Download - Media Institute of Southern Africa

State of the media in Southern Africa 2002
broadcast gave one the impression that the electronic media newsreaders were
rejoicing and celebrating over the arrest of a fellow media worker. Clearly
both MBC and TVM had been used by the system, to achieve its goal of
disinformation.
Although government and ruling party authorities would want the world to believe
that media freedom exists in Malawi, the environment in which media
workers are operating today has moved several steps backwards. It is Not Yet
Uhuru for media freedom in Malawi.
Those at the helm of government who claim to be democrats and open to criticism
should be ashamed of driving the country back into the dark ages of public
media monopoly and manipulation to suit their whims.
The trend to suppress freedom of expression and send the country back into an
era of fear, has taken two major forms: condemnation of courageous media
workers and media houses from political platforms, and physical attacks on
media practitioners and houses that are seen to be exposing the wrongs committed
by public figures.
In September and October, a series of incidents occurred which are indicative
of the threat that hangs over freedom of expression in Malawi. Witness the
following:
2002
• On September 12, President Muluzi at a rally in Lilongwe launched a tirade
against The Chronicle newspaper accusing it of inciting people to rise against
Muslims because of an article it published alleging that Muslims in Malawi,
funded by Osama Bin Laden, were plotting to torch churches. If Muluzi has a
right to utter inflammatory statements without proving them to hundreds of his
blind followers at party functions, one still questions whether MBC and TVM
can be justified to ‘go to town’ on such allegations without seeking the views of
the newspaper under attack.
• Barely a few weeks later, a UDF functionary, Alick Makina, was killed in
Mulanje. This death resulted from a clash between overzealous supporters of
the ruling party and people alleged to be members of NDA. Muluzi accused
NDA officials of the murder. MBC and TVM were at it again! They, almost
with joy and in festive mood, trumpeted the story so loudly that listeners and
viewers would be forgiven for believing that the stations had proof about the
identity of the killers. The two public broadcasters threw ethics to the wind in
an effort to receive recognition from their political masters, without giving officials
of NDA a chance to reply to the accusations.
• On September 15 the State President suppressed freedom of expression by
attacking chairperson of the Public Affairs Committee, Rev. Constantine
Kaswaya, at a church function of the Seventh Day Adventists at Malamulo. He
criticised clergymen who, according to him, were intruding into politics. Muluzi
54 So This Is Democracy?