Monday, July 17, 2017
Statement for immediate release
The Malawi Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Malawi)
is concerned with reports that prison warders at Maula in Lilongwe
manhandled reporters from Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) for
covering the on-going strike by the prison warders.
The Chapter would like to remind people that the ‘media has a right to
report within Malawi and abroad and to be accorded the fullest possible
facilities for access to information.’ We believe that media coverage of
the strike by the prison authorities in no exception.
MBC reporter Patrick Dambula and camera man Hastings Khombo were
manhandled by the warders around lunch hour today, Monday, July 17, 2017.
In an interview with MISA Malawi, Dambula said that they failed to do
their story because of the hostile atmosphere at the prison.
“Things got worse when we approached the gate. The prison warders tried to
confiscate the camera but fortunately they failed. We failed to even do
any interviews for our story. Lucky enough no one was hurt,” Dambula said.
Efforts to speak to prison authorities proved futile.
We would however like to call upon prison authorities to desist from
attacking the media and to ensure that the matter is investigated and the
culprits disciplined.
Beating up reporters and treating them as criminals is barbaric and
retrogressive.
MISA Malawi would like to caution the general public against any form of
attack on journalists in their line of duty. Journalists have a
responsibility to report and inform Malawians on developments in the
country. Any form of attack on journalists is an infringement on not just
the media’s right to gather and report but also citizens’ rights to
know.
The media is not an enemy of the people but a partner in development.
Signed
Teresa Ndanga
Chairperson, MISA Malawi
For more information contact Teresa Ndanga on +265999 247911 or National
Director Aubrey Chikungwa on 0999327311 or through email
info@misamalawi.org
—
MISA Malawi
Onions Complex
Off Chilambula Highway
P.O. Box 30463
Lilongwe 3
Tel: +265 758 091
MBC reporters are very biased in their reporting. Had it been a different media house I would have felt sorry for them but not MBC. MBC sidzatheka!