police in Blantyre, southern Malawi, have arrested online journalist, Justice Mponda but are not shedding further light on the arrest.

The special commission created by Malawi’s new president to investigate opposition blogger Robert Chasowa’s death has concluded that he was murdered, as his family and colleagues had suspected all along.

The meeting drew attention to key issues that are relevant to how the media can function more effectively in the nascent democracy.

Malawi Communiqué 12 June 2012 Malawi media welcome removal of VAT on newspapers The media fraternity in Malawi has welcomed the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on newspapers, describing the development as good news which is in the interest of the people?s right to information. VAT on newspapers was introduced during late president Bingu […]

The law would have allowed the information minister to ban any publication it deemed contrary to public interest for an unspecified period of time, news reports said.

Clement Chinoko is languishing in police custody for writing a story on an alleged engagement ceremony involving two women.

——Original Message—— From: Anthony Kasunda Sender: [email protected] To: [email protected] ReplyTo: [email protected] Subject: [MisaMalawi] MISA statement on the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika Sent: Apr 7, 2012 10:44 MISA MALAWI STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF THE STATE PRESIDENT, THE LATE BNGU WA MUTHARIKA 07th April, 2012 For Immediate Release The Malawi Chapter of the Media […]

There is widespread speculation that Kapito was arrested in order to prevent him from testifying at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva at which Malawi’s final human rights report will be presented as a part of the Universal Periodic Review process.

No media outlet critical of President Bingu Wa Mutharika or the ruling Democratic Progressive Party was spared by the government this past weekend. The broadside included a public campaign to discredit the media as well as threats of fines and arrests of critical journalists.

Anthony Kasunda is receiving threats from unknown persons over the MISA chapter’s stance on the government’s repeated attacks on the media.

MISA is concerned that threats to withdraw advertising will threaten the vibrancy of the country’s private-sector media outlets and by extension, the country’s nascent democracy.

MISA has expressed deep concern over what it considers serious threats to media freedom and freedom of expression in the country.

MISA is gravely concerned about the information minister’s condescending behaviour towards journalists, coming as it does against the backdrop of a rapidly declining democratic culture in Malawi.

The Malawi Broadcasting Corporation gained notoriety for serving only President Bingu wa Mutharika while shutting out other independent voices.

The Law Commission has been asked to review certain laws recently passed in Parliament, including Section 46 of the Penal Code, which empowers a minister to ban publications deemed unsuitable for the public good.

Robert Chasowa was found dead on the campus of Malawi University Polytechnic on 24 September in circumstances that are far from clear.