Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

(MISA/IFEX) – Rankin Nyekanyeka, editor of the “Daily Times”, one of only two daily newspapers in Malawi, has been suspended for allegedly ‘belittling’ a story about President Bakili Muluzi. The suspension letter takes issue with the paper’s Friday 25 August 2000 edition, in which the paper ran a story entitled “Malawi Police To Serve In […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 25 August 2000, Henry Chilufya, deputy news editor of the privately-owned Radio Phoenix, was illegally detained and roughed-up for at least an hour, allegedly by members of the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD), in Lusaka. Chilufya told the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA/MISA-Zambia) that he was on assignment, investigating reports of […]

**Updates IFEX alerts of 12 July 2000, 27, 22, 21 and 17 September 1999** (MISA/IFEX) – Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Lincolin Ngarua has withdrawn charges of criminal defamation against journalist Bheki Makhubu. Makhubu, who is currently editor of “The Nation” newspaper, was charged last year, shortly after being dismissed as editor of the “Times […]

(MISA/IFEX) – A Malawian journalist has won a case thirty-six years after being dismissed from his job. Boniface Masonga recently won a case in which he was challenging his dismissal from the Publications Section of the Ministry of Information in 1964. The case, which was heard before Ombudsman Enock Chibwana, resulted in the ombudsman directing […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) scored a significant victory for the cause of media freedom in Namibia when the High Court refused to confirm an interim interdict that stopped the broadcasting of an allegedly defamatory television programme. On 16 August 2000, Acting Judge John Manyarara ruled that even if an NBC programme on […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 18 August 2000, the editor-in-chief of the “Post” newspaper, Fred M’membe, was told he still had a case to answer to, while ten of his colleagues were acquitted on charges of espionage by Lusaka High Court Judge Elizabeth Muyovwe. Muyovwe said in her ruling that M’membe was being put on his defence […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The government has, through the Zimbabwe Mass Media Trust (ZMMT), asked the entire eight-member Zimpapers board to resign with immediate effect. Those asked to step down are: Nelson Samkange (chairperson), Sarah Kachingwe (deputy chairperson), Macloud Chaora, Bornwell Chakaodza, Raymond Mutambirwa, Adonia Mahleka and Don Muvuti. The chairperson of the ZMMT, Honour Mkushi, said […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Minister of State for Information and Publicity Jonathan Moyo has denied that the government is considering leasing out part of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation’s (ZBC) services to foreign organisations as part of efforts to liberalise the airwaves. The minister was responding to press reports that the government was considering opening the airwaves to […]