The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Malawi) has expressed its sadness with a growing trend of Phalombe district council officials of barring journalists and the media from covering public functions.
This is according to a press statement released on Friday, signed by, the Chapter’s president, Tereza Ndanga.
Last week the Chapter received reports that the Phalombe District Council had banned reporters from private media houses from covering Council proceedings.
The media was also awash with reports that the media had been banned from covering the public sector reform meetings which were taking place at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in August.
Ndanga said the Chapter would like to remind individuals and organizations that the media has a constitutional obligation and right to inform Malawians and any attempts to block the sector from performing that function is unconstitutional and retrogressive.
She said the Chapter has received several reports of public bodies and individuals banning the media from covering public deliberations and functions.
“These developments are unconstitutional and retrogressive for Malawi and ought to be condemned in the strongest manner possible.
“Section 44 (2) of the Malawi Constitution is clear that limitations on the exercise of any rights and freedoms provided for in the Constitution should be those prescribed by law, which are reasonable, recognized by international human rights standards and necessary in an open and democratic society,” reads part of Misa statement.
The Chapter further says none of the cases at hand justify the actions by authorities to ban or bar reporters and the media from performing their duties.
Ndanga in the statement said MISA Malawi does not support sensational, malicious and half-baked reporting and would appreciate being engaged to deal with such cases.
“Banning or barring reporters is not an answer or remedy for cases where a journalist or media outlet has misrepresented information or facts,” reads another part of the statement.
In July this year, MISA Malawi issued a statement over reports that the media had been barred from covering the infamous maize gate case involving former Minister of Agriculture George Chaponda.
We have a problem with quality of citizens in this country. How can an employee of the public bar coverage of public functions? How can an employee bar a shareholder from accessing information about his organisation? Anthuwo kumeneko ndikumasekelera zimenezi? Koma PE ndiye ya mabulutu heavy! If the council is afraid of journalists covering functions how sure are the citizens that the council is not doing their own things? Zoona timabisa? Zikhale komweko zimenezo!
Mukwiye kumene dzikoli likuonongeka ndi anthu ngati inu nomwe 2 much kulemba zabodza.
hu you want to listen to me?
ppl in town?
I gt Panasonic small radio. .. I don’t have money to batteries. ..
from no where without noticing even our chief you want to come and capture a poors information? ??
and f
get money on top of this casted body
May God bless you if you want blessings
which section of the consitution does Phalombe using.take them to court right away,ignorant indeed
Phalombe is one of the remotest places in Malawi I have ever witnessed!! While I was at Nalingula FP School in the late 80s, it’s people used to dance in beer halls using traditional drums with songs believed to be superstitious and sarcastic. ” Zotukwana”. Radios were rarely found. Witchcraft was at its helm. Magicians were capturing rainfall in their small Vaseline bottles ( kumanga Mvula) until they finished building homes or burning bricks. They could go to South Africa in hundreds frying on a broomstick or lichelo without travel documents. If one of their daughters got impregnated, they were able to hold the pregnancy until she finishes school after six years. Now MISA need strong advocacy on sensitizing these people of dark territory to understand your role. They are so interesting indeed…
Council officials r barring reporters because they r divulging huge financial embezzlements of CDF,DDF and LDF. Anthu wamba omwe kwao ndi ku Phalombe ndipo sagwira ntchito ku PE cant bar the media. Ndie zomwe mwalembazi is very far from being a valid argument. IN FACT, DC is at the centre of misappropriating national resources.
Free nation or vampire nation
This phalombe place again…today delusional people talk about vampires terrorising them…tomorrow journalist barred from covering functions….eish.
They know their stupid secrets that is why barring the media and all citizens.
Thats why we see all these corruptions and hide and seek games.
We got all rights to know from MISA of how our country doing.
MISA find out why this is happening