Malawi govt ready to table Information Bill – Tembenu
Government has said all is set for the tabling of the much talked controversial Access to Information bill in parliament which starts its deliberations from Monday.
Justice minister Samuel Tembenu said the bill has been finalised as the cabinet has nodded for it to be tabled in the 193 strong House.
“The bill is ready, it will be tabled in the coming seating of parliament,” he said.
According to Tembenu, the amendment in the bill are those that the media and Malawians already know.
Thom Khanje, chairperson of National Media Institute for Southern Africa (Namisa) whose organisation vigorously and relentlessly campaigned for the law, cautiously welcomed the move.
“The government should gazette the bill so that we should know what is in the bill, Malawians should know the amendments,” he said.
Khanje said he cautiously welcomed the move to table it in parliament because in the past, the government has made false promises.
“One minister would say we are tabling the bill, another minister would say we are not. We will believe when the bill is in parliament,” Khanje said in a radio interview.
President Peter Mutharika recently told media owners and managers that there are two amendments to the bill, including a clause that could have enabled Malawians to seek information from government dating back to years before this law will be enacted.
I look forward to the amendments in the bill and I suspect they are in their favour and not the Nation.
MP’s better scrutinise it please
We want that bill to be passed. God is not a man, but we don’t want those stupid amendments by ibu coz we want that bill coz of the clause that allows citizens 2 ask even about the past. Dpp thugs please don’t confront me by removing those noble clauses. What r u magoots fearing. Bwinotu bwino. It seems u have alot of blunders
why cant you be positive sometimes, you should thank the government for honoring its promise
mukuopa chani ambwana. Malawi is not for you onlu. You are & you will go. Malawi is for all.
Stupid, when you know that IMF/donors are coming to Malawi then you say Information Bill is ready.
Talk is cheap. Just table the bloody ATI bill you thugs.
some one is being haunted by his past.
The bill is for all Malawians, its a pity that a few individuals sitting as the executive would want to remove what they dont want in the bill but what all Malawians want! The information we want is from the past and not from the future. A Malawi makamaka akufuna kudziwa za 577 billion cashgate.
This is good development. It is bad that some people behaved as if they have the power equivalent to that of God; that singlehandedly they can decide the fate of the whole nation! Shame on them! Shame on the devil! A human soul will fight until it realises its full freedom given to it by God not a fallible human being!