MBC TV fails to beam JB rally live: Matumula ‘unseats’ Atupele
The Malawi Government has nothing more to agree with what Senior Chief Nyambi of Machinga lamented Saturday over lack of communication in his area as authorities noticed for themselves the urgent need for the area to have telecommunication gadgets.
The State owned Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC TV) failed to beam President Joyce Banda’s political rally held in the area due to failure by the television station to get signals from the venue.
As if the chief knew what was happening on the other side when MBC TV technicians were struggling to get signals, he pleaded with President Banda to intervene in the communication sector so people of his area could ably use mobile phones in their villages.
“The state president, here we have cellphones but we use them when we have travelled because we do not have towers around. I urge you to order those who install towers to do so in this area so that we could use our phones right in our villages,” pleaded the senior chief.
The chief, who bluntly told off other authorities who were trying to restrain him from presenting his concerns to the President, also asked Banda to consider bring to the area road infrastructure, schools, health facility, electricity pay point, fuel station.
“Wina akundiponda apa kuti ndisiye kulankhula madandaulo anga, koma sindisiya chifukwa mwayi wopezana ndi a pulezidenti sindingaupezenso oposa uwu.” (Someone is restraining me from presenting these problems to the president but I will not stop because I will not find another better chance to meet the president than this).
“I will give her the list of the problems later but first I have to mention them here, so I will continue,” he said sending the gathering into laughter.
As per tradition, the public broadcaster beams live any engagement carried out by the President but during the presidential diary black out, the station was instead forced to carry programmes like Mwaswera where in it was bringing apology messages for the failure to bring live the President’s political rally.
Although there was assurances that the rally would be captured in no time as technicians were tirelessly working on the problem to rectify it, it ended without beaming.
And to make matters worse, MBC Radio 1 station was also experiencing interruptions as the President delivered her speech.
In Blantyre, things were worse, as at some point there was a massive power failure, making it impossible to follow the President’s meeting on radio.
Interestingly, during the rally, People’s Party Deputy Treasurer General and Member of Parliament for Mangochi South, Yusufu Matumula, spoke as parliamentarian for the area, which is under Atupele Muluzi, leader of the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF).
Matumula was once a very close business associate of Atupele’s father and former Malawi president, Bakili Muluzi.
During the rally, both Matumula and President Banda scoffed at Atupele and former president Muluzi for what they said was failing to bring meaningful development in the area.
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