MACRA criticised over Zodiak’s K930,000 penalty

Dec 15, 2016 Politics 79
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Gift Trapence

The Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has faced criticism for handing local radio station Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) a K930,000 fine over an interview with opposition lawmaker Kamlepo Kalua.

The media regulator earlier wrote the radio station on the interview arguing that the station contravened the Communications Act.

Gift Trapence
Gift Trapence: This is worrisome.

And giving a verdict on the matter this week, MACRA demanded money as a fine for the contravention of the act.

However a local civil society organization has criticised the media regulator arguing that it has been geared to suppress private media in the country.

Center for Development of People executive director Gift Trapence said the conduct is a “threat to democratic principles”.

“For us civil society organizations we are worried on the way MACRA has been conducting on the private media and I think their conduct is not in line with democratic principles, previously we also wrote the UN on MACRA’s behavior.”

“We are also worried that MACRA has been used as a tool to suppress freedom of the media let alone we have a public broadcaster that has not been complying with the ethics and it has been used as a propaganda tool for the government,” said Trapence.

MACRA is yet to take a position on the allegations made.

In the interview, Kalua claimed that the ruling Democratic Progress Party (DPP) was on the move to have opponents killed and that the party had a hand in the death of Malawi Polytechnic student Robert Chasowa.

Kalua also claimed that the United Democratic Front (UDF) had a hand in the death of the musician Evison Matafale.

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79 Comments

  3. Ndizomwe munkafuna a Zodiac potsogoza Peter pamasankho.Lero zakutsata.Alange Peter,a Malawi ndiwosamva.Kodi sankakudziwa kuti ulibe umunthu?Asakudabwe lero.

  4. What wrong haz ZBS done???? the only private-owned radio station for the first time in Malawi,,,,hosted Presidential running-mates Debate,,,ahead of 2014 polls,,,,While state-owned radio (MBC) spared its full time sponsering the then president to bounce back into power,,,,but ALAS!!!!!!,,,,ZBS Views Triangle,,,Tiuzeni Zoona,,Zingayambe Kuyiwalika,,Kunalinji Msabatayi,, etc,,Today you are fined it,,,,,,,SHAME ON MACRA!!!

  9. Private Broadcasting Stations Are There To Voice Out The Opposition Because They Cant Go Ku Mbc,,, Ndiye Mukufuna Tizingomverako Nyimbo Ku Zbs Mwanyanayo Akopolo Inu We stil Love Zodiak,,moti Zikango Kuchitikirani Tizimva Zbs,,

  12. People criticize everything. ..even Jesus was criticized for healing a woman on sabath …MACRA has done a commendable move ….everything has a limit …going beyond that limit you are supposed to be punished

  13. What a shame on MÀCRA the positions you are holding need to serve the people.If you are there only to please the politicians a sharp axe is awaiting to cut you down.Dont take yourselves as big tress.How long shall we still be kept in the dark of true information?Malawians have to know the truth in order to make the right choice of the leaders.Manyaka anuwa mukuwakonda nokha.What was exactly wrong in that interview?Was he wrong to call aspade a spade? So MACRA wanted to call a spade a big spoon?Shame on you.

  15. Mufune musafune Zidiak tidzayikondabe.Zidzakhara zochititsa manyazi Macra ikupangidwa sidelined wth the next government.Zidiak mukuyirakwirayi pamenepo ikugwiritsidwa ntchito ngt wayiresi ya boma.Mbc mukuyikonderayi itatsekedwa ena ntchito zitatha.NDALAMURA A MACRA MUBWEZE NDALAMA KU ZODIAK KOMASO MUWAPEPESE KUTI SICHINARI CHOLINGA CHANU KUTERO.Kma mwakakamizidwa ndi akuruakuru.

  16. Mufune musafune Zidiak tidzayikondabe.Zidzakhara zochititsa manyazi Macra ikupangidwa sidelined wth the next government.Zidiak mukuyirakwirayi pamenepo ikugwiritsidwa ntchito ngt wayiresi ya boma.Mbc mukuyikonderayi itatsekedwa ena ntchito zitatha.NDALAMURA A MACRA MUBWEZE NDALAMA KU ZODIAK KOMASO MUWAPEPESE KUTI SICHINARI CHOLINGA CHANU KUTERO.Kma mwakakamizidwa ndi akuruakuru.

  25. Nothing strange or anything to worry about coz this gay/guy spent all his years in school & college studying the art of critism.

  28. Macra idakayamba yalipilisa chindapusa MBC pa bodza loti a Malewezi amkamwa mapirisi 32 patsiku ndiye chaka chimakhala ndi matsiku 366 x 32 tablets

  31. Lets help Zodiak ndi limodzi limodzi to shame the devil. Mulungu si munthu tizidziwa abale…..lets join hands with ZBS

    2. joe square, pamako, in a democratic society everybody has got a right to express his view without fear, so who are you to judje me, so being a dpp fan what is your problem?

    4. mayazi a bro sikuzisutsa ayi kongoti adawo andionjeza, sizingatheke tonse kumaona zinthu at the same angle. Ndiye wina kumanena mopusa chifukwa tasutsana ndi maganizo ake

  37. Macra isn’t an independent body,madolo ake ndiomvela za anthu am’boma,tht’s y amapanga choncho jst to praise their masters.

  38. slowly but surely we are heading towards Zimbabwe we have k2000 on 19 of this moth Universities are closed the prices of commodity are rising each day now there is this silencing of opponets through fines of private radio stations

  41. Even grade 1 kid can tell that this is a silencing tactic. Thats why pple have lost faith in justice system and this so called Makara. They wil never find inner peace for fine to pleasure this man with so many names.

  54. MACRA has the mandate to regulate broadcasters…..the issue here is about licence conditions. The basis for the fine is on contravining their own licence given to broadcast. I see no issue here with MACRA. The problem is we politicize everything in Malaw.

  55. it is only happening in malawi.here you can watch opposition on public station criticising president openly.i once came across edward compaining on ITV WHICH is contrary to Malawi.

  56. asamakonde cash mposafunika kukonda cash zomwee mupangazi a MACRA zungofanana wa traffic akuimisa galimoto yamaliro mukuti capacity zbs ndiyokhayoo timadalira munayamba mwaonapo mbc tv or radio ikuuluza any news yaza black out mmmmmmm

  57. Macra has politicised the issue , it is not independent , I suppose . But despite all that , Zodiak , still stands out as No. 1 station in Malawi!

  58. Ngakhale anakangoitseka,anthu ophunzira bwino zautolankhani kumanonga mbiri yao chifukwa chofuna ndalama za otsutsa boma?Ine nde ndinaleka kalekale kumvera komanso kuonera ZBS,zauchitsiru bax mixeeeeeeeew.

    3. Tchende lako ada umafuna tizinva zomwe a kape nzakoyo akupanga ine zimandikwana daily presdent diary yamanyi bola kukhala dstv zomanva wanyela kangati ife ayi muzimuonela alomwe onyela madzi inu vorsek

  59. Its disgusting and unbelievable that macra can employ such double standards.We applaud CEDEP for moving swiftly in reporting the same to the UN.The move obviously is calculated to gag the press.Shame on macra!!!!!!!

  64. It really surprised many,bcz if u listen to MBC there a lot of interviews castigating the opposition and nothing happens. When a station do the same to the ruling,it gets fined.MACRA pliz be fair.

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