Malawi Broadcasting Corporation must transform or just shut down

The destruction of any country or reconstruction of a country depends solely on responsible broadcasting that disseminates information that is punctual and unbiased.

Free MBC so that opposition political parties and other stakeholders have access to the station..-Photo NPL

National television and Radio Malawi under MBC are a disgrace for Malawi in a dispensation of plural politics and democracy.

This is the time of calling spade by its rightful name. MBC has failed Malawi and has failed citizens. The entire board of directors or governors is a bunch of stupid people that licks the boot of politicians. The entire staff starting from the political appointee Director are failures that do not know anything as far as national broadcasting is concerned.

Perhaps DPP government and the board of MBC must be taught the obligations and objectives of a national broadcaster. Each and every nation has a national broadcasting station with the aim to inform, educate and entertain citizens. MBC does the opposite. It is a mouthpiece of ruling parties and government of the day. Despite multiparty democracy and the adoption of the rule of law in 1994 MBC is one institution that has remained behind and continued with dictatorship and iron fist of the past one party state.

While departments of security such as police and other sectors undertook reform programs MBC never reform and was not pointed out as an arm required dearly on the quest for national transformation and reform but starting from Bakili Muluzi, Bingu Wa Mutharika, Joyce Banda and the incumbent Peter Mutharika they have completely failed to reform and transform the broadcaster in Malawi.

Government of Malawi must know that MBC is a public broadcaster operating from our taxes (citizens taxes) there is no way it must be used the way late Kamuzu Banda and his MCP were using it with absolute monopoly to gain his support through fear or interference.

When a government has been occupied by mafias and crooks their sole service delivery they know better is hijacking and muzzling the freedom to express and freedom of association.

Which gives a long term response that Malawi did not achieve multiparty and democracy with open hearts by those who stood for the cause of an open society.

Unfortunately it  is with no secret to reveal today that for 24 years that Malawi has been in multiparty and democracy  it was on paper and mouth not in action. Which is to say Malawi has not been ruled by a true democrat. There are foxes in Sheep’s skin and eyes.

If our country was once ruled by a true democract from whichever party Malawi Broadcasting Corporation was supposed to be neutral and reach out to the masses.

If one has to be defined as a democrat and a true multipartist we must first check the freedom of the national broadcaster.

MALAWI case therefore is a basket case guilty from malpractices of monopoly. Our traditional chiefs starting from Paramount, senior, Traditional Authority down to Village headmen are seeds that have been used by politicians to germinate and develop discord across the country. Even though our chiefs know that it  is wrong to bootlick in multiparty dispensation they have become shameful figureheads without sense. Instead they have killed our democracy.

Opposition parties are not supposed to depend on private airwaves to disseminate and connect with their people across the country when there is a public broadcaster to do this work.

As far as MBC remains a biased and a mouthpiece of one political party and Peter Mutharika it must just close down.

If there are well equipped, qualified and democrats in MBC they must initiate reform and become a plural broadcaster.

It is already too late but reform and transformation have no timetable nor time limit. You can change the face of Malawi by initiating and introducing blanket reforms at MBC.

  • Saunders Jumah the Utopian
    SAMAFO [Save Malawi Foundation].
    information disseminated correctly assures development peace and tranquillity.
  • The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Nyasa Times 

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Sailota
Sailota
7 years ago

I voted for multiparty politics in my beloved country. I use my freedom very wisely. For example, my house is no go zone for MBC waves. I have no respect for crooks. They dont love Malawi, why should I, as a Malawian, love them? I always ask God to deal with them in any way. I am happy He is exactly doing that.

Kingsley Jika
Kingsley Jika
7 years ago

This man or woman is brilliant, no doubt about that, but it seems once he or she writes, he takes no time to revisit his writings. He or she seems to suggest that all Malawi ills are SOLELY the work of MBC. I find it hard to swallow. Honestly, MBC is merely a messenger of a system we set up & allowed to run that way. Until we sit down & reason beyond self-interest & party politics, successive governments will use that facility for its own rather than public interest.

Mika Kumbire
Mika Kumbire
7 years ago

An article poorly written and it does not convey the message that author wanted I presume. How can you say democracy has failed because of MBC only. What a contradiction that you are also commending other Govt departments as having transformed??

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