Zodiak, Luntha TV face action after Malawi govt accuses them of false reporting

Malawi’s government has accused two television broadcasters, Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) and Luntha TV, of breaching journalistic ethics and has asked the media regulator to take disciplinary action against them.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, officials said a ZBS broadcast had falsely reported that President Arthur Peter Mutharika had travelled outside the country.

The report was described as incorrect and a breach of responsible broadcasting standards.

The government said this was not an isolated incident, noting it was the second time in under a year that ZBS had aired unverified claims – this time relating to alleged reports of missing manhood in the Shire Valley, which it said had caused unnecessary public alarm.

Luntha TV was also singled out over an interview it broadcast with Silvester Namiwa of the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), in which he claimed that Vice-President Jane Ansah would ascend to the presidency within two months.

That claim is understood to be the same allegation for which Mr Namiwa has since been arrested and charged with treason, though the government’s statement did not directly reference his arrest.

The ministry said the Luntha TV broadcast reflected a lapse in editorial judgement and did not meet the standards expected of responsible programming.

The government said that while freedom of expression is protected under Malawi’s constitution, it does not extend to the spreading of false information, adding that responsible media practitioners should verify facts before broadcasting them.

It confirmed it had asked the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to initiate disciplinary proceedings against both broadcasters over the alleged breaches.

The ministry said it remained committed to protecting media freedom, but warned that platforms spreading falsehoods and undermining public trust would be addressed to safeguard the public interest.

The press release, dated 5 August 2026, comes amid heightened scrutiny of Mutharika’s own movements, following a string of undisclosed private trips to South Africa in recent months – the very issue at the heart of ZBS’s disputed report.