Story implicating Malawi in Kenyan terror ruffles feathers: ‘Malawi News has goofed’
A story by the country’s oldest weekly, Malawi News, in which it is posted that Malawi is implicated in a recent terror attack that claimed 21 lives has raised grave tumult across the country with most commentators saying there could be serious repercussions regarding the country’s international relations.
In the story titled ‘Malawi implicated in Kenyan Terror, the report cites a South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) producer and analyst Izak Khomo’s analysis in which he claimed that Malawi was connected to the attack in Nairobi, Kenya last Tuesday.
Khomo said: “There are Al Shabaab fighters in Tanzania…most of them are Zanzibaris, some of them are across Tanzania from Dar es Salaam area…. You have got Al-Shabab fighters from Uganda. These are ADF-linked fighters. And there are also Al-Shabab fighters from Mozambique, northern Mozambique….And also from Malawi.
“Southern Malawi, mostly Yao, there are many of them, Muslims and many of them, not because they are muslims but many of them did, actually, go to the Al-Shabab camps over there. But it is not only Al-Shabab, that’s a thing which everybody has to realise. Also we have Isis. And we have also got an Isis presence in South Africa. When I am talking about Isis, I am not talking about the Durban, the home-grown Isis, I am talking about the foreign Isis.”
But most Malawians and the Chiwanja Cha Ayawo Heritage chairperson, Abdul Aziz Yasin, have described the allegations as “unfortunate” and “serious.”
Governance expert, Henry Chingaipe, said “it was shameful. Editors [of this newspaper] must stop these jokes.”
Writing on his Facebook page, Nicholas Msowoya, said: “This kind of reporting is careless, for fear of using the most suitable adjective.”
And, Geneva-based Malawian and social commentator, Stanley Onjezani Kenani, said the paper had goofed.
“Over the years, you have led with many groundbreaking stories that have shaped the course of our nation. However, today’s headline is sensational, untrue and totally uncalled for. All the story says is that a fellow called Izak Khomo said some of the Al-Shabaab terrorists come from as far afield as Malawi. Surely, just because one man in a broadcasting studio interview says so then Malawi is implicated? Really?” wondered Kenani.
According to him, the headline was out of place.
“If the President of Kenya had accused Malawi of sponsoring terrorism I would have agreed with your headline. Even if, for argument’s sake, some of the Al Shabaab members were to be from Malawi, how can mentioning such a fact mean Malawi is implicated?,” he questioned.
Kenani asked the paper to withdraw the headline.
“You can do better than this. This headline needs to be withdrawn on a front page with an apology. There are far-reaching consequences when a country begins to be associated with terrorism,” he opined.
But Peter Makossah, a trained journalist, had reservations on the headline.
“Come on, this was said on a national television in Kenya. So how is reporting news that has a public interest careless? This is already in public domain. Blame the guy who said it not the reporter because the reporter, as his or her job entails, is to report,” Makossah also wrote on Facebook.
According to reports, African countries, including Malawi, are considered a relatively easy target for terrorists, with their porous borders and relatively lax police presence.
Kenya has been on terror attack for years now.
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Do not shoot the messenger simply because you hate the message .
I am very disappointed with the fake headline on the first page of the newspaper,implicating malawi in terror attack which happened in Nairobi at DUSIT D 2 HOTEL in westlands,the people who are connected and involved in this deadly attack are not even malawians, but kenyans themselves and some people from somali country,this bogus and stupid guy so called reporter should go back to class and revisit his notes of journalism to testify his truth on this controversial story. I am a malawian who studies and works in kenya not far from the place where the deadly attack occured and i would want this bogus man to apologise to malawians for tarnishing our image as terrorists and for character assissination. for more information please ask me to give you the true story of it.
Some news are very sensitive in nature and one can not just woke up and unnecessary comments on baseless speculations without evidence or proof on the ground which might just leads to high tensions with our neighbours as we have already unressolved issues with our neighbour Tanzania, as far as I know Malawians are peaceful loving people regardless of religious affiliations we can’t get involved in such kind of dangerous activities . Do they have proof that indeed the man who is involved in al shabab terrorist activities is a Malawian? Or he is another foreign nationals pretending to be a Malawian like it was the case few years ago when Zimbabweans and Nigerians were using Malawian passport to enter into UK, later it was discovered that they were bogus Malawians, they were not real Malawian who were just taking advantage of Malawian citizenship previlages to enter into the UK.
A majority of people are against the headline which is stating that Malawi is implicated; implying that Malawi as a govt is implicated.
It is a no-brainer that wherever Muslims are, be it in Malawi, UK, US, Russia, Lesotho etc, some misguided Muslims will want to “please” Allah by indulging in terrorism activities. Whether one likes it or not there are some Malawian Muslims who are fighting for ISIS in Syria. Some have joined Al Shabaab in Kenya / Somalia while others are in Nigeria ( Boko Haram). YOU MAY WANT TO DISPUTE THIS, BUT IT IS TRUE. It does not mean, however, that Malawi as a govt is involved. No way.
As a former Muslim who is converted to Christianity I know the sort of teachings that are indoctrinated and brainwashed unto the Muslim faithful such that one can even kill one’s loved ones without a qualm of remorse or guilt-consciousness just to PLEASE ALLAH.
My point is that there are, undoubtedly , Malawians in Al Shabaab, Boko Haram, ISIS, Taliban etc. But to say that Malawi as a govt is involved is quite misleading and incorrect.
The headline of the article stating that Malawi ( AS A GOVT) is implicated is grossly misleading.
You don’t know what you are saying.terrorist has no religion only that your mind is corrupted with the media.seek more knowledge for you to understand this group’s.Google a book tittled the PROTOCOLS OF THE LEARNED ELDERS OF ZION. Download that book and read it your mind shall be open and you shall know all this so called isis and other groups.if you don’t know the meaning of jihad in Islam don’t say it.jihad in Islam has nothing to do with terror and Islam does not Condon taking of innocent souls.
Utsi sufuka popanda Moto, kalipokalipo
arrest him please
This writer needs to go back to school …… the problem that I see in him is that maybe anali atakhuta mondokwa – chootcha – kkkkk!!!!! koma lembi wa TIMES iwe kuno ku Malawi ndife ana okonda mtendere ndiye usamale ndi malembededwe ako onyasawo – don’t you know kuti ku Rwanda nkhondo inabvuta kwambili chifukwa cha atolankhani omwe ankalemba mwachibulimbuli bringing confusion & enemity to the whole country, please tiyeni tikhale ndi chidwitso kukolezela nkhani yomwe ilibe umboni sibwino – ngati mulibe cholemba pitilizani kulemba za masankho a 21 May – basi …… ife tikufuna tiziwe kuti mwamuna ndani pakati pa PITALA, ZAULOSI ndi LAZALO??????????
Nde ma journo a pa Malawi amenewo..
I think Malawi as a nation we are used to being naive on issues. We like burrying our heads in the sand and pretend that all is well. A national TV somewhere has reported about the issue and for sure it’s an international TV which means the issue is already in the public domain. If a local newspaper reports the same we claim to be uncomfortable with only the paper and leave out the TV? Really? Are we saying the international community will only be angry with us after the local paper reported and will diregard the TV?
Do we remember during Bakili Muluzi’s tenure, the American embassy in Kenya was bombed and talk was rife that the terrorists passed through Malawi?
I don’t think Malawi news are wrong whatever heading they used to relay the message.
If some ISIS members are from UK & EU does it mean UK or EU are sponsoring ISIS? Gentlement dont support this mediocre headline in anyway if a Malawian , Ugandan, Tanzanian or a Mozambiquan nationals you dont implicate the entire nation on an act unless the individual reveals that his country of origin sends him on that mission. This headline is defamatory to Malawi like what that lady who is answering charges of drug trafficking in China did the headline read “Malawi implicated in drug trafficking?” Monga iweyo Makosa upedzeke ukutumikira ISIS kukaphulitsa ku Westminister ndiye anganene kuti Malawi Implicated In Bombing Of Westminister?
Malawi News has goofed – the paper has shown it’s shallow journalistic ethis and that is is guided by tendaciousness.
For sometime now and for the upteenth time, I have rebuked gutter journalism that prevails at the Times group with people who practice driven by impoverishment and an insatiable appetite for handouts. Management please retract this Malawi news in it’s entirety and unconditionally apologize to Malawians, particularly Achawa.
What I’m reading from this is that there is Al Shabab presence in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique and, of course, Kenya. There must be terrorists even I RSA. Given that this is true, what is all the fuss about? Typical of Malawians: we like burying our heads in the sand. Wake up folks. There must be some truth in the reporting and the question is: What do we do about it?
The story started with SABC and Malawi News has just brought to locals. The question is do we really have the Al Shabaab camps here. If this is true then we hav a problem. Am sure Times reporters hav done the research and know the truth. When the Pakistanis abducted an Indian child in Limbe few weeks ago no one made a comment. Those foreign stupidity are now in our country. Lets push our security to do their work than attacking local reporters that hav brought the news.
With all due respect to our Muslim brothers, i am sure there is a good number of them who are in support of and affiliated to al shabbab, al Qaeda, and Isis living amongst us. Everytime you have poverty stricken, ignorance laden rural masses beholden to islamic aid from abroad, the result is terrorism and foolish dreams of forcibly converting the world to sharia law.
Its a matter of time before bullets start flying and we have to shoot a few in the back of the head.
Journalism is probably the only profession where everyone believes they know better than the practitioners
let us not dismiss this story outright. Just go to Mangochi and see how the people behave and also just visit some indians and see how they conduct their money transactions. There is more to this story than the eye can see
Ma reporter do thorough investigation before writing ur fake stories otherwise u r tarnishing Malawi’s image for the sake of selling ur newspapers.on govt part may u consider to upgrade border security issue which has been porous for a long time
There is no smoke without fire.
Malawi News as a respected media body must retract that story with apology to the people of Malawi and its Govt. What a shameful unsubstantiated story!!!
This story had been going around exactly the way Malawi News have put it on SABC TV. Malawi News are just bringing it to our attention. If there’s blame may be it should go to Ministry who say they cannot comment.
I think we need jst to learn something from this article other than just blaming the writer.
If this was said somewhere we should have been enganging our security to be vigilant with any traces of such delusions. Malawi ia not an Island and that with all these convoluted baliefs and faith it is possible that our security would be behind a much organised evil syndicate of Alshabab.
We know some of ISIS members were Britons and from other EU countries. Therefore some times we get undertones of people claiming some very strange uteraces and regions to themselves and disassociating it from our mother Malawi. These could be traces of such divisive nasty ideologies based on some fanatic and silly backgrounds which need to be nipped in the bud and calls for thorough and santcions
Agree
Why should people condemn Malawi News when alshabab are now active in northern Mozambique which is just 500 km from Blantyre. What makes anybody to think they can’t recruit in Malawi? This article is good as it is a wake up call to our sleepy intelligence services who have failed to trace where albino bones go.
Thats exactly truth