The Anti- Corruption Bureau ACB says that it expects to see the media reporting corruption stories in a balanced and responsible manner as the Country approaches the 2019 Tripartite Elections.
The Bureau’s Senior Public Relations Officer Egrita Ndala said this at a media workshop held at Chikale Beach Lodge in NkhataBay on Tuesday.
“We expect that the media will report in a balanced way because this is a critical time for the Nation . Let us report responsibly as this is a crucial year. Let us also encourage people to participate in the various debates, so that people should be able to participate and make informed choices.
“As media you have a platform where you can reach out to almost everyone in Malawi. So you are very crucial in the corruption fight. Your reporting on corruption issues could help to sensitize the masses and to call them to take action, to report corruption to the ACB,” said Ndala.
The media training workshop on corruption was organized in partnership with Nyika Media Club a grouping of journalists from private and public media houses in the Northern Region.
Vice-President of Nyika Media Club Andrew Mkonda Banda thanked ACB for the training which he described as enlightening.
“We wish to thank ACB for the training which has been enlightening. Such workshops are very important in capacity building due to the importance of media in the fight against corruption,” Mkonda Banda said.
He requested the Bureau to further support investigative corruption news coverage by partnering with the Club in its upcoming awards ceremony where outstanding[ journalists will be recognized for the most impactful news stories on transparency and accountability in the Northern Region.
In recent months, the media in Malawi has been awash with exposes of gross corruption in the award of Malawi Government contracts. Meanwhile, on the electoral calendar, the Country’s Electoral Body is conducting voter registration in gearing up for the 2019 Tripartite Elections where the nation is expected to choose duty-bearers Country at presidential, parliamentary and local government levels.
Phase Four of the voter registration exercise commences on August 16 in Ntcheu, Blantyre, Blantyre City, Mwanza and Chikhwawa Districts.
