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.
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.
