Kaliati hints govt will regulate social media: Malawians abusing Facebook

Information minister Patricia Kaliati has hinted the government will regulated the social media, saying it has now become a gossip and rumour mongering platform thereby defaming or hurting many innocent people.

Kaliat said this on Thursday when she visited private owned  Zodiak  Broadcasting Services offices in Lilongwe.

“It is sad that some people use the social media to spread false rumours. Imagine, some people even spread rumours of death, that someone has died which is not true,” said Kaliati.

She did not however go into detail o how the social media, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram would be regulated.

Kaliati assured Zodiak staff that the government would guarantee freedom of opinion and expression as well as freedom of broadcasting but reminded the staff that all freedoms are not absolute.

She said there was need for the media to be responsible as well by avoiding sensational reporting that would just alarm people.

In his speech, the managing director of Zodiak,  Gospel Kazako asked President Peter Mutharika to be open even to local media houses.

He said on several occasions, the President had turned away reporters from Zodiak on the pretext that he was busy.

Zodiak boss also bemoaned that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)cadres sometimes harasses journalists from the media house, saying they are sometimes beaten up and their car was set up ablaze by regime thugs.

Kazako also told the minister that Malawi is not moving economically and socially as many women continue to die of diseases that can be prevented and education standards in public schools have completely gone down.

He also said the hunger situation is still dire as some people cannot afford a meal a day.

“We will ensure that we make your government accountable, we will make sure that we make your government transparent. Our obligation is to the people of Malawi not to politicians. We have seen governments come and go, we have seen your government going and coming back but Malawians have always been there,” he said.

Kaliati, in her response to issues raised by Kazako, said the government would look into all the matters raised.