The Association for Community Radio Stations in Malawi says it is concerned with what happened during a political rally in Nsanje where a community radio reporter was assaulted by Democratic Progressive (DPP) cadets.
According to the association’s secretary Luciano Milala, the incident happened when President Arthur Peter Mutharika conducted a political rally in Nsanje on Saturday, 14th October, 2017.
In a press statement, Milala said some DPP youth cadets assaulted Gaka Community Radio reporter Fabiano Moyenda for alleged biased coverage against the ruling party.
The secretary said such acts of violence and intimidation by DPP cadets towards the media run contrary to the spirit of the Constitution which guarantees freedom of expression and opinion and the media freedom to disseminate information within the confines of the law.
“The mandate of community radio stations is to complement government efforts in its development quests and to disseminate information without being influenced by politics. Acts of violence and intimidation by the DPP cadets hardly appreciate such a role played by community radios in the country.
“By their very nature, community radio stations operate in communities and programming is designed to suit their views and needs irrespective of their political affiliations. They work with anyone who has a development agenda to change society,” reads part of the statement.
The statement adds that for this reason, the ruling party should not view community broadcasters as a threat, but rather as a partner in development, especially at community level.
It says such acts of violence against the media hearken back to the one party dictatorship when media space was limited and holding contrary opinions was criminal.
“The political dispensation agreed on in June 1993 enjoins us to appreciate our differences in our unity and guarantee us freedoms, such as those of the media,”says the statement.
Milala in the statement blames the Malawi Electoral Commission and Malawi Police Service for not acting on the matter despite that the assault of the reporter took place in full view of their officials.
“Such indifference does not bode well for the country as it marches towards the 2019 Tripartite Elections,” reads another part of the statement.
Meanwhile, the association has requested the Malawi Police Service to investigate and arrest people who manhandled Moyenda at Bangula trading centre.
anthu opanda mzimu adiphiphi, no wonder they lost honourably
Dpp kwake ndi Kuba Kupha ndikuononga basi the only solution is to avoid these thugs and deal with them in the ballot in 2019
kkkkk zowona zake brother atikwana adzipita kwao
Typical nosense from unprofessional journalists! They deserve a punch to get a lesson! !
Kkkkkkkkk MBUZI za anthu DPP anakanenyaso anthu Ku borero Ku rumphi
kkkkkkk macadet samagawakamba azikwapula kumene ose ozibwana.
This is not right at all!!
BAD LOSERS.
KOMA MLULU WAO AZINENAPO MAU NANGA ZIII AAA KOMA
They are thugs and fools
Like it or not DPP is going, very soon they will be benchwarmers.
Eeeeeeeeh….adikile 2019, we will vote them out ndithu..atopetsa anthu amenewa
No man,DPP must go.they are failing to respect our Democratic valuesvoetsek man
Chipani cha dzikwanje ndiye pano awonjezera ma pistol,kuzolowera ziwawa
nde diphiphi imeneyi!!!
Its bad !!!
Anthu awa ndi osamva sure …. U savage
Mmmm the problem is that these so called dpp cadets most of them are ignorant they need civic education failing which they are tarnishing the image of dpp. Am not a politician but this is what I have discovered
Akunthidwe basi
These Dpp cadets, who do they think they are? Do you think you own Malawi. Maybe it’s about time to start pushing back.
mene kungachere ndale kuleka kumagwira ntchito ncholinga choti mutukule pankhomo panu haha haha.
Ntchito tikugwila abro. Sikuti tangokhala. Ikafika nthawi yovota tikavotera mcp. Ndi nthawi yathu. Mwatizunza mokwanira. Dzanja lalemba
We are tired of nsanje lalanje news fokofu tell us other news damnt
kkkkkkk,simuja munkati yododa dpp inu,lero mwapsa mtima? ng’ooooo,pepani ndithu ngati mufuna nkhani ina pitani pa tsamba la dpp voice,dpp independent,dpp observer,dpp eye,dont forget pa tsambala mortuary yanu( mbc) muva nkhani zimene mukufuna kumeneko,hahahaaa!
Muuze Khoo,that’s one of the cadets mumva madzi simunati kkkkkk
Fokofu nsanje lalanje yachani
kkkk, hahahaha,,,!
iwenso shupitii APM kapena Dipipi ndye chani? mwalira kuti ng’we!!! kkkkk
Tionana 2019 tizaona ati azalire zeni zeni kulilira ku state house
kkkkk,uziti bola ambuye atisunge ndimoyo tizaona 2019..
No president in Malawi will fulfill whatever needs a citizen will want, every president will have his/her own downfalls believe me or not.
True Mr Michael. No president will ever be praised but castigated
Mwaluzabe mwabwera kopopa magazi
Pitani ku state house
Chonchi????
Malawi24 mukuyipitsa mbiri ya DPP
Vuto ndi wamkulu wa ma cadets, adawauza zoipa zakhazokha, zabwino sabziwa, zamanyazo
Galu akamunyambititsa chifupa sindiye kuti amakondedwa.Amangomufunila moyo kuti azilondera pakhomo.Musayiwale a mw mavuto tikuwawonawa,sikuti adzatheratu ayi komabe kudzikondaku kudzasintha.Akadzabwera ndi kamba awa pa campain,just know record yake ndiyomweyo.
These are some of the things why people voted for an opposition candidates. Elections is a game of numbers. Do we have people in DPP who has studied about human behaviour? There’s more room for you only change of approach in doing business.
Vote wisely 2019 Malawian people
Anamuchita bwino olo anakangozingilatu,atolankhani ambali inu
Why why who introduced that team for what reason
Lets just kill them all if they don’t respect our democracy!!
At least, malawians are very tired with these cadets they thought they were making things good, c now is worse, who’s to blame?
Chilungamo Chioneke
No more Dpp in 2019
Even in malawi cadres are stupid jst like here in zambia?
And you expect me to vote for this hypocrite party….. A hell #NO. You lunatic snob’s taking lives of Malawian’s for granted.
Koma. a DPP ndichani iwo.usavage wantundu wanji
bastard dpp
mafunso ena ndiopweteka atolankhani m”manyanya.
Ndiye mpaka chomcho?
where is our democracy?
then i din’t mind democracy does nay mean doing things in illogical way,mind you democracy walk hand in hand with responsibilities
Malawi Police has to be