The public broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has suspended for of its news room staff after condemnation on the use of swearwords by public broadcaster MBCtv on Monday evening.
The TV station used swearwords in its 7pm Chichewa Bulletin of Monday, May 11, 2020. In the report that was narrated by journalist Henry Haukeya, the station used a screenshot of Facebook comments with swearwords targeted at Vice President Saulos Chilima.
MBC management has since suspended Haukeya, Mercy Zamawa (news producers, Kondwani Chinele (news producer) and a video editor as gate keepers, failed to detect the vulgar language.
The taxfunded MBC has apologized for the broadcast saying it was an oversight on the part of the editorial team.
But Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi Chapter chairperson Teresa Ndanga said though MBC management has apologized, iti finds the broadcast not only shameful but a serious attack on journalism and Malawi’s moral standards.
MISA Malawi has therefore urged individual journalists at MBC to rise above partisan journalism and embrace a culture of professionalism and integrity to safeguard their own career, media freedom and independence.
The institute has also asked Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to discipline MBC and ensure the station is professional and operates according to the provisions of the Communications Act.
It further says Parliament should also take concrete steps that would guarantee non-partisan programming at MBC at all times.
Deep cracks have opened in DPP over President Mutharika selection of Atupele Muluzi as his running mate . While Atupele is enjoying the privileges of a Vice president and seeing the revival of his father’s party UDF, DPP is quickly falling apart and its visibility beginning to fade. According to inside information obtained by a team of our investigative reporters, big guns in the party Ben Malunga Phiri and Kondwani Nankhumwa have vowed not to do any campaigning for Atupele Muluzi
Nankhumwa has been positioning himself to be the future leader of DPP and it was his thought that President Mutharika will put up a succession plan that sees him become a running mate in order to take over the presidency . Ben Phiri on the other hand, had realised that he was unpopular and unqualified and had quickly teamed up with Nankhumwa to push for Nankhumwa selection.
Nankhumwa and Atupele Muluzi
The choice of Atupele Muluzi has split the party in two. According to one of our sources most hardcore DPP supporters are seeing their party die before there eyes. “ We have President Mutharika who is old and cannot go round the country to campaign, We have our DPP leaders who don’t want to go out and campaign for Atupele and now all we see is yellow yellow yellow which is the first sign that DPP is dying a slow and painful death” said the source who opted for anonymity.
Atupele was given the running mate position after first lady Gertrude Mutharika reached a deal with former president Bakili Muluzi. In the deal , When Muluzi will take over from President Mutharika who is old and frail and will not finish the next term if elected , then young Atupele will protect Gertrude Mutharika and Norman Chisale from having their ill-gotten worth investigated. This leaves the other DPP gurus at risk of being booted out from the government.
According to the report Nankhumwa and Ben Phiri are angry with Gertrude Mutharika and Norman Chisale for being blind in seeing that this has been the plot by Bakili Muluzi to get back in power and take back DPP which was an outbreak of his UDF. “Everyone in DPP knows that Muluzi has come back to take over his party and majority of us will pay the prize for this. The first lady and Norman Chisale are too blind to see and they have been hoodwinked by Bakili Muluzi”
President Mutharika is said to be too frail to follow what is happening. For several years now, those around him are the ones who have been making decisions for him.
Thousands of people today gathered in Mzuzu where the two candidates representing the Tonse alliance Dr Lazarus Chakwera and Dr Saulos Chilima held their first mega rally. After a grand arrival that saw the two leaders welcomed by supporters from all the alliance partners, it was obvious from the start that people were hungry to hear what the two leaders had to say.
Starting the meeting with prayer from Sheikh Mvula ,a prayer that set jovial the mood for the day , other leaders of the two parties also spoke . Patricia Kaliati secretary general of UTM and Gotani Hara and Deputy Secretary general of MCP spoke highly of the alliance and thanked the two leaders for deciding to work together.
Chilima started by accusing DPP as the party that doesn’t appreciate the people that helped it . He cited the recent statement from DPP speaking ill of the judiciary just because they lost the elections case . He said DPP doesn’t respect leaders that helped to build it such as former president Dr Joyce Banda
Chakwera and Chilima in Mzuzu
Chilima answered some of the critics who have been questioning why he has joined the alliance “We have decided to be in alliance for the good of Malawi. There can only be one president , let me call upon everybody including my fellow UTM colleagues, lets support Dr Chakwera for the good of Malawi. We want a better Malawi that is for all and not just a few”
He went further to Warn DPP that if any attempts of rigging will not be tolerated. He called upon all people that might have sold or given their IDs to go back and collect them and that they have to contact NRB if need be . He urged all Malawians to go and vote in large numbers on 2ND July. Chilima said Tonse alliance has all the information on who registered in last years elections and that plans by DPP to burn Malawi Electoral Offices will not work .
Chilima said UTM Manifesto pledges will be brought into the alliance. He gave the example of MK4495 for a bag of fertiliser to be one of the pledges that will be honoured. He called on all politicians to campaign freely , not threatening to kill others . He warned that any political violence will have to be to be reported to international criminal court
In his speech Dr Lazarus Chakwera thanked all who played a role in the election court case . He singled out the witnesses Suleman, Bendulo and Lackson , thanked the lawyers and also the judiciary . He however cautioned the people that the battle is not over yet. “We can celebrate small victories but we have to be prepared for the bigger battles ahead “ he warned.
The Tonse alliance torch bearer questioned President Mutharika capability to be a leader . He said Mutharika is a chronic failure with a track record of failed projects and initiatives. Chakwera reminded Malawians how Mutharika failed a Minster of Education , and that during his time there was problems with academic freedom issues . He failed as Minister of Foreign affairs and in his time British Ambassador was sent home from Malawi “ Mutharika failed in last years election and had to rig , he failed at the constitutional court and misused the attorney general, He failed at the supreme court appeal and Mutharika has failed people of the north by failing to construct Mzuzu Airport and Mombera University” said Chakwera
Dr Chakwera then introduced the heart of his campaign message which he called Malawi watsopano okomela tonse, meaning a new Malawi that is for everyone. He promised Malawians that him and Dr Chilima will aim in creating jobs for Malawians with a target of 1 million jobs in the first year. He said Malawi needs to create services for the youths . He highlighted that his government will pump in money to promote women’s businesses.
Chakwera promised people in the north that his government wil try to develop the area as it has largely been neglected by the current government. He told people that his Malawi watsopano okomela tonse message is about bringing Malawi together as one nation, to avoid giving jobs to people of one region or tribe or developing just one region and ignoring the other areas.
The former Malawi President Dr Joyce Banda who is also the leader of Peoples Party has today called on all political parties to strive for a peaceful campaign period. She was speaking in Mzuzu at a rally where her party and coalition partners of Tonse Alliance held their first mega rally.
Banda said it was very worrying to see the spate of violence that has so far happened in Malawi. She accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of masterminding a reign of terror that is threatening peace in this country. Dr Banda reminded DPP that during her time in the party when she was a running mate to former president late Bingu Wa Munthalika, the party never used to plan to kill people, set fire to properties or having its youth brandishing guns just to intimidate people.
Dr Joyce Banda
Dr Joyce Banda said she was deeply saddened with what happened in Lilongwe where Seven members of the Tambala family—two parents and five children were severely burnt when the building they were staying in, which also happens to be a UTM party office in Area 22, was burned down by unknown assailants while they were inside.
She described how shocked she was and thanked Dr Chakwera and Chilima for attending the funeral of the victims
The former leader then called on her fellow former Leader, Bakili Muluzi to make sure that they preach peace and not promote political violence.
Dr Banda also reminded the crowd that in as much as she is the former president, she still has the energy. “I will never stand for the position of president again, however address me as former president not retired president ,I am not retired yet, I still have energy as i am only 72 years old said Banda Dr Banda urged the people to vote for the alliance candidates with its torch bearer Dr Lazarus Chakwera
The member of parliament for Rumphi Central Mcdowel Aaron Chidumba Mkandawire has joined Malawi Congress Party. He was welcomed by MCP secretary general Catherine Gotani Hara in Mzuzu at the mega rally conducted by the Tonse alliance
Gotani Hara said the ruling DPP time is up and the party has failed not only to develop Malawi but to develop the Northern Region as well. She said most of the developments in the north were done by the late Bingu Wa Mutharika but the current DPP regime has only made empty promises to the people of Malawi. She then announced the new members that have decided to joined the party.
Chakwera and Gotani welcoming MCP new members
Chidumba Mkandawire won Rumphi as an independent candidate but later joined the ruling DPP. He has now jumped ship and has officially joined Malawi Congress Party. He defeated Aford President Enock Chihana in last year’s Parliamentary elections
Others who have also joined the party include Carlton Sichinga who was UDF treasurer General , Mrs Chirambo and Mr Mumba who was former ambassador in China and was a DPP member. MCP president Welcomed the four leaders to the party
