State of the media in Southern Africa - 2003 High Court Assistant Registrar Michael Tembo said in his ruling that he was convinced that defamatory information had been published in The New Sun on December 23 2002. The court observed that Ndanga, Mtumodzi and Chiumia failed to show any remorse over the publication of the alleged defamatory article and did not attend the hearing for assessment of damages. Mbewe and his wife were awarded K200,000 (approx. US$2,200) each for aggravated damages. The journalists were also ordered to pay K50,000 (approx. US$556) to Stanbic Bank for defamation. • DATE: September 16, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Frank Namangale VIOLATIONS: Detained O n September 16 2003, police in Blantyre arrested Frank Namangale, a reporter with the Daily Times newspaper, on charges of “publishing false information likely to cause fear and alarm to the public”. Namangale was released on bail later the same day. Police publicist George Chikowi told MISA’s Malawi chapter, Namisa, that Namangale was arrested following his September 12 article, published in the Daily Times, in which he alleged that police had arrested President Bakili Muluzi’s son, Evance Muluzi, his nephew and three others in connection with an armed robbery. The article quoted Senior Police Commissioner for the South Often Thyolani as confirming the arrests and that some of the suspects answered to the name Muluzi. On September 15, however, the newspaper published a follow-up story in which Chikowi said Evance Muluzi was an adopted son of President Muluzi’s late brother. He added that police recovered an AK-47 assault rifle and two rounds of ammunition from Evance Muluzi. • DATE: September 18, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Capital Radio VIOLATIONS: Threatened O n September 4 2003, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) threatened to shut down privately-owned radio station Capital Radio, accusing it of carrying out an Outside Broadcasting (OB), contrary to the provisions of its licence. Capital Radio had invited political parties to air their rallies live. MACRA Director of Broadcasting James Chimera warned that if MACRA established that the licence did not allow the station to air live OBs, the authority would withdraw the station’s licence. • DATE: October 9, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: McDonald Chapalapata VIOLATIONS: Victory (positive judgement) T he High Court of Malawi has awarded a total of K48,000 (approximately US$457) in damages for “assault and trespass to goods” to The Nation newspaper senior reporter McDonald Chapalapata. In 2002, Chapalapata was assaulted by National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) Financial Controller Paul Chimenya. • DATE: October 18, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: George Ntonya, Chikondi Phikiso VIOLATIONS: Beaten O n October 18 2003, officers of the Malawi Police Service beat up journalists George Ntonya and Chikondi Phikiso for attempting to take photographs of a scuffle between So This Is Democracy? 2003 51 Media Institute of Southern Africa