CIMJ hypes investigative journalism training in Malawi

For as long as the Malawi government drags its feet in enacting the Access to Information Law, Investigative Journalism is certainly the step in the right direction because it will enhance the right to information of Malawi citizens, Center for Investigative Journalism Malawi (CIJM) has noted.

CIJM Board member Dan Msowoya said Malawians need comprehensive information in order to monitor and participate in public affairs.

“This government’s reputation has deteriorated so rapidly, to the extent that the world view is so negative about us. Corruption in this country has become an everyday concern.

“We need to recalibrate our level of tolerance for this scourge and epidemic to zero and below, currently it is amazingly high,” Msowoya said.

Msowoya said this during the closure of a four day inaugural Investigating and Reporting Corruption training course held in Lilongwe at Bridgeview Hotel.

To the participants, Msowoya invoked their hereby invoke their approbation as the “Special Squad” of the media fraternity and urged them to move away from the comfort of their newsrooms to all the corners of Malawi.

“Bring life to our society, provoke a sense of reason, debate and speak out on emerging critical issues. But beware that these perpetrators of corruption and fraud are well organized. They are prepared to kill; they are prepared to do anything on earth to ensure that their ill-gotten wealth is retained,” he advised.

Prominent and multi award winning South Africa Investigative Sam Sole was among the lead facilitators of this Course, which had 10 participants drawn from various media houses in Malawi.

“We live in a country where we celebrate thieves and vilify good men and women. We elect hyenas to take care of goats, and when goats are finally consumed we wonder why. That is the tragedy of Malawi,” he said

CIJM Executive Director Collins Mtika said almost 60 journalists applied for the training and ten were picked including a Nyasa Times reporter.