Police in Lilongwe this morning detained a Nyasatimes Journalist over a news story about President Lazarus Chakwera’s delay to announce a cabinet reshuffle.
The Journalist Watipaso Mzungu was summoned and detained at Area 30 Police in Lilongwe over a story published on April 1 this year.
He was later released without charge but after the police had taken a statement from him.
The story which Mzungu wrote, headlined “CDEDI calls Chakwera ‘a Fools’ Day comedian’ for deferring cabinet reshuffle” quoted a statement by the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI).
It was published after Chakwera failed to announce a cabinet reshuffle on March 31, the date which State House on March 29 had said a new cabinet would be announced.
On March 31, Chakwera through Press Secretary Brian Banda said the process of assessing current ministers would take more time.
On April 1, CDEDI held a press conference where executive director Sylvester Namiwa condemned Chakwera for failing to name a new cabinet o the promised date.
“What Malawians are anxiously waiting for from the two leaders are results, results, and results, and not jokes befitting Fools Day, which is 1st April,” said Namiwa.