Malawi’s Human rights activists pen MACRA to shut down MBC

Written by Richard Kayenda

Human rights activists in the country have on Tuesday written Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) to immediately suspend provision of broadcasting services by Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (Mbc) Radio and Television, following the beaming of vulgar expletives against the Vice President of Malawi, Dr Saulos Klaus Chiluma.

The activists: Human Rights Defenders Coalition (Hrdc), Youth and Society (YAS), the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia and a Mr Nicely Msowoya, have, through their lawyer, George Jivason Kadzipatike of Jivason and Company, given Macra Friday 15 May, 2020 as deadline to suspend broadcasting services of MBC; failing which they will seek legal redress.

Part of the letter reads: ” MBC is denying our clients and the nation at large their right to credible information and it is leading the country astray, yet Macra does not appear to take any efforts to enforce Communication Act against MBC.

“It is on the foregoing grounds that our clients demand the immediate suspension of provision of broadcasting services by Macra, until such a time that the unprofessional members of staff, including its secretariat and Board are replaced by competent and professional individuals.”

On Monday, 11 May, 2020, MBC TV, during its 7 PM Chichewa bulletin, beamed an explicit material which contained vulgar comments by supporters of DPP-UDF electoral alliance against the Vice President, Dr Saulos Chilima. The public broadcaster has since come under fire from the general public for airing unpalatable contents and for the blatant loss of professional code of conduct.

Maneno Chimulala

I am a journalist, educator, and activist with passion for telling stories about social justice, sports and political issues. I graduated from Mzuzu University. I started my career at the Maravi Post online publication in 2012 as an intern while in college. Upon graduating from Mzuzu University I was offered a job as Sports Reporter because of my background as a goalkeeper and rose to the position of sub editor. I also had a short stint with Nyasatimes, Malawi Punch and Malawi Digest. Over the past seven years, I have worked intimately with rural organizations and communities in Malawi on human rights, girl child education and grassroots development projects. With an academic background in education, I also volunteer as male champion for girls’ education under Girls Empowerment Networks (GENET) in Malawi’s South West Education Division (SWED).