Malawi Police arrest JB’s aide over Facebook ‘Chigomba’
Malawi Police in Blantyre have arrested Tusekele Mwanyongo, an aide to former President Joyce Banda on suscipicion that he uses a pseudo of Gerald Kampanikiza, a strong critic of President Peter Mutharika and his ruling DPP on social media.
Mwanyongo was picked up Friday morning and is being detained at Blantyre Police Station.
He confirmed in a brief interview that he has been arrested and expressed surprise on what wrong he has done.
“Yes am at Blantyre Police, am under arrest. I don’t know what wrong I have done, maybe they are going to tell me,” said Mwanyongo.
A police source said Mwanyongo has been picked following orders from ‘above’ on suscipicion that he operates under s pseudo name of Gerald Kampakaniza who criticises Mutharika and his government on social media especially Facebook.
The arrest should send worrying signals to Malawians as traces of dictatorship would be creeping back in President Mutharika who recently has not been taking criticism positively.
Government announced the drafting of new cyber laws to control the use of social media across the country.
A bill that will impose harsh punishment for “abusers” of social media platforms, would soon be tabled before parliament.
Home Affairs Minister Jappie Mhango is on record telling the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) when he was Information Minister that the bill was aimed at refocusing the medium of social media so that it could be used for discussions around developmental issues affecting the state.
Mhango made an indirect suggestion that certain legislators and publicists were abusing WhatsApp and Facebook as they discussed a wide range of political, economic and social issues, much to the concern of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
“This is a big concern to us. A lot of people are abusing Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and others,” said Mhango.
The development follows recent remarks made by President Mutharika where he expressed concern over the use of social media in the southern African country.
Mutharika stressed the need for new laws to regulate defamatory and malicious messages expressed on social media, urging all Malawians to embrace positivity and to curb the spread of false rumours.
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za ziiiiiiiiiiii!!!!
When did insults become criticism? Anyway this is Nyasatimes. By the way, how can someone in a police remand cell grant an interview to media? How did Mwanyongo access his phone? We leave everything at the reception when going into the police remand cell. Munamize omwe sanayambe akhala mu police remand cell omwewo, but not me.
koma kunyza tsogoleri sibwino ndikupusa
anthu ambiri ndiotelo
tsoleri anthu amatha kukupatsa maina olakwika achipongwe molingana ndi zichita zako olo mafumu bambo mai phuzitsi or abusa amapatsidwa maina or kukunyoza kumene
sono aliyetse atakankhure kapena kulemba pa fb azimangidwa jundendeko kukhala angati? and mulandu wotukwana ndi wochepe zedi mwinanso kulipira ndi 2000mk gwanda ndi usena wakewo anatukwana ku nkhota kota analipira 2000mk
now kuyimba office ya NIB bize on fb kusaka otukwana
mundiuze mwina palikhani zina
muthu wofuna kulanda boma sagwiritsa ntchito phone, kalata,amakhalandi ma network awo ndi zilankhulo zawo ma pass words awo
komano kutukwana tsogoleri zeru palibedi munthu woti sucheza naye sunamuyandikilepo iwe kutukwana shame kwa otukwana
Ap ndiye anthu anyoza tidzadze ndende zose palibe poloblem kudana ndi chilungamo two much
Typical of the muntharika’s this family if it was a crop we could roast and throw it in water so that it doesn’t grow again. I tell you one day is one day we will rise up against this tyranny, we fought against Banda’s dictatorship now another fool comes from America to snatch our hardly earned democracy, my foot we will show them that we can defy this stupidity.
THIS GOVERMENT IS PATHETIC AND SICKENING
THE PEOPLE OF MALAWI MUST WAKE UP AND SEE THE LEVEL OF IGNORANCE
AND IMMATURITY THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF MALAWI IS…
THEY ARE BUSY POLICING FACEBOOK AND WHATSAPP WHILE PEOPLE ARE
SUFFERING IN SO MANY WAYS..
INSECURE DICTATORSHIP… DICTATOR…. DICTATOR… INSECURE DICTATOR..
PEOPLE WAKE UP..????
Zili kumalawi
I think our authorities get their strategies upside down. Any Right thinking person would never attempt to silence a possible one million social media users. If I was in a position of authority, I would not expose my position on any criticism against me so as to keep my detractors guessing on my next move. You se, that would be psychologically tormenting!
In true and civilized democracies, people agree to disagree. Two days ago, Donald Trump tore Obama’s foreign policy to shreds in front of international audience yet there hasn’t been even a comment from Obama’s advisors, let alone the man himself – that is called civilization!
The problem is that, all our president’s advisors are preoccupied with protecting their jobs. That is the tragedy called Malawi…
Sibwino Kunyoza Mtsogoleri a Malawi.Let’s learn to respect one another.Mwina mawa mudzakhala(mtsogoleri) inuyo,mungazamve bwanje?
Really Mathanyula??? you have nothing better to do??
How about finding maize to feed 2.3 starving malawians,
How about explaining to Malawians your plans to improve the economy?
How about providing 3 meals to patients in the hospitals
How about improving the sorry state of health care in Malawi
How about improving the pathetic state of education in Malawi
How about improving the infrastructure
How about explaining the MK577B that no one can account for
How about explaining why your ugly wife stole from NAC
Whatever happened to freedom of speech???
I can go on and on, your plate is full Mathanyula, you are worried about petty stuff and you have serious issues that you need to work on for the benefit of stupid malawians who voted for you fool
Gerald Kampanikiza is not a pseudo. He is obviously is being used. The guy was too broke in Malawi. Anathawa angongole ku Malawi amene anawatengera katapila. Luckily to him he managef to run away. The only way to survive was to meet Joyce Banda in SA. Koma kunyoza mtsogoleri si bwino a Malawi.
Malawians, please learn to respect you leaders. Your comments are just telling as how stupid you people are. Disgusting nation.
Mwangomuderera Mwanyongo poti ngwakumpoto. Ife ayao bwanji timafatsa pano kunyoza bwampini mathanyura mkamwa mopanda mano mutharika, koma osatikwidzinga.
this Mhango is another brute. He talks trash always.
mmmmmm what’s the use of internet …. we live to criticizeand be criticized
YOUR EXCELLENCY,DIRECT YOUR POLICE TO RELEASE MWANYONGO.AS FAR AS U ARE AT STATE HOUSE,U WILL BE CRITISED TO THINGS THAT U HAVE BETTER.ENJOY YOUR STAY@SANJIKA,LET THEM CRITICISE U&DOT BE ANGRY.U R A FATHER.NO MATTER WHAT GOOD THINGS U CAN TO MALAWIANS,BELIV ME,U WILL BE CRITICISED.ANTHU SAYAMIKA.THE MORE THEY CRITICISE U&YOUR GOVT,THE MORE VOTES U WILL FIND 2019.AT THE SAME TIME APM,TAKE NOTE OF OTHER CRITICISMS AND FIND SOLUTIONS.MZAKWACHA NIXON>PRETORIA-+27724922299.THANKS.
A Malawi tulo kwambiri. Choncho kumangowonerera andale akamapanga zautsiru ngati zimenezi. In Egypt people are in the streets to demonstrate against government interference with social media. Eeish! Malawi dziko la anthu ozizira sinawone.
Ameneyi ndi aide?
ulamuliro wa nkhaza wayambika tsopano ku malawi
Freedom of expression the birth right of all – ufulu uja mwatilandaso kodi unali wangongole?
Tikamamva ndikuona zoterezi ndekuti imfa ya msogoleri wadziko yayandikira
The aim is to gag witnesses to the K577bn cashgate. DPP is in deep shit.
What crime has he committed?
these DPP fools,,,atikwana bwanj eeish
It’s like we are in communist China!
abnormal !!!!
Only stupid Malawians,will or can say that their Democracy in Malawi under this dictator Peter Mutharika. All the Mutharikas are dictators
Ndidakuuzani kuti atumbuka adangoona kunena Kamuzu kuti adali wankhanza koma mtundu uwu ndiye wankhanza. Ndidati amene adayambitsa kwanunkwanu adali Edward Bwanali Mlomwe weniweni koma zonse zidagwera baba Tembo because of his closeness to Mama Kadzamira. In Malawi Alomwe ndi a nkhanza kuposa mtundu wina uli onse.
How many people are you going to arrest? that’s stupidity of the highest order! DPP is a party with full of dunderheads, they don’t how best they can serve the country. what they know best is arresting critics though without evidence. You are killers! thieves!
… scary! If they want us to stop using or control social media, they should come out in the open and say so.
This unacceptable. The same tyranny we threw out of the window in the 1992 referendum is slowly creeping in through this regime. Please please we voted against this type of barbarism and it is sad that someone wants to bring it back. We will not allow that. PaChichewa amati mutu ukakula, sulewa nkhonya. In other words, when you ask for the rain, you have to deal with the mud too – Denzel Washington in the Equaliser. Mumanga angati……
like seriously ? is that the best you can do Mr headless chicken?
This sounds crazy!