Programme E: Legal Support Activity The Media Legal Aid Fund in MISA Malawi is handling a case from The Nation newspaper journalist Mc Donald Chapalapata who was assaulted by the Financial Controller of the National Food Reserve Agency Mr Paul Chimenya. The reporter had asked Mr Chimenya to comment on allegations that he had awarded a contract to his own company. In the process of the interview, Mr Chimenya got angry and assaulted the journalist who suffered bodily harm and had to go to the hospital for treatment. Mr Chimenya also smashed the reporter’s cellphone as well as dictaphone. The Media Legal Aid Committee has already hired a lawyer who has commenced legal proceedings against Mr Chimenya. The matter is in court. The work of the Media Legal Aid Fund is being appreciated among media houses and media practitioners. The fact that the fund is handling two cases is a testimony that journalists would like to make use of the fund, which has been established for their benefit. Although there is a strong committee to handle cases brought before it, some media organisations seem not to take advantage of the legal fund to sue those who violate the rights of the media or harass journalists. For example, when a member of parliament manhandled a reporter from The Nation newspaper the expectation was that the reporter would seek redress using the legal fund. However, the newspaper management decided to discuss the issue with the reporter and not to take any legal action against the MP. The major challenge is to make journalists and media houses come out in the open and take legal action against those who violate their rights. The MLDF intends to put the information on a brochure and circulate it widely among media practitioners and media houses to arouse profound interest for them not to suffer in silence, but to use the legal aid fund. NAMISA will also encourage media houses and journalists to use the fund whenever their rights are violated. In Zambia, the groundwork for the fund has already been done. The remaining part is for the NGC to resolve on the establishment of the Fund and forward to the Registrar of Societies (Ministry of Home Affairs) as a notice that the LDF has been established and the headquarters to inject funds in order to open a separate account. 36