By ‘Majirata Latela
The Media Institute of Southern Africa in Malawi has pleaded with president Chakwera’s administration to work with Malawian police on their concerns on arbitrary arrests and detentions of journalists by police.
In a statement released yesterday, MISA Malawi says on Tuesday, April 6, 2021, authorities at the Malawi Police Service (MPS) Headquarters in Lilongwe summoned, detained and questioned freelance journalist Watipaso Mzungu for about two hours over a story published on Nyasa Times on April 2.
Mzungu was summoned over a story in which he quoted a local organization which criticized President Lazarus Chakwera’s delay to reshuffle the cabinet by March 31 as earlier promised.
Mzungu was at the police headquarters from around 8:00am to 10:00am and released unconditionally after being cautioned.
MISA continued to show that the summoning and detention of Mzungu came after officers from Kawale police station in Lilongwe also arbitrarily arrested and detained Joy Radio journalist Enock Balakasi on April 2.
The officers detained Balakasi for over two hours for covering and taking pictures at an incident in Kawale, where police were trying to bring order after a resident threatened to commit suicide.
The police accused Balakasi of carrying out his duties without seeking permission.
They also deleted pictures from Balakasi’s phone and later released him unconditionally.
“MISA Malawi condemns the actions by the police in the strongest terms and believe the summoning, arrests and detentions are an attack on media freedom,” the statement said.
The institute said it had previously engaged the Inspector General of Police Dr George Kainja, over such violations.
