Macra plans to shutdown phones, WhatsApp on Malawi elections days
Beleaguered Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (Macra) Director General Godfrey Itaye on Saturday called for a meeting to discuss plans to shutdown phone communication as well as social media platforms like WhatsApp.
Nyasa Times can reveal that Itaye and his directors will use the provision of the law in the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act to force mobile phone companies to shutdown social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and even phone calls.
Itaye is said to have received the instructions from the leadership of ruling party to make sure that WhatsApp is down so that innocent citizens are in the dark about the progress of the elections.
Insiders at MACRA said the meeting takes place in Blantyre at 5:30 Saturday.
“It is true that the DG called for a meeting at 5.30pm,” said one Director who refused to be named.
Itaye sent about 75 junior employees to a retreat at Hapuwani Lodge in Mulanje for three days starting from Friday up to Sunday.
Insiders said Macra wants to the shutdown the public so that they do not have information of what is going on the elections day.
Itaye denied his organization has no plans to shut down the internet on Election Day.
“MACRA has never done that and its only security agencies that can do using the cyber law that exists,” Itaye said.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) shut down its internet but after the vote last year in December last year. Egypt is another country that jammed the phones and internet to impact an election.
Obviously a DPP zeelot wanting to keep his master in power by all means. Dont force your selves on us. Ngati a Malawi sakuvoterani ndizimene asankha kuchita. These are signs that you know you are going to loose thats why you are employing all these tactics kuti mube vote ya a Malawi. It is undemocratic and unacceptable.
try and u will see
Godfrey Itaye,
please don’t try it, this is evil and cruel. Stand for Malawians and not for DPP. DPP will go but Malawians will still be there
This true dont try please
Itaye:The whole reason I will NOT vote for APM and his DPP.
to shutdown communication so that they should be corruption during the period and that people we shouldn’t communicate of it till it come to pass thats crazy idea
The Fool that is called Godfrey Itaye…
I will spend the day with my girlfriend. Relaxing.
Iwe Itaye uyelekeze, takupatsa ulemu ochuluka pa office pano, koma udziwe izi: Tiulula zonyasa zonse zomwe anthu sakudziwa, akazako adziwa zina zomwe samadziwa ndipo pano sukhala.
Munthu paja akatsala ndi masiku ochepa amoyo makutu sagwila ntchito,masiku anu ku Macra atha.
Itaye wants to contribute to the suffering of Malawians by aiding illegal government to administer affairs of the nation with his moves to tamper with communication channels. Just wait and see, Mr Itaye.
Sorry. J need to finish my coffee.