(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Malawian President Bakili Muluzi, RSF protested the increasingly tough repression against the independent press. RSF asked the head of state to publicly confirm his commitment to press freedom and to act quickly so that media professionals can work freely and safely throughout the country. “It is your responsibility to […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Malawian President Bakili Muluzi, RSF protested the increasingly tough repression against the independent press. RSF asked the head of state to publicly confirm his commitment to press freedom and to act quickly so that media professionals can work freely and safely throughout the country. “It is your responsibility to call on militants and supporters of the ruling party to remain calm,” said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. “We ask you to take measures to ensure that newspapers are freely distributed in Malawi, regardless of their editorial stance,” added Ménard.
According to information gathered by RSF, members of the ruling United Democratic Front’s (UDF) youth league assaulted Brian Ligomeka, correspondent for the South-African agency African Eye News Service, on 12 August 2001. The journalist was covering the arrival of foreign heads of state attending the summit of the Southern Africa Development Community at the international airport in Blantyre when several men grabbed him and pushed him outside the buildings. The party youths accused him of being a spy for the opposition and threatened to kill him before beating him up. Ligomeka suffered a bruised jaw and leg. He stated that a policeman finally helped him escape and took him to the closest police station. “I am grateful to him because after many police officers just looked at the UDF officials beating me, he saved my life,” the journalist said. The police launched an inquiry but nobody has been arrested to date.
The previous day, John Saini, a reporter with “Pride” magazine, was threatened by UDF officials at the airport. The men asked him to stop publishing stories critical of the government.
Furthermore, on 14 August, unknown people attacked newspaper vendors in the streets of Blantyre and took their copies of the independent weekly “The People’s Eye”. They then went to the weekly’s offices and seized 300 copies of the latest issue. Editor Chinyeke Tembo closed the office “until the tension eases.” “The People’s Eye” published an article criticising President Muluzi’s silence about a third term bid. The president is currently completing his second term in office and several UDF officials have asked him to run a third time. However, according to the constitution, nobody can be elected president more than two times.
