Malawi

(MISA/IFEX) – Joy Radio Station, which had its broadcasting licence suspended on 17 October 2008, has resumed broadcasting after a High Court injunction preventing the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) from revoking its licence. MACRA had ordered the station off-air over allegations of not complying with the licence agreement and provisions of the Communications Act. […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 10 July 2008 immigration authorities raided Joy Radio premises, searching for foreigners allegedly employed by the station. The incident happened barely a day after State House Press Officer Chikumbutso Mtumodzi warned the station against what he termed “embarking on a disinformation crusade, airing libellous and slanderous programmes and playing derogatory songs” against […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The Chinese Embassy in Malawi has removed Wisdom Chimgwede, Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) editor, from the list of journalists travelling to China on a media tour it sponsored after receiving instructions from Malawi’s Ministry of Information and Civic Education. The visit is slated to begin on 21 June 2008. The ministry had earlier […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 10 June 2008, former Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Bazuka Mhango, who is also a Member of Parliament, warned the media not to report on allegations levelled against him by fellow parliamentarian Ibrahim Matola. Matola, an opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) legislator, alleged during deliberations on the 2008/09 national budget that Mhango […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has summoned Joy Radio Limited, owned by former President Bakili Muluzi, and the state broadcasters Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Television Malawi (TVM) for breaching the Broadcasting Services Code of Conduct. A letter to Joy Radio dated 30 May 2008 and signed by MACRA Director General Allexon […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 7 June 2008, Machinga District Commissioner (DC) Lawrence Makonokaya mistreated Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) correspondent Wyford Banda. The incident occurred when the latter sought the DC’s comments on the arrest of people involved in a fight with the police over participation in the Malawi Housing and Population Census. It took place at […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Journalist Maxwell Ng’ambi was arrested by police on suspicion that he intended to interview a former speaker of parliament and cabinet minister, Sam Mpasu, from prison without permission to do so. Mpasu was convicted by a magistrate’s court on 8 April 2008 on three charges of abuse of office involving procurement of education […]

(MISA/IFEX) – A journalist working for Blantyre Newspapers Limited was arrested on 12 March 2008 and detained by the Police in Mzuzu for taking pictures of a group of people that had gathered outside offices of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), after a police officer was arrested. Wanangwa Tembo said that he got a tip-off that […]

Freedom of the Press 2007: Malawi

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has condemned charges laid against Mike Chipalasa, of the privately-owned “Daily Times”, and its managing editor, James Mphande, for “publishing false news likely to lead to a breach of public order”. The charges relate to an article carried by the paper on 14 January 2008 which included remarks by opposition […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 29 October 2007, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) ordered Joy TV to immediately stop all television broadcasts until the station is issued appropriate radio and broadcasting licenses. Joy TV- a sister company to Joy Radio – has been held up in a wrangle with the country’s communications regulator after it challenged […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 11 September 2007, Parliament passed its K173 billion (approx. US$670 million) annual national budget with an allocation of only K1 (approx. US$.01) each for the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Television Malawi (TVM), for their 2007/2008 financial year. The K1 allocation is nominal, to satisfy the law that make it illegal to […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 13 July 2007, the High Court in Blantyre nullified the composition of the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) board because its members did not qualify for appointment. In his ruling, Judge Frank Kapanda said it was wrong for President Bingu wa Mutharika to appoint the board members while excluding old members of […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 13 April 2007 CPJ press release: In Malawi, private radio stations censored over political coverage New York, April 13, 2007 – Live radio broadcasts of opposition rallies in the lead-up to presidential polls in 2009 led state regulators in the commercial city of Blantyre this week to bar all […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On November 22, 2006, the National Media Institute of Southern Africa (Namisa) – also known as MISA Malawi – petitioned Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika on the conduct of the State House Press Officer, Chikumbutso Mtumodzi. The petition is in response to a letter that Mtumodzi wrote to Blantyre Newspapers Limited (BNL) on […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The general manager of Blantyre Newspapers Limited (BNL), Jika Nkolokosa, and one of his reporters, Maxwell Ng’ambi, have been charged with criminal libel for writing negatively about Health Minister Hetherwick Ntaba. Both journalists pleaded not guilty before the Lilongwe Magistrate Court on 29 May 2006. According to the charge sheet, the journalists, “knowing […]