By: Lloyd M’bwana
The country’s human right body, Centre for Human Right Rehabilitation (CHRR) has emphasized the need for Malawi media and other stakeholders be acquainted with access to information bill parameters in a bid to report concisely and objectively and provide right information to the general public.
The mentorship program comes just a week after government back-tracked its earlier decision to table the much awaited Access to Information (ATI) Bill in the just ended seating of the August House.
On Thursday, November 19, 2015 the local press was awash with reports that the cabinet rejected the bill implying that it is filled with a lot of irregularities which has been referred for redrafting before it’s tabled in the Parliament.
The cabinet’s change of heart comes as a betrayal to Malawians after President Mutharika promised in his state of nation address that his administration would table the bill in the just ended 45th Parliamentary proceedings.
The training attracted media practitioners from electronic, print and online publication and also education and women bodies including Civil Society on Quality Education, Malawi Girl Association (MAGA) among others.
In an exclusive interview with The Maravi Post after mentoring the local media and education experts, Patson Gondwe, CHRR Programmes Manager, expressed the need to have knowledge and skills on what lies beyond sourcing right information from public officers.
Gondwe said the training was an opener for the media’s fair reporting as were acquainted with skills and knowledge which is needed for making right decision affecting the general public daily in education, health issues.
“The access to information is the fundamental human rights to people as it help them to make right decision in life based on information gotten from the public officers who are the custodian of the government affairs. The media, education experts among others have the right to get right information from relevant public officers. This could be enhanced through training which practical tools’ skills are acquired that will facilitate objective reporting required for the general public to make right decision in their lives growth.
“As civil society will continue lobbying the tabling of the bill in Parliament to guarantee the general public access to information from government official which will enhance their accountability and transparent when providing social services to the citizen”, says Gondwe.
The Malawi Post later caught up with Isabel, Malawi Girl Association (MAGA)’s program coordinator on how important the access to information mentorship would stir ability in sourcing information from public officers, saying the training was timely that citizens as her organization will work closely with communities on how they can demand accountability on public officers work when serving them.
Echoing on the same, Paul Dickson, a reporter for Radio Maria Malawi emphasized the need for the nation to have the ATI laws to facilitate information gathering that the training skills acquired was a leeway to objective report.
Since 2003, Access to Information (ATI) Bill has undergone numerous reviews. Therefore, if the bill is passed into the law will provide the public right access to information as well as promoting transparency and accountability of public officers.
