Malawi

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 25 May 2004 CPJ press release: MALAWI: Police close radio, detain journalists New York, May 25, 2004-Three days after contested presidential elections in Malawi, police shuttered the community radio station MIJ 90.3 in the commercial capital of Blantyre, arrested four of its journalists, and accused two of them of […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) Director General Evance Namanja has threatened to withdraw Radio Maria’s broadcasting licence, accusing the Catholic radio station of being partisan in its coverage. The matter follows a directive issued by President Bakili Muluzi saying MACRA should “deal with religious stations that are brewing trouble” in the country. The […]

(MISA/IFEX) – In a 13 May 2004 letter, former public official Paul Chimenya threatened to sue journalist McDonald Chapalapata, of “The Nation” newspaper, and the Malawi Institute of Journalism radio station (MIJ 90.3FM) for defamation. Chimenya, who formerly worked for the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), wrote to Chapalapata and MIJ FM Radio claiming unspecified […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 20 May 2004, police arrested Capital Radio 102.5 FM reporter George Kalungwe on charges of “publishing false news likely to cause alarm among the public”. Kalungwe’s arrest came as Malawians went to the polls to elect a new president and Parliament, amid speculation that the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) was likely […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 10 May 2004, presidential candidate Bingu Mutharika, of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) party, threatened to sue the “Weekend Nation” and “The Dispatch” newspapers for what he referred to as “defamatory” articles. In early May, the two newspapers ran a series of stories alleging that Mutharika was fired as secretary-general of […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 29 January 2004, Thom Chiumia and Chikumbutso Mtumodzi, two journalists who are also politicians, halted printing of the privately owned “The Dispatch” newspaper and seized the printed copy and plates. Chiumia is president of the New Dawn for Africa (NDA) political party and Mtumodzi is the NDA’s secretary-general. The NDA supports the […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is an 8 January 2004 ARTICLE 19 press release: ARTICLE 19 has published a thorough legal analysis of the Malawi Communications Act 1998. This Act was passed by Parliament in November 1998, consolidating previous legislation, establishing the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) and providing for the reconstitution of the Malawi […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Fahad Assani has written to the Malawi Police, ordering it to discontinue arbitrary arrests of journalists, and warning that such acts are unconstitutional. Assani’s letter closely followed his statement in late October 2003 in which he said he would not prosecute “Daily Times” reporter Frank Namangale, whom the […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Fahad Assani has instructed police to drop a case against Frank Namangale, a reporter for “Daily Times” newspaper. Namangale had been charged with authoring an article likely to cause “breach of public peace”. In the article, which was published in September 2003, Namangale quoted police sources as having […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 18 October 2003, officers of the Malawi Police Service beat up six journalists for attempting to take photographs of a scuffle between police and a motorist at a police roadblock on Zalewa road, between Blantyre and Mwanza districts. The journalists were returning from a field visit organised by the Technical, Entrepreneurial, Vocational […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The High Court of Malawi has awarded a total of K48,000 (approximately US$457) in damages for “assault and trespass to goods” to “The Nation” newspaper senior reporter McDonald Chapalapata. In 2002, Chapalapata was assaulted by National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) Financial Controller Paul Chimenya. On 9 September 2003, Assistant Court Registrar Thomson Longwe […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 4 September 2003, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) threatened to shut down privately-owned radio station Capital Radio, accusing it of carrying out an Outside Broadcasting (OB), contrary to the provisions of its licence. Capital Radio had invited political parties to air their rallies live. Macra Director of Broadcasting James Chimera warned […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 16 September 2003, police in Blantyre arrested Frank Namangale, a reporter with the “Daily Times” newspaper, on charges of “publishing false information likely to cause fear and alarm to the public”. Namangale was released on bail later the same day. Police publicist George Chikowi told MISA’s Malawi chapter, Namisa, that Namangale was […]

(MISA/IFEX) – An official from the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) has threatened to “deal with” reporters from “The Nation” and warned the newspaper not to cover its convention on 8 August 2003. Speaking at a presidential rally in the southern district of Mwanza, the deputy regional governor for the South, Samson Msosa, alleged that […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Three journalists have been ordered to pay a fine of K450,000 (approx. US$5,000) to Stanbic Bank Malawi Managing Director Victor Mbewe, his wife and Stanbic Bank as compensation for a defamatory story the newspaper published in December 2002. The three journalists – Ken Ndanga, Chikumbutso Mtumodzi and Thom Chiumia – are owners of […]

(MISA/IFEX) – In what could pass as a face-saving move, President Bakili Muluzi has condemned as “unfortunate” the beating of Daniel Nyirenda, a photojournalist with “The Nation” newspaper, by youths belonging to Muluzi’s ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) party. The incident took place on 7 July 2003, at the opening of the UDF mini-convention in […]