MBC suspends 2 managers Khonyongwa, Chapita indefinitely over Chilima insults

Public broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has indefinitely suspended  its director of news Vincent Khonyongwa and controller of news Greyson Chapita  over gross negligence for  airing obscene content to disparage the country’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima.

Khonyongwa: Suspended indefinitely for gross negligence

MBC spokesperson Felister Chifumbi has confirmed the suspensions following a disciplinary process.

The taxpayer-funded broadcaster aired the offensive content in its 7pm Chichewa television news bulletin  on May 11 2020.

In the report in question, MBC used a screenshot from its Facebook page and displayed comments on television purportedly to demonstrate that the public was against Chilima, who is now UTM Party president and fell out with former president Peter Mutharika and the former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in June 2018.

Some of the comments from the broadcaster’s purported social media page contained swear words.

The report was apparently the broadcaster’s reaction to Chilima’s sentiments made at a rally on Sunday in Mzuzu where UTM Party and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) held under the Tonse Alliance. During the rally, the Vice-President alleged that former president Bakili Muluzi, whose son has partnered DPP, threatened him through his associates.

Khonyongwa said the MBC board has suspended him for “gross negligence”.

While Chapita said the matter was already dealt with before when some people were suspended and he was cleared of any wrongdoing, expressing surprise that the new board has  resuscitate  the issue.

Following the broadcast of the swear words, Jolly Ntaba, head of Journalism and Media Studies Department at the Polytechnic—a constituent college of the University of Malawi, said MBC failed in its duty as a public broadcaster.

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39 replies on “MBC suspends 2 managers Khonyongwa, Chapita indefinitely over Chilima insults”

  1. But sometimes it’s not fair to let these 2 bear the brunt. I would rather blame the system in place at that time, these people were merely messengers.

  2. Komat Chilima amakamb zonsez kut
    Mudzavutik akukutetezaniw akadzachok
    komanso amakond kunen kut ndikumamv chison
    Chifukw akumatukwanaw adakal ana ang.ono ango,no
    Simudajet nkomw

    lelo ndiz alikut Daus mchach pitala

  3. Thanks MBC board for taking this action. During Mutharika regime these guys were conducting themselves as if they owned the station, wearing DPP clothes even at the office. How can you embarrass the whole vice president like that? I therefore urge the board not to stop at nothing to clear the rubble at MBC and that will serve as a lesson to others. Dont allow these people to be welcomed back at MBC. They belong to the past and they should wait until 2095 when their corrupt party may be will bounce back.

  4. Much as I am for the disciplinary action on errant employees, am of a view that the action /punishment should have been meted immediately after the incident.
    The delayed punishment will be seen as retribution if the senior officers are left unpunished, actually I recommend that the bosses be punished for sleeping on the job. While the subordinate staff be given a stern verbal and written warning.

  5. nchito zolowa opanda job description ndi conco.
    ndipo haa anatayilila bwanji! akanyimbi kazaleni nandolo ndi makaka mvula yayamba

  6. They deserve dismissed ndithu.
    Amawona ngati DPP will be forever… very good boarc of MBC….agalu amenewa must go.
    Or muma private radio stations,asalembedwemo nzitsiru.
    Yewo
    Mzakwacha Nixon
    Durban Kwazulu Natal

    +27724922299
    [email protected]

  7. This is good because we are setting standards for everyone everywhere. If the TA do not act then, it will not deter those in TA corridors. Everyone has to be careful because governments come and go, hence we need prudence and integrity in our work.
    

  8. Good development indeed. In fact, its long overdue. There is no way a Public Broadcaster can broadcast that content and those gatekeepers go scot free.

    In fact, in a modern democracy, Chapita, Khonyongwa,DG and the anchor of the news in question including editors were supposed to voluntarily step down.

    Apapa palibe nkhani, a Chapita ndi a Khonyongwa MBC munayitenga ngati yakwanu ku Songani komanso kwa Namijingo. Kafikeni.

    1. Zopusa basi, how many times do u see f words on tv? Freedom of speech. Za u dictator kuno ayi. It was a mistake but it didn’t warrant this heavy reaction. President amabadwa opanda machende?? Chovuta ndichiyani? Is Chilima a man without balls?

      1. Eeeee akulu, kupsa mtima kumeneko? Eeee koma a Lhomwe sizinthu eti? Bwanji watchula President mmalo motchula Bambo ako za machendezo? Kapena ufuse Mai ako za Bambo ako akuuza. Iii iwe ndichitsiru eti? Manyi ya Mako ndiposo! Wandipsetsa mtima koopsa! You see iwe pano ukuonetsa mkwiyo pamene azakowo ntchitoyo yanunkha basi. Freedom of speech sikutukwana.

        1. Akulu inu ndinu opusa kwambiri, Mwadziwa bwanji kuti walembayu ndi mulomwe? Bwanji nanunso mukukhala ngati ndi machende anu?

    1. It is not nkhanza the guys at MBC were grossly irresponsible; iwo amayenera kudziwa kuti olamula boma amasintha ndipo iwo ntchito adzaifunabe. Si koyamba kusintha olamula boma ndipo tizisinthabe, palibe olamula boma amuyaya. Anthu tiphunzire kukhala ndi nzeru. Lero pano mukamawaona andalewo akuyenderana kufunilana mafuno abwino, inuyo anthu wamba opanga za wamba, mukumati chiyani? As public servants nobody should do what these guys were doing. This should serve a lesson to all public servants; things change, let alone this fragile thing called politics.

    2. Palibe nkhaza iliyonse apa. Izi ndizongofunika anthu akamagwira ntchito aziwonetsetsa kuti akuyika discipline patsogolo. Kutukwana president or vice president wadziko ndikuphwanya malamulo adziko. Awa ayamike kuti angowapanga suspend poti suspension ima imakhala timeline mwina adzabwereranso, akanyimbi amenewa amayenera dismissal basi.

    3. Malumbo pachintumbo pako pachibwenzi chako, anthuwa ankaitenga MBC ngati ya ķu mwera zamanyi ndine Ngoni

    4. all im seeing in you is cadet genology pali nkhanza yanji apa kuposa petro bombing of utm office killing 3 innocent souls fokokfuuuu!!!!!!!

    5. Perhaps you don’t know where the issue is coming from otherwise we are tempted to doubt your integrity.

    1. With this mentality where everything is on tribal basis this country shall never succeed..aZangazanie mwadya zero pa ten

    2. Why finger pointing Hlomwes, in all evil things happening in this country?!!! that’s shame to all amene mukudana ndi ntundu wonse wa Ahlomwe ndi Ayawu, makamaka akulakwirani chiani?!!!!

      1. These guys thought MBC was their personal estate. I remember advising one of these guys not to be used by DPP as the government could easily change. He answered DPP singaluze. I asked him are you sure? He said very sure and opposition siinati itimva kuwawa. He further said tiawonesa nyekhwe achina Chakwera, Chilima and Tonse Alliance. Amati Mutharika and Atupele wamboma. I changed the subject to English Premier League because he did not want to take my advice. Timamwa ku Blantyre on Chileka road. I called the guy after elections, he simply said he did not regret what MBC did as they were doing their job. Zinthu zimasintha kuno nkunja kuyanja lichero. Siizi.

        1. The biggest fart was following the DPP blindly wearing blue blinkers. Malawi has shifted from tribalism that’s why our democracy is the global talk with accolades. The DPP brats are swimming in a sewer all their eggs were the DPP basket with the mighty fall of their party there hasn’t been any boiled eggs for breakfast you’re still in the night going through nightmares on an empty stomach. The worst periods in their lives will you please go to the retirement home of APM to do pseudojournalism the home is too big to keep the chaff of your kind. The retired HE has a high level of decency not filthying his post presidency period

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