MBC suspends 2 managers Khonyongwa, Chapita indefinitely over Chilima insults
Public broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has indefinitely suspended its director of news Vincent Khonyongwa and controller of news Greyson Chapita over gross negligence for airing obscene content to disparage the country’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima.
MBC spokesperson Felister Chifumbi has confirmed the suspensions following a disciplinary process.
The taxpayer-funded broadcaster aired the offensive content in its 7pm Chichewa television news bulletin on May 11 2020.
In the report in question, MBC used a screenshot from its Facebook page and displayed comments on television purportedly to demonstrate that the public was against Chilima, who is now UTM Party president and fell out with former president Peter Mutharika and the former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in June 2018.
Some of the comments from the broadcaster’s purported social media page contained swear words.
The report was apparently the broadcaster’s reaction to Chilima’s sentiments made at a rally on Sunday in Mzuzu where UTM Party and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) held under the Tonse Alliance. During the rally, the Vice-President alleged that former president Bakili Muluzi, whose son has partnered DPP, threatened him through his associates.
Khonyongwa said the MBC board has suspended him for “gross negligence”.
While Chapita said the matter was already dealt with before when some people were suspended and he was cleared of any wrongdoing, expressing surprise that the new board has resuscitate the issue.
Following the broadcast of the swear words, Jolly Ntaba, head of Journalism and Media Studies Department at the Polytechnic—a constituent college of the University of Malawi, said MBC failed in its duty as a public broadcaster.
But sometimes it’s not fair to let these 2 bear the brunt. I would rather blame the system in place at that time, these people were merely messengers.
How can you prove that? The public saw a d heard these guys and not the then regime
Komat Chilima amakamb zonsez kut
Mudzavutik akukutetezaniw akadzachok
komanso amakond kunen kut ndikumamv chison
Chifukw akumatukwanaw adakal ana ang.ono ango,no
Simudajet nkomw
lelo ndiz alikut Daus mchach pitala
A khonyongwa Mulungu wakwiya nanu. Inu okhala mkhristu patsogolo kutukwana. Akuchotseni mu mpingo mwachititsa manyazi mpingo wa Mulungu
Mm mm mm, unless you are Holy a Ndadabwa.
Double voetsek to management
Thanks MBC board for taking this action. During Mutharika regime these guys were conducting themselves as if they owned the station, wearing DPP clothes even at the office. How can you embarrass the whole vice president like that? I therefore urge the board not to stop at nothing to clear the rubble at MBC and that will serve as a lesson to others. Dont allow these people to be welcomed back at MBC. They belong to the past and they should wait until 2095 when their corrupt party may be will bounce back.
Much as I am for the disciplinary action on errant employees, am of a view that the action /punishment should have been meted immediately after the incident.
The delayed punishment will be seen as retribution if the senior officers are left unpunished, actually I recommend that the bosses be punished for sleeping on the job. While the subordinate staff be given a stern verbal and written warning.
nchito zolowa opanda job description ndi conco.
ndipo haa anatayilila bwanji! akanyimbi kazaleni nandolo ndi makaka mvula yayamba
They deserve dismissed ndithu.
Amawona ngati DPP will be forever… very good boarc of MBC….agalu amenewa must go.
Or muma private radio stations,asalembedwemo nzitsiru.
Yewo
Mzakwacha Nixon
Durban Kwazulu Natal
+27724922299
[email protected]
Maguy awawa were really useless. Just fire them so they learn a lesson.
Malawi news
They deserve and its not only them they are many.. Why using a public broadcaster to insult someone..