Minister Kaliati  issues stern warning on nude or intimate pictures: Malawi to protect sexual privacy with law

Minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development, Patricia Kaliati has warned that government law enforcing agencies  will soon start tracing and arresting people who are taking and sharing nude or intimate pictures in the country, saying such habits impact negatively on the dignity of Malawians.

Kaliati said that there is growing trend on social media like WhatsApp chat, where couples start sharing nude pictures of their loved ones whenever there is breakdown of affair – revenge porn –  a development which she said is uncalled for.

The Minister  said the  law needs updating again to combat privacy invasions facilitated by today’s technologies.

Speaking during a visit to Karonga Museum on Sunday, she said that her Ministry plans to join forces with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security in order to put the matter to an end.

‘‘As we are working hard to ensure that we should maintain our culture, there is a growing tendency by some men in the country who are displaying nude pictures of their partners in order to disgrace them, and as government, we are totally condemning the development.

‘‘Therefore, I call upon all women in the country to be responsible enough and to start respecting themselves, because there is no way that one should allow to be taken pictures (naked) in exchange for love,’’ Kaliati noted.

Nude cope interdicted

Meanwhile,  Malawi Police have interdicted a police woman whose nide pictures went viral in social media last week.

According to head of Human Resources at Police headquarters in Lilongwe, Soko, Constable Esther Chiunjiza is on half pay interdiction.

“The interdiction from duty on half pay is with effect from March 4, 2017 pending completion of a disciplinary case of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline contrary to section 52(1) schedule 23 of the Police Act,” says Soko in a statement.

However, some sections of society are questioning the rationale of punishing her instead of the person, a male police officer at Kanjedza School of Police who took the pictures and led to their leak into the social media. Some lawyers say she can easily win a case in the courts if fired over the matter.