Times should not have been closed. Especially not now when it has been busy unravelling the corrupt syndicate that is being presided over by the anointed Peter Mutharika successor, George Chaponda.
The closure of Times, in all honesty, has come at a wrong time and it smacks of a well calculated political move that aims at gagging the media.
Of course gagging the media it looks like but on a deeper sober level, it is more than gagging the media that has happened at Times Group Limited.
When my friend came this morning in my office and screamed that government has started gagging the media and the closure of Times was a perfect example, I asked him a simple question:
Was Times really paying the taxes?
Eventually the answer was no. Times has not been paying taxes. It has been evading them. In a way, the institution was stealing from the public by deferring payments. If you are really unkind, Times would be placed in the same category as the Mphwiyos of this world, the Chapondas. In brief, it is like the same people it has been urging us to crucify. It is a perfect irony.
Someone who thinks that the state should up its socks in service delivery should have been in the forefront of paying the taxes for the service delivery. Not with Times. For them they were just expecting that government will keep taxing my small consultancy while they go scot free. Yet tomorrow they would be at the neck of government for electricity failures, poor education standards, bad infrastructure. With which money did they expect government to fund such projects?
The statement from MRA reads that Times has been in tax evasion since 2011. Forgive my ignorance but how did they survive all these years?
To me, that survival looks like a case of corruption and patronage. How does one survive for six years plus without really coming upfront with the taxes? I beg this case be properly investigated. While it is being investigated, I will also move the Courts to have the institution suspended from performing any duties. The same way the CSOs have done with Chaponda. It only sounds fair.
It is sad really that Times has been closed down while it was atop a hot scandal that has the propensity of shaping our political future but to hide behind Mutharika and the DPP being anti-media freedom is really overstretching the argument.
I think on this issue the starting point should be: was Times paying its taxes?
If the answer is yes then surely we should stone the DPP but if the answer is no, then spare me the nonsense. Pay the taxes first. We should all take a part in contributing to the development of this country. Not just by talking but contributing financially, through taxes.
Anachitabwino kuwatsekela zowona osamalipira nsonkho aaaaaamanyazi bwanji
Even if times was to ask the general public to pay the debt? It was going to be raised within 48 hrs. They know their art. Corrupt fools that’s what they are
Mwayambaso kulimbana ndi atorankhani?pepani.p
edzani ena,amenewo akuikani pa mbarambanda
Bravo to writer indeed this is nosense for times not to pay tax but busy pointing finger at government for failure to deliver…we dont need organisation like times if we wnt malawi to develop…
Bravo our courts. Times woyee. Propaganda wooooo!
Ndiye osamalira if gov… doesn’t deliver thats y malawi wil remain poor and poor…
Ndiye osamalira if gov… doesn’t deliver thats y malawi wil remain poor and poor…
Times lacks proffesionalism….in journalism you dont have to be emotional on issues…times was taking sides
times woyeeeeeeeee! tayambaso kuyiwonera.
TAX GATE
makape aku timus onse pachakuti pawo
Kkkkkk nanunso a times mwandichititsa manyazi bwanji kumakamba nkhani pamene nanunso ndi modzi mwayiwo obwezeletsa chitukuko mbuyo kusapeleka tax
A Malawi 24 do you pay tax ?
Amagenda ku police chamba chili mthumba? crazy.
akulephera kupereka msonkho koma akufuna boma Likonze mavuto alipo panowa.apereke basi freedom of speech isakhale njira yothawira msonkho,osaiwala paja mike appel and gatto anaiitsekanso and times media group inali busy kunena za izi
Nde aitsekulatu. Times woyeee. MRA ooooo.
kaya zako izo ine sindikudana ndi times koma kusapereka msonkho
What exactly are you saying@Malawi24,please make complaints that one can easily understand
Boma la peter mmmmn tiona zinthu ndithu!
Atsalula bravo highcourt
Politics politics
Tazisiyeni mbuli!
The ones who closed the times group studios is not the DPP lead goverment bt The MRA
osama tukwana obweleketsa katapila.ngongole mubweze and be back.
Koma people take a note, yemwe watseka ma studio a times si peter kapena DPP ayi koma ndi bungwe lotolera mitsonkho la MRA ndiye tisamanyoze boma
Cheap politics shame
Injuction please! Times lawyers act
Malawians must stop funding CHAPONDA and his dpp in form of so called tax. who is benefiting from taxes if not Chaponda and dpp fellows???
Britain & the US are now using uncharted routes like the Media & CSOs to re-colonise Africa.
Bas ndakomoka
M R A sinalakwitse kutseka ma studio a times amangodziwa kuwawata koma asanalipile tax? aziona.
this is unfair to our lovely media times
Yes akuyenera kumakhoma sokho
now I can see a cold war among this three side, executive, judiciary and the media.
Govt owes MPICO billions,should it go and ground govt services.Cheap politics.
Dot b cheated, who is de owner of mpico?
TIMES umakonda kuchita report za ena nanga bwanji suunkafalitsa nkhani yoti ukulephera kulipira msonkho?hahahahaaaa zikachitika timvera ku MRA!
ibelive that man or women born to malawian .kulimba tima
http://www.nyasatimes.com/court-rescue-allows-times-switch-tv-radio-malawi-news-publish/
BREAKING NEWS…..Blantyre High Court has granted an Injunction to Times group against MRA. Mawa Times group is back in business. Viva democracy
Viva democracy!
Alipile tax, kwinaku akuulusa mau ndi nkhani zokhuzana ndi chimanga.
Bola ndionele ZBS KUSIANA NDI MBC TOO MUCH zokondelah..
Times closure is the worst mistake….. Mutharika stupidly promised to uphold media freedom and create a conducive environment for them but what is this
iwe TIMES umagenda ku police chamba chili mthumba?lipira msonkho ndale palibe apa
how can aboss worry so much for taxes?Mr muthalika you’re full of lt ok we are already poor and you took everything for us so what did this media do to deserve this
Bolakale kale kalekaro zikuchitikazi anthuni bolakale
Koma Kumalawi Kukufunika Chilembwe Wina Adzachotse Atsamundawa
He who comes to equity must have clean hands
According to steven kapoloma said that according to steven kapoloma he said that “it has been closed jst bcoz they didn’t pay taxes en its MRA not whoever u think en its not concerning politics as u r saying some of u
basi puttin times to silence. …A malawi anayamba kuziwa zithu zomwe samayenela kuziwa…thy want u to seat back n watch Mbc tv…crazy eish…God help us all! 🙁
If it’s the issue of taxes, it’s unfortunate,I thought as a well organized company have the team which look into this tax issues,u r supposed to be in forefront complying to this,if it’s just a tit for tat game on maizegate saga spilled it’ll be a sad thing to happen and by my party,I hate hearing or seeing this lovely party engage in pig fight with distractors,coz they’ll lose nothing what they want z to turnish DPP’s name.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha hahaha pay your taxes first
If you live in a glass house don’t throw stones thus what times forgotten.
hahahahahaaaa!
Futurist Wanderson Chumachiyenda Malikebu and Mike Wina thy r state owned and thy do yes bwana
The government itself iwes private sector over 300 billions.
Too much freedom for media is sensible one would understand easily.your Head line is incomprehensive to my own understanding
MBC owe COSOMA and MRA huge cash y Times only
Inu mbc ndiye bomalo. Unaonapo traffic police ikuimitsa galimoto ya mdf or MG kuti aone gati ili ndi misokho yokwanira?
koma ndi zabwino nanga???????????????
DPP apologists, nonse mufa imfa yowawa. Olo mwatseka tadziwabe chilungamo
where was gvt all this time knowingly that Times owes them such a huge amount of money…ndale za umbuli izii!! # ma floods sangathe choncho
it does not matter as to where the govt was, the msg in this post is clear ” he who comes to equity must come with clean hands”
but luk @ the timing of the whole thing & how do you expect malawians to belive that the dvt is not perpetuated by political will just to frustrate Times publications?
am sure there is always a room for negotiations in as far as tax issues are concerned!!
and this is part of the negos
And MBC owes MRA k10.9 billion but still flyn lyk a free bird
Is this for real? Then it is very unfortunate
Is this for real? Then it is very unfortunate
For Real
Mmmmmm how? Since mac is for de gvt?
I mean mbc
Chilungamo sichipheka
Ndiye?