ZBS creates platform for Malawi party funding
In a bid to champion transparency in the way political parties in Malawi are funded, Zodiak Broadcasting Station will from this week enable its listeners fund their political parties using mobile phone money services.
The listeners, using Airtel Money and TNM Mpamba, will be able to transfer money to the People’s Party (PP), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), United Democratic Front (UDF), People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
Each party will have its account announced on radio to enable the respective supporters to send their contribution.
So far the Secretary Generals of the five political parties have already sent the details of their Airtel Money and Mpamba accounts.
“Our role is simply to announce the details free of charge. We are a national radio and we are sure that supporters of these parties listen to us and they will be able to contribute financially towards the campaign to their parties,” said ZBS Managing Director Gospel Kazako.
Kazako said this will also help build a culture of transparency in as far as political party funding in Malawi is concerned which for long has been secretive.
“There is no benefit for Zodiak. We are doing this simply to link our listeners to their political parties and in the process try to help build a culture of transparency in political party funding in the country.
“We believe that a good radio is not the one that speaks to itself but to its listeners. And in this initiative we are speaking to our listeners giving them the opportunity to contribute to the parties they support,” added = Kazako
The initiative is another first from Zodiak which just last week unveiled Question Time, a first ever radio and television program in which four main political parties will be pressed to share their vision for the country elected into power in May.
