Hastings Maloya, a radio journalist working for the state-run radio broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), has been dismissed. In a statement issued on 26 August 1996, MISA-Malawi reported that Maloya was dismissed for covering an opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) rally held in Malawi’s commercial city, Blantyre. MISA-Malawi also reported that editor Francis Chikunkhuzeni was […]
Hastings Maloya, a radio journalist working for the state-run
radio broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), has been
dismissed. In a statement issued on 26 August 1996, MISA-Malawi
reported that Maloya was dismissed for covering an opposition
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) rally held in Malawi’s commercial
city, Blantyre. MISA-Malawi also reported that editor Francis
Chikunkhuzeni was given a one month suspension for editing the
offending article, while Verson Idi, a senior radio announcer, is
reported to have been verbally warned for reading the news about
the MCP rally. Maloya and Chikunkhuzeni reportedly received their
letters of disciplinary action on 20 August and 21 August,
respectively. MISA Secretariat was, however, not able to talk to
the three.
On 27 August, MBC’s Controller of News and Current Affairs, Don
Chimera, confirmed that Maloya had been dismissed and
Chikunkhuzeni suspended for one month without pay. Chimera,
however, denied Idi had been verbally warned for reading the news
about the MCP rally. Chimera explained that Maloya had been
dismissed for writing a false story that the main opposition party
had held a rally in Blantyre, an assignment Maloya had taken upon
himself. “Maloya is not a reporter but a desk editor normally not
allowed to write stories, but he went ahead writing a false
story,” he said.
Chimera claimed that when news about the rally went on air, some
listeners queried the MBC, saying that the report was not true. “I
together with two of my colleagues were sent to investigate the
matter at the scene and found that the rally had indeed not taken
place,” Chimera said. The three assigned to investigate the
matter, Chimera went on to say, had spoken to two persons who had
denied there was a rally in their location. Asked whether he had
spoken to the MCP officials in the area, Chimera said, “We didn’t
speak to the MCP officials said to have held a rally because we
knew they would have been biased.”
Chimera said he was shocked to hear reports that the two were
penalised for reporting on an opposition rally. “We carry reports
about all parties but not false reports. And it is a fallacy to
suggest that we discriminate against opposition parties,” he said.
Asked why MBC management had not appointed an independent board to
carry out investigations, Chimera only said, “This is a
disciplinary matter and MBC management had the right to take a
decision.” However, Chimera said that Chikunkhuzeni may not have
been suspended but for his reaction when management approached him
about the story on the rally. “His language to management amounted
to insubordination,” he said.
Saidi Nayuma, the MCP official who spoke to MISA on 27 August,
claims to have addressed the rally and insisted it (the rally)
took place. “We had a rally which only got disrupted by the
stoning from the youth. If there was no rally, why would the youth
have been stoning?” Nayuma said.
