State of the media in Southern Africa - 2003 ■ ALERTS • DATE: January 8, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: MIJ 90.3 FM VIOLATIONS: Censored T he chairperson of the Malawi Institute of Journalism’s (MIJ) radio station has accused it of bias and ordered that it not air any political programmes until the board reviews the station’s code of conduct. In a January 8 2003 letter to MIJ Executive Director James Ngombe, Henry Chibwana alleged that the radio station acts as a mouthpiece for one political party. “Since reason does not seem to prevail, I ask you to desist from broadcasting any political message, news or advertisements until the code of ethics and/or the broadcasting licence is reviewed,” Chibwana states in his letter. • DATE: January 19, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Maganizo Mazeze VIOLATIONS: Detained O n January 19 2003, police in Blantyre detained Maganizo Mazeze, an announcer from the Malawi Institute of Journalism’s radio station, MIJ 90.3 FM, on charges of “broadcasting material likely to cause public alarm and unrest”. On January 18, Mazeze interviewed a man from southern Malawi who claimed to have been a victim of “bloodsuckers.” The interview came a few days after President Bakili Muluzi ordered the police to arrest anyone who spoke of “vampires” in Malawi. The president was incensed after the Blantyre city governor was beaten up and his car was vandalised following allegations that he was “harbouring blood suckers.” The police refused to release Mazeze on bail on January 19, in the afternoon. He was expected to appear before a court on the morning of January 20. • DATE: January 27, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Penelope Paliani-Kamanga VIOLATIONS: Beaten (shot, injured) O n January 27 2003, Penelope Paliani-Kamanga, deputy chief reporter for the Daily Times, Malawi’s oldest daily, was shot in the knee by a rubber bullet. The shot was fired by Blantyre anti-riot police, who fired shots to disperse demonstrators. Members of civil society were demonstrating against the tabling of a bill in Parliament aimed at allowing President Bakili Muluzi to serve a third term in office. • DATE: February 14, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Newspaper vendors VIOLATIONS: Beaten O n February 14 2003, suspected members of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) party’s youth wing beat up vendors who were selling the Daily Times newspaper in the capital, Lilongwe. The Daily Times’ February 10 edition reported that the Young Democrats, as members of the UDF’s youth wing are known, allegedly responded to a call by a UDF Women’s Desk official and praise singer for President Bakili Muluzi, who was incensed by a Daily Times headline that read that the president would not push for another term in office. So This Is Democracy? 2003 49 Media Institute of Southern Africa