Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

(MISA/IFEX) – The chairperson of MISA-Malawi, Molland Nkhata, has been forced, by ministerial directive, into early retirement from his position as Director of News and Current Affairs of the state-controlled Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). Nkhata was informed by the MBC’s Director-General, Sam Gunde, in a letter dated 23 April 1998, that a “ministerial directive has […]

(MISA/IFEX) – According to MISA, journalists and media workers in Tanzania have asked the government to reform some of the laws which restrict the right to information and freedom of expression. The media workers made the call during the celebrations of this year’s World Press Freedom Day at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in […]

(MISA/IFEX) – According to MISA, on 11 April 1998, Tanzanian police briefly detained and interrogated Balinagwe Mwambungu, the managing editor of “Mfanyakazi” newspaper. Mwambungu, who is also Chairman of the Journalists Environmental Association of Tanzania, was arrested at his Upanga residence in Dar es Salaam in connection with a story which appeared on the front […]

(MISA/IFEX) – According to MISA, Tanzanian police briefly detained and interrogated Peter Saramba, a reporter for the “Majira” newspaper, in connection with reports that police were forcing civilians to join them in the search for bodies of miners feared dead in a recent disaster. Saramba was detained on 15 April 1998, at Usa River Police […]

(MISA/IFEX) – According to MISA, on 16 April 1998, Kiondo Mshana, editor of “Taifa Letu”, a Kiswahili newspaper, was detained by Tanzanian police. The police wanted him to reveal the identity of the author of a story which appeared in “Taifa Letu”, and which quoted a detained Islamic leader. The front page story, which appeared […]

(MISA/IFEX) – According to MISA, the independent newspaper, “The Weekly Chronicle”, is threatened with closure following a court order to pay US$ 8,800.00 to the Reserve Bank of Malawi in defamatory costs. Rob Jamieson, the paper’s publisher, says he can hardly raise the amount as his publication subsists from hand to mouth, and the only […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 7 April 1998, Masautso Phiri , former special projects editor for “The Post”, appeared before a magistrates court in the central Zambian town of Kabwe. Phiri has been charged with “conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.” **Updates IFEX alerts of 25 and 26 August 1997** Phiri, who has denied […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 8 April 1998, Dickson Jere, a reporter with “The Post”, who had been picked up by police for questioning, was released a few hours later without being charged. Reporter Amos Malupenga, who spoke to Jere at “The Post”‘s editorial offices after his release, told the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA) that the […]