Zodiak tell its ‘side of story’ to Macra over Kamlepo interview

Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) said it presented its side of the story when the broadcaster’s two representative met officials of Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) after being  h summoned over remarks Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament vice-chairperson Kamlepo Kalua made during an interview with the radio.

Teresa Ndanga, director of news at Zodiak, said Macra through its director-general Godfrey Itaye invited the radio station to a meeting in Blantyre  and they were provided with “a platform” to give their side of the story.

“So we gave our side of the story,” said Ndanga whose comments were concise.

She was accompanied by  Zodiak’s  Southern Region bureau chief Maganizo Mazeze.

Macra had a full powered  team led by Itaye,  deputy director of broadcasting Kelton Masangano and Willie Soko the broadcasting monitoring officer.

The regulator’s spokesperson Clara Mwafulirwa said the board  will determine the way forward.

In his letter summoning the private broadcaster, Itaye said Macra found Zodiak in contravention with the Communications Act.

Macra alleges that in the interview that ZBS aired, Kalua, who is also third vice-president of opposition People’s Party (PP), made allegations that the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wants to start shedding blood, purportedly, of people deemed to be attacking or opposing government.

Itaye made reference to what Kalua was said to have alleged in the interview that the DPP regime killed student Robert Chasowa, United Democratic Front (UDF) regime killed musician Evison Matafale and Fanikiso Phiri, another student and that DPP wants to shed blood again.

Chasowa, a University of Malawi The Polytechnic third year engineering student and political activist, was found dead at the college campus in September 2011, Matafale died in November 2001 under police custody after he had written a letter attacking the Bakili Muluzi regime, while Phiri was fatally shot by police following students’ riots at Chancellor College in December 2001.

Investigations were established for all the three deaths, but no logical conclusion has been reached yet.

The Macra letter further reads: “We also fault the interviewer for lacking journalistic judgement by allowing Kamlepo Kalua to make sensitive remarks without being directed or controlled.”

Ironically the  tax-payer funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)had broadcast report in which Information Minister Patricia Kaliati has been dressing down opposition politicians without hearing the latter’s side.