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State of the media in Southern Africa 2002
2002
Chronicle” weekly newspaper for aggravated
damages.
According to the writ of summons
issued to the newspaper by the Malawi
High Court, Lemani is taking issue
with a story “The Chronicle” ran
in its 4-10 March 2002 edition.
The newspaper quoted remarks by
Yusuf Wadi, an executive member of
the opposition Malawi Congress Party
(MCP), who alleged that the Anti-
Corruption Bureau was failing to
prosecute UDF leaders.
The newspaper reported that “Wadi
cited several financial scandals in
which the big wigs were involved but
have been left untouched, like the Petroleum
Control Commission (PCC)
where Dumbo Lemani is involved by
virtue of being Minister of Energy at
the time coupled with Davis Kapito
who was chairman of PCC.”
Lemani argues that the article insinuated,
in part, that he was using his
political clout to defeat the course of
justice and that he was corrupt.
He contends that “The Chronicle”
ran the story out of malevolence and
spite towards him, which he said put
him “into public scandal, odium and
contempt.”
Lemani strengthens his case by contending
that the newspaper did not
interview either the Anti-Corruption
Bureau or himself to verify the facts.
The minister is seeking damages on
the footing of aggravated or exemplary
damages and costs.
Since 2000, “The Chronicle” has
been slapped with five lawsuits. In
addition to the Lemani case, two cases
were launched by Speaker of National
Assembly Sam Mpasu, one was
launched by President Bakili Muluzi,
and another by UDF’s Aleke Banda.
64 So This Is Democracy?
ALERT
DATE: 2002-05-23
INSTITUTION(S): Blantyre Printing
and Publishing (BP&P) – publishers
of the Daily Times, Malawi
News
VIOLATION(S): Threatened, beaten
At least 3 000 militant youths and
women, members of the ruling United
Democratic Front (UDF), besieged
the premises of Blantyre Newspapers
on Monday May 20 2002. They were
angered by the newspaper group’s
stand against President Bakili
Muluzi’s bid to run for an unconstitutional
third term when his current
term expires in 2004.
There was high drama as the UDF
loyalists held a rowdy demonstration
outside the newspaper offices.
Blantyre Newspapers publishes the
“Daily Times” and the weekly “Malawi
News”. The demonstrators threatened
to storm the premises and beat
up journalists.
The ruling party loyalists were angered
by the newspapers’ persistent
articles against the proposed third term
bid for Muluzi. After a series of stinging
commentaries against the bid, it
appears the demonstration was
prompted by a recent article in “Malawi
News” which disputed claims by
Henry Mussa, the ruling party’s member
of parliament for the southern district
of Chiradzulu, that up to 185
chiefs had mandated him to support
an amendment to the constitutional
clause that limits presidential terms.
However, Presidential Affairs Minister
Dumbo Lemani brought two senior
chiefs to the newspaper officers
after the demonstrations, where the
chiefs re-affirmed their support for the