MPs want Mutharika to prove his claims on ‘corrupt’ media : State House says ‘lets not be in denial’

Media Committee of Parliament chairperson Sam Kawale  has said President Peter Mutharika’s has said remarks that the media is “part if the corrupt system” are  damaging and the Head of State need  to prove  his claims.

Kawale: Prove the claims

Mutharika said the media had become part of the problem Malawi is facing  and part of the corrupt system.

The President,  who has  said his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration was committed to ending the high levels of corruption in the country, having increased budget allocation for the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in the 2017/18 fiscal year,  said he knows that corruption cuts across all sectors of the Malawian society including the media.

But Kawale said President Mutharika is deliberataley targeting the media to discredict the journalism profession.

“It is sad for the Head of State to make such remarks,” said Kawale.

“He knows that the media, especially private institutions, work professionally in the country. But he chooses to look at such media houses as trash. He sponsors Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), which in my opinion and without fear or favour, is the most biased media house [in Malawi]. How should people trust his sentiments?

“The next time, sentiments made on the [political] podium should be censored. This is hypocrisy at the highest level. We do not want such remarks [to come] from the Head of State,” Kawale said.

A University of  Malawi  media communication expert based at  Chancellor College in Zomba, Jimmy Kainja, said  it is imperative for President Mutharika “to bring up evidence” of his claims.

Kainja said ‘corrupt’ media allegations are “damaging.”

“In fact, whoever can speak such sentiments needs to produce evidence. Journalists should be told when and where they were bribed to write stories. Reporters have never said the President is corrupted without evidence. The President cannot just say that out of the blues because nobody will ask him. Maybe it was out of frustration,” Kainja said.

But State House director of communications Bright Molande said the President was stating facts that media is part of the corrupt system.

“Nobody must not be in denial if  the fight  against corruption is to be won,” he said.

“Can the Parliamentary Committee on Media and Communications and the Misa-Malawi ask for evidence from the Speaker and come back to us, because he was the first to say that. Nobody must be in denial if we are to fight corruption successfully in the country,” Molande said.

The social media has also not be spared by President Mutharika who is on record   claiming that the communication medium was the cause of “social decay” in Malawi.

Mutharika claimed that social media platforms had long been utilised to disseminate lies and castigate others.

In addition, the Malawian leader urged the church to help government in its fight against the abuse of social media, saying that abuse of the medium would lead to the degeneration of values and morals within the country.

Media experts say the ownership of media outlets – whether state-run, privately owned, or public service broadcasters – is a crucial factor for the independence and integrity of the media.

Where media companies are formally owned by the state, the government may exercise a strong influence, censoring stories, stifling investigations into high profile cases and generally compromising the neutrality of reporting.

Privately owned media companies carry equally significant challenges as they can become beholden to certain public figures, individuals or corporate interests, who use them to promote a certain image of themselves, their opponents, or a certain issue or product.

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Mine
Mine
6 years ago

The president is rit ,atolankhani omwe ankalemba zonyoza pp ili m,boma ali Ku state house pano zimenezi zikutanthauza chain?

chipatso mbewe
6 years ago

tazisiyani zimenezo, simunatope nazo? ndipo pali amene akuvomera mMalawi muno kuti iye is corrupt? aliyensetu akukana, ndiye zisiyeni choncho, but one day someone will be brought to light and will be ashamed. Now, football bwa? tsopano mwaimitsanso camp ya flames, mzungu yu muthana naye bwanji? moti maso mphenya ake akwaniritsidwa ndithu? ehe ! FAM iyoooooo. a Nyamilandu kutha ma plan tu, kuteroko munangochitira kuti musatchipe kupititsa team ija ku CHAN kuja? u never thought of the future? ndiyenso kukalephera ngongole ziri pa mutu? zoopsya kwabasi

Zibwente
6 years ago

The media is not only corrupt, it is also tax non-compliant.

Corruption is when George Kasakula only sees negatives about Government
Corruption is when ZBS openly declares its allegiance to MCP
Corruption is when Times Newspaper dodges to pay tax to government when everybody else is paying
Corruption is when the media only reports about Chaponda and leave the fugitive Joice Banda the jetgate woman untouched.

Are you therefore denying that the media is corrupt?

Fwetseki inu a media.

AKANYERAMTSETERE
AKANYERAMTSETERE
6 years ago

THE PRESIDENT IS RIGHT. EVERY GOOD MINDED MALAWIAN SHOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF THE PRESIDENT’S CLAIM. WHAT EVIDENT DOES THE MEDIA ASK FOR IF THE WHOLE ELECTION ACTIVITY FOR THEIR NEW CHAIR WAS CANCELLED AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR AFTER FRAUD IN THE SYSTEM WAS DISCOVERED

Central
Central
6 years ago

I wish we had a Magufuli in Malawi!!

Why should a sane president merely mention a name of suspect and not direct the responsible structure under him to action? Why is he choosing to behave like any other ordinary citizen when he has powers to instruct responsible structures to act on suspected people or offices.

A Malawi “masankhasankha atipweteketsa!!”

Molande, parliament said it sometime ago but its because they are not the executive branch!! Awanso nawo awaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Molande uziopa “Chilungamo” osati munthu!! Are you sure heavens are happy with what is happening?? Mxiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

kelly
kelly
6 years ago

Yes media is corrupt look at What MBC is Doing very very very corrupt

dausi fallacy
6 years ago

This is indeed very very true as seen during the 2014 elections when the media was twisting facts deliberately to favour him Mutharika and the DPP party after corrupting them the likes of Zodiak and the MBC. So why saying no when he is telling you what he knows best about these stupid media people who has sold this country to these corrupt thieves. Thats well revealed muropwana peter

Mahera
Mahera
6 years ago

How I wish the media brought more issues on K236bn, 24bn and 1.7bn cashgates. If Journalists fail to investigate cases of corruption being talked about everywhere, you can really suggest they are also corrupt. Cashgate started wayback in Muluzi’s error, got worse in Bingu’s error and it got exposed in JB’s regime. Now Malawians have been convinced to put blame on the one who exposed it than those that started and enjoyed it.
We need to be schooled malawians

Zuze
Zuze
6 years ago

Why are journalist barking like rabid dogs. They are the most corrupt people and the president was right. for one to be featured they demand kick backs. These are useless corrupt people

Gonapamuhanya
Gonapamuhanya
6 years ago

I never knew a day will come when I shall side with Mutharika! This is the day. The media in malawi is very corrupt. If you dont oil their palms they wont cover your function. If you want to embark on a smear campaign just palm oil a few journalists and you are set. Molande and his boss Mutharika are spot on!

As for Jimmy Kainja I have always questioned his intelligence.

Lets not be in denial.

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