National Overview Malawi 2011 - Media Institute of Southern Africa

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CommuniquéDate: July 28, 2011Person/ institution: MillenniumChallenge Corporation (MCC)Violation/ issue: OtherThe international community continuesto withhold aid to Malawi followingwhat they have described as the country’spoor economic policies, deterioratinghuman rights standards and badgovernance. In the latest development,the Millennium Challenge Corporation(MCC), a U.S. Government agency, hasannounced that it is deeply concernedby recent events in Malawi and is placingan immediate hold on all programoperations in order to review its partnershipwith Malawi, including whether torecommend to its Board of Directors tosuspend or terminate its assistance.CommuniquéDate: September 9, 2011Person/ institution: ParliamentViolation/ issue: LegislationMalawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharikaon 7 September 2011 announced a newcabinet which has seen the bouncingback of former Minister of Informationand Civic Education Patricia Kaliati tohead Ministry of Information and CivicEducation, a ministry she has headedbefore. Kaliati has replaced Simon VuwaKaunda who has been deployed to headMinistry of Youth, Sports and Culture.Kaliati is known for her openness withthe media. She was dropped by Mutharikafrom cabinet two years ago. The30 member cabinet was announced onstate-controlled Malawi BroadcastingCorporation (MBC) and the appointmentis with immediate effect from 6 September2011.AlertDate: September 9, 2011Person/ institution: BlantyreNewspapers Limited (BNL)Violation/ issue: OtherTension has engulfed staff of BlantyreNewspapers Limited (BNL) following retrenchmentof eight journalists and othermembers of staff at the company. BNLis a subsidiary of Blantyre Print and Publishing(BP & P), publishers of The DailyTimes (the country’s oldest daily), MalawiNews (the country’s oldest weekly),The Sunday Times, The Weekend Timesand Times Lifestyle Magazine (a quarterlymagazine). According to newspaperreports, the eight media practitioners arepart of 44 members of staff BP & P hasdismissed to allegedly salvage the company.AlertDate: September 13, 2011Person/ institution: Ernest MahwayoViolation/ issue: DetainedPolice on 12 September 2011 arrestedjournalist Ernest Mhwayo for allegedlytaking pictures of President Bingu waMutharika’s Ndata Farm without permission.Ndata Farm is President Mutharika’sretirement residence in his home districtof Thyolo, Southern Malawi. The Farmrecently came under the spotlight whencivil society leaders requested the presidentto explain his wealth.September 16, 2011: Journalist Ernest82So This is Democracy • 2011
Mahwayo, who was arrested on Monday,12 September 2011 for allegedly takingpictures of President Bingu wa Mutharika’sNdata Farm without permission,has pleaded not guilty to the charge ofconduct likely to cause breach of peaceand has since been granted bail. Thecase appeared before magistrate AnneChikhadzula on Wednesday, 14 September11, two days after the arrest.CommuniquéDate: September 12, 2011Person/ institution: MISA MalawiViolation/ issue: LegislationThe Malawi Chapter of the Media Instituteof Southern Africa (MISA) has newNational Governing Council (NGC) membersbased on latest constitutional provisionsthat reduced the number of electedNGC members from 7 to 3. The new NGCcomprises Chairperson Anthony Kasunda,a news analyst from one of the publishinggiants Nation Publications Limited;Deputy Thom Khanje, Business Editorfrom another giant Blantyre NewspapersLimited, Publishers of the Daily Times,Weekend Times, Sunday Times, MalawiNews and Life Style Magazine. FormerTreasurer, Suzgo Khunga also from BlantyreNewspapers Limited, has maintainedher position as Treasurer.CommuniquéDate: September 16, 2011Person/ institution: MalawiBroadcasting Corporation (MBC)Violation/ issue: LegislationA court battle has erupted between employeesand management of State-controlledMalawi Broadcasting Corporation(MBC) following disagreements betweenthe two parties over issues surroundingthe merger of Malawi Television (TVM)and Malawi Broadcasting Corporation(MBC) Radio services.October 12, 2011: Some members of staffhave spent their third day at state-controlledMalawi Broadcasting Corporation(MBC) following a court order issued bythe High court on 28 September 2011,which directed that the employees hadto go back to their previous workplaces.The reinstated workers were previouslyredeployed to various government departmentsand institutions following themerging of MBC Television and radio.AlertDate: September 16, 2011Person/ institution: McDonaldSembereka,Violation/ issue: BombedCivil Society groupings in Malawi haveaccused President Bingu wa Mutharika’sadministration of muzzling freedom ofexpression following alleged arson attackon a house belonging to McDonaldSembereka, coordinator of a grouping ofhuman rights organizations. Sembereka,Acting National Coordinator of HumanRights Consultative Committee (HRCC),had his house allegedly petrol bombedon Saturday, September 10, by unknownarsonists. The house is located in Balakadistrict, Eastern Malawi.So This is Democracy • 2011 83
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Page 3 and 4: tion to the ruling political party
Page 5 and 6: tions will be accepted by the sameP
Page 7 and 8: 4.5 percent of the population uses
Page 9 and 10: vivo de protestos em massa. Todos e
Page 11 and 12: imprensa terá o direito para infor
Page 13 and 14: Malauianos que podem dispor comprar
Page 15 and 16: draconianas e baixa penetração da
Page 17: AlertDate: July 11, 2011Person/ ins
Page 21: commit suicide. The student, Robert

National Overview Malawi 2011 - Media Institute of Southern Africa

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