• ALERT Date: June 6, 2008 Institutions: Capital Radio and Nation Publications Violation/issue: Other On June 5, 2008 Capital Radio, a private radio station, wrote to the state broadcaster, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), demanding a retraction and an apology of a story run by the station alleging that Capital Radio and other media houses were being financed by the opposition, United Democratic Front (UDF), to dent government’s image. Capital Radio Managing Director Alaudin Osman threatened to sue MBC should it fail to meet their demands. MBC, on two occasions, alleged in its news bulletins that journalists working for Capital Radio, Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) and Nation Publications Limited (NPL) are being financed by the UDF to discredit government through negative reporting. In an editorial on June 6, 2008 The Nation disassociated itself from the allegations by MBC. • ALERT Date: June 8, 2008 Person: Wyford Banda Violation/issue: Beaten/ Threatened On June 7, 2008, Machinga District Commissioner (DC) Lawrence Makonokaya assaulted Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) correspondent Wyford Banda for trying to get the DC’s comments on the arrest of people involved in a fight with the police over participation in the Malawi Housing and Population Census. According to Banda, Makonokaya pushed him three times in the presence of police officers and Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Ellock Maotcha Banda, a Member of Parliament for the area. Banda said the DC also intimidated him the following day, asking why Banda reported the matter to ZBS management instead of sorting out the issue between the two of them. But Makonokaya said he only held Banda by the shoulder and asked the ZBS correspondent to contact him later as he did not have information readily available. MISA Malawi National Director Innocent Chitosi condemned Makonokaya’s conduct, saying that his behaviour did not befit a public officer. He also said Makonokaya was a custodian of information and, therefore, has no right to classify who gets information. • ALERT Date: June, 10 2008 Person/institutions: Media Violation/issue: Banned On June 10, 2008 former Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Bazuka Mhango, who is also a Member of Parliament, barred the media from reporting on allegations levelled against him by fellow Parliamentarian, Ibrahim Matola. Matola, an opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) legislator alleged during deliberations on the 2008/09 national budget that Mhango dubiously got more than MK42 million (approximately US$ 310,000) from government in legal fees when he was in cabinet. This was against government’s code that prohibits ministers from engaging in legal work while in government. In stopping the media from covering this issue, Mhango said parliamentary privilege does not extend to the media, warning the press not to report on the matter, which he said was in court. But Member of Parliament for Blantyre South West, Gerald Mponda, argued that the former minister has no right to stop the media from reporting on parliamentary proceedings. So This Is Democracy? 2008 -51- Media Institute of Southern Africa