Tag Archives: #WorldPressFreedomDay

Malawi, Politics

Nankhumwa dares Chakwera’s Tonse on muzzling press freedoms

Maravi Post Reporter

By Chisomo Phiri

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-As the world was commemorating World Pres Day on Tuesday May 3, 2022, Leader of Opposition in Parliament and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Vice President for the South Kondwani Nankhumwa called on the Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse government to stop muzzling Press Freedoms in the country.

Below is the full Nankhumwa’s speech:

“Today, 3rd May, is World Press Freedom Day. I wish to congratulate all journalists in Malawi as they join their friends across the globe in commemorating this very important day.”

“This year’s theme, according to the United Nations, is “Journalism Under Digital Siege”. The theme is intended to highlight the multiple ways in which surveillance and digitally mediated attacks endanger journalists and journalism.

Nankhumwa for free press

“In 1994, Malawi embraced democracy. Freedom of the press is enshrined in the Republican Constitution under section 36. The access to information law also took effect in September 2020, which we all celebrated as a big step forward towards fully consolidating our democracy.

“So far, the media has played a crucial role in strengthening democracy in the country by providing the necessary information for citizens to make informed decisions. As the ‘fourth estate’, the media has performed exceptionally well in holding the executive arm of government accountable for its actions.

“However, according to the 2022 Freedom of the Press Index published by Reporters Without Borders, Malawi has slipped in ranking from 62 in 2021 to 80 in 2022 in terms of promoting freedom of the press and access to public information by journalists.

“I am not surprised by this huge fall in ranking because it appears that the Tonse Alliance government, under President Lazarus Chakwera, has brazenly gone full throttle in muzzling press freedom, including harassing and arresting journalists for merely doing their job.

“A case in point is the recent arrest of social media commentators, including a nurse, Chidawawa Maine, and Mr. Joshua Chisa Mbele, as well as that of Director of Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) Gregory Gondwe, on 5th April, 2022.

“As journalists commemorate this very important day, I would like to call upon President Chakwera and his government to resist the temptation of taking Malawi back to the one-party totalitarian practices where journalists were arbitrarily arrested and detained for many years for reporting the truth. Under that one-party oppressive regime of the late Ngwazi Dr. H. Kamuzu Banda, journalists were forced to toe the party line and to always glorify the ‘Ngwazi’ as a demi-god.

“As Leader of Opposition in Parliament, I will not fold my hands and watch the Tonse Alliance government snuff away various freedoms that Malawians gallantly fought for in 1993 and 1994, including the freedom of expression. We shall, therefore, continue to push for the removal from our statutes archaic laws that impede media independence, and the safety of journalists in Malawi in conformity with our democratic dispensation”.

On the morning of Tuesday May 3, 2023 President Chakwera engaged journalists in what was described as having a breakfast with them at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.

Malawi, Opinion, Regional

#WorldPressFreedomDay: Release Malawi’s Media from captivity

Angella Semu

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-As were are commemorating the World Press Freedom Day, it is fundamental to reflect on the environment in which the press operates in Malawi.

This year, the World Press Freedom Day theme “Journalism under Digital Siege”, highlights the freedom of expression, safety of journalists, privacy, access to information and more.

For Malawi, this day is another aide-memoire to the tendencies by the state that have left Malawi’s media in state of terror as Journalists continue to be threatened and pressured into silence.

When the current administration came into power in 2020, there were very observable efforts to position itself in a good light with the media. Unfortunately, not everyone aspiring for office is completely honest and its easy to make commitments that can’t be kept.

Barely two years in power, our leaders are acting completely opposite to the tendencies they swore to live by. The continued detention of journalists and the suppressed freedom of expression is exactly what the state vowed to withhold and witnessing it all is disheartening and a sure threat to democracy.

Chakwera and MISA chair Ndanga

If we are honest, we have to admit that this road to Canaan is much more bumpy than the 40 years journey itself. The sickening arrest of Enock Balakasi, detention of Watipaso Mzungu and recent arrest of Gregory Gondwe, all under the administration that assured Malawians of a free press and freedom of expression.

Freedom of the press is a right clearly stated in the constitution of Malawi under section 35, 36 and 37. Malawi is also a signatory of Windhoek Declaration that promotes the freedom of the press.

In additional, in May, 2021, Malawi joined the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA ), that seeks to protect the rights of journalists and publishers around the world followed by the launch of Malawi’s Media Freedom Committee (MFC), in October 2021 as a chapter of WAN-IFRA that underlines the importance of a free press in holding power to account.

However, instead of state being at the core of safeguarding the freedom of press, it is infact at the center of suppressing it leaving it in dreaded state.

The press freedom can be improved, and must be improved in the country. The state must take responsibility to make concrete commitments for future actions to ensure the press is indeed free in the country.