More newspaper retractions: Nation apologises to JB’s sister

A week of retractions  and apologies from the two dailies in Malawi.

After The Daily Times retracted and apologised to the Principal Secretary for Education, Dr. Anjimile Mtila-Oponyo for associating her with the ‘kangaroo court ‘ for two gender activists, Jessie Kabwila and Seodi White,  Malawi’s flagship daily The Nation has also retracted  it’s comment published in last Sunday”s paper over similar issue.

The editor’s note (comment) written by Every Woman supplement editor Dumase Mapemba attacked Oponyo for joining the battle between President Joyce Banda and the two activists.

Reads the comment: “I have for a long time resisted from commenting on the bickering that is among supposedly President Joyce Banda, Jessie Kabwila and Seodi White. Apparently, there is a new entrant, JB’s sister Anganile Mtila Oponyo.

Mtila-Oponyo: Papers say sorry
Mtila-Oponyo: Papers say sorry

“However, if we are to go by media reports (Daily Times)  that that Mtila Oponyo summoned White and Kabwila over something that was discussed in a workshop, then I am disappointed.

“What Mtila Oponyo and friends should know is that, when we are talking about gender equality the issue of merit should dominate. …”

The Daily Times report claimed that the two  activist came under fire from Mtila-Oponyo, who is the president’s sister over comments allegedly made during a parallel session on women and political participation at the ongoing National Gender Conference in Mangochi organised by the Malawi Human Rights Commission in conjunction with UN Women.

Mtila- Oponyo denied grilling the activists and protested to the paper on the “serious and defamatory” allegations, which caused “very significant damage, distress and embarrassment”.

The activists themselves in their statement clearly showed that the newspaper article which relied on unnamed sources was untrue and without foundation.

The Daily Times publicly retracted the allegations, apologised unreservedly   through the notice on front page.

The Nation  has also followed suit to apologise for commenting on a fake story carried their rivals the Daily Times which was and managing editor wrote the retraction and apology published on Thursday.

Reads the retraction: “We wish to categorically state that the Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Education Science and Technology Dr. Anjimile Mtila Oponyo who is sister to President Joyce Banda is not involved in any way in the issue between activists Seodi White and Dr. Jessie Kabwila. In this vein, we retract the editor’s note which we inadvertently published in Every Woman Supplement to Nation on Sunday on 8th September 2013.

“We therefore unreservedly apologise to Dr. Mtila Oponyo and our readers for any inconvenience the inadvertent comment in Every Woman may have caused.”

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