…calls for enactment of the ATI Bill arise
Last year when President Peter Mutharika’s cloudy whereabouts raised fears about his health status, arguments were made that government needed to learn on how to manage its communication system.
The president had extended his stay in the United States of America following the United Nations General Assembly. His absence was shrouded in secrecy, prompting rumours he was hospitalized while other people claimed he had died.
Government kept saying Mutharika was in robust health and went to the extent of warning people talking about the president’s health that they would be arrested.
At this time, there was very little information about where the President was. The State House only kept saying ‘He will be back soon’.
It had however taken a number of weeks until he returned but he failed to brief the media until after some days. At the briefing Mutharika had actually said he took the blame for the lack of information on his whereabouts before he attacked the media for what he said was ‘hateful reporting.’
Such unscrupulous dealings have seen the media look to be misleading when actually the flow of information is distorted up within structures in the government and ministries.
The media have times without number made calls for the Access to Information Bill (ATI) to be taken to Parliament for approval. The longstanding battle for the Bill was finally won on Wednesday, December 14, 2016 when the lawmakers passed it.
“The passing of the bill is a huge step in the 12-year long process in which various stakeholders, led by MISA Malawi, campaigned for legislation on access to information. We commend Parliament for excellently and successfully doing its part of the process. In particular, we hail Members of Parliament for adopting recommendations made by the parliamentary committees on Media and Communications and Legal Affairs when they were entrusted with the responsibility of reviewing the draft bill as gazetted by the government in February this year,” a statement from the Malawi Chapter of Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) released after the bill was passed reads in part.
Two months down the line, President Peter Mutharika has not yet assented to the bill. His Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had actually placed in its manifesto that it will see to it that the bill is enacted once he is elected into office.
Now during a Parliamentary hearing on the Maize deal on Wednesday, George Chaponda actually said he was not aware of several things that happened under the ministry of agriculture.
He said he was not aware of the maize negotiations as well as some agreements Agriculture Development and Marketing Cooperation (Admarc) had with ZCF and Kaloswe. He also made claims that there was no communication between his Ministry and the Finance Ministry.
This has actually revealed how pathetic the flow of information is within and outside the government.
Some of the core contradictions in the submissions by Chaponda include not being told by Admarc of the deals with Kaloswe – a Zambian company that acted as a middleman in the deal as well as who actually set the maize price. He told the Agricultural Committee that it was ZCF who set the price. In a separate hearing however, ZCF said Admarc did.
He also said some decisions his Ministry made contradicted with Admarc’s due to the seriousness of the matter (Hunger). But Admarc’s dealings are supposed to be known by the Ministry.
The misinformation that surrounds Ministries and government institutions is a ‘call for worry’’ says Innocent Mphongolo a journalist with privately owned MIJ FM Radio.
He told Malawi24 in an interview on Wednesday that Government works for the people and therefore all their work needs to be known by the people they work for.
“Citizens need explanations because government uses taxpayers’ money hence a need for the taxpayer to know how their money is used,” he said.
He added that trends like these pose a serious threat on the media as well as the freedom of expression which everyone is subjected to.
“The media is falling to abuse by police who are using some archaic laws such as defamation, Official Secrets Acts and many other draconian laws which is forcing the media to be limited in giving out information,” Mphongolo added.
On why politicians have seemingly been standing against bills like the ATI, the journalist argued that politicians use its absence to hide their undertakings.
He said: “There are a number of areas where office bearers were doing things as if the business at hand was personal. This is for fear of being exposed. They are afraid if people will have access to information, a lot of will be exposed and this can lead to their arrest and their downfall. The ducking of the bill is a defence mechanism as opposed to a necessity,” he added.
Recent media reports have made claims that the ATI Bill has after two months since its passing in Parliament not gotten to Mutharika.
The question remains whether government is committed to being transparent as it claims; having a free and well fed media or whether it is one of the old songs everyone else has heard over the years.
A Malawi tikusowa ngwilizano apa aPresident a choke basi kkkkkkk
They are busy with sausages, cashgating, and making silly comments in augast house,,,….. tchaya tchaya tchaya living the irrigation sector un attended to, with plenty of water in lake MALAWI , what about the 300+ tractors LIBYA and INDIA gave to MALAWI….?????????? MALAWIAN LEADERS SHAME ON U
koma anthu ku boma kuna mphweka kaya ndinkakanilanji kupita ku school ndibwezi ndita lemela ndikana maka ndibwezi ndiku pezeka pat ili yose cash gate maize gate ndendika nalowaso ku bonya gate matemba gate sibwezi ndiku sowa za kudya kwathu mwezi uno wa feb nanga ziku chitikazi chaponda ndibwezi ndili timu yako koma phuma
When somebody talked about this government is like am burning myself with boiled water.
Since wen? do they not hav meetngs? these r blue lies. he said a minister advised him not to reduce price of zea maise?
Kkkkkkkkk kumalawi gyz sopano osangowamanga bwanji
‘Mwatipezelerako ku Malawi’ Gentlemen tingosiya kupeleka minkho. inu a MRA u should stop collecting & deducting our tax
Don’t cast our vote chipani cha DPP in 2019. PEOPLE involving this are ”THIEVES” ”Mai JOICE BANDA come & SERVE 4 US.
Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk deal yinalakwa apa tisamazembezembe mayankhidwe iyayi.
guyz mukulimbana ndi chaponda ok …….valani zilimbe uyu ndikumuziwa bwino ngwamakani iiii chaponda aaa ……..olo Peter amaziwa……..koma mismanagong’ung’uza mmmm satheka I
Kod mukumuvela chison bwanji galu ameneyo.
VUTO LA A MALAWI NDI LOTI TILI NDI MA MANAGERS NOT LEADERS. U KNW WAT A LEADER DOES??? He Climbs A Tree,study The Situation And Exclaims,WRONG JUNGLE Fellaz!! And He Changes The Battle Tactic So That He Wins It Triuphantly. But Managers Always Shouts “We Are Making Progress! Long Live Genuwini Demokalase! Rest In Peace Ngwazi H.K.Banda And Ngwazi B. Wa Muthalika We Cud Be Nowhere Without YOU! GOD BLESS MALAWI! GOD BLESS AFRIKA!
VUTO LA A MALAWI NDI LOTI TILI NDI MA MANAGERS NOT LEADERS. U KNW WAT A LEADER DOES??? He Climbs A Tree,study The Situation And Exclaims,WRONG JUNGLE Fellaz!! And He Changes The Battle Tactic So That He Wins It Triuphantly. But Managers Always Shouts “We Are Making Progress! Long Live Genuwini Demokalase! Rest In Peace Ngwazi H.K.Banda And Ngwazi B. Wa Muthalika We Cud Be Nowhere Without YOU! GOD BLESS MALAWI! GOD BLESS AFRIKA!
#Devis mmm misonkho yochuluka yake it?ndalama zambili makampani omwe amalowesa misonkho kumalawi ndimakampani opanga mowa ndiye uwelenge dziko lonse lamalawi ngati makampani akufika 200 migodi kulibe tea ndi fodya yemwe timadalila
Ndalama zomwe tikudulidwa mkampani za TEA zomwezo. sinakwane misonkho? chaponda & its government both of them r thivies.
And i once worked with tea company some years back but at evry two weeks gvt collect more than 1million at one estate
Let me remind u my brothers n sisters, wherever u r, Malamulo a ku Malawi ndi a mphamvu kwambiri kwa ife osaukafe, anthu wamba.
Boma la mbala, mbava komanso la umbanda
Lamulo lizikati lizigwira nthito malawi kutali
When claims & accusations fail to satisfy frustration, you begin to realise that you’re in the middle of nowhere & think that something long forgotten can win you a goal or ground, NO.
zina lamunthu lingakhale chaponda si ana ogona mm’bench aja awa kudako ngati anamuiwala nkitchen sten yake itamaliza kukazinga chimanga.
amangidwe chaponda
stupid president stupid country
ATTENTION ATTENTION!! brothers and sisters,monthers and fathers,Doctors and nurses,Alduts and kids,Nephews and nieces i have got nothing to say thanks for your attention
I am trying to understand what Chaponda is saying. Because no good communication between ministers he took advantage to abuse public funds. Its fine now let’s wait and see what the President think. They I s enough evidence because he is admitting that he new that they was bad communication then he made a move. Keep Chaponda so that everyone see that when 2019 come he is a ticket to loss election
Especially when the citizenry believes whatever it hears frm such thieves. Did U expect him to tell the truth?
Kodi malamulo akale aja ali kuti, zoti munthu akaba za boma azilandidwa katundu wake yense. Ndikumanga anapita kuti, kuchotsa lamulo limenelija ndichifukwa chake lerolino anthu muboma akupitilamo kuba basi osati kutumikira amalawi. Dziko lino akanakhalangati atsogoleri athu, amalikonda bwedzi tili kutali chifukwa mitsonkho yomwe, timakhoma kuno kumalawi ndi yachuluka, koma ndalama yake simawoneka. Chimodzichimodzi kumatungira madzi muchidebe choboka.
What you are waiting for arrest this idiot Chaponda
Ili siboma lakuti ndithudi munthu wanzeru angalivotere 2019, kwa okhawo amene ali ndi vuto la kuganiza ndizotheka kutero
Nkhopezo kusonyeza kuipa mtima ndithi