The Center for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has strongly condemned President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance for arresting Nyasa Times Journalist Watipaso Mzungu.
Mzungu, a multi-award winning journalist, was arrested on Tuesday morning over a story he authored on Nyasa Times in which he quoted CEDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa branding Chakwera as a ‘Joker and Time Water’ for failing to fulfill promises.
Reacting to the arrest through a statement CDEDI Executive Director reminded President Chakwera that Malawi is no longer a one party state and that government should stop arresting and threating journalists.
“CDEDI would like to remind the Tonse Alliance Government under President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera that Malawi is no longer a one-party state which was characterized by rule of darkness, fear and death. We are concerned with the detention and subsequent intimidation of Mr. Watipaso Mzungu who writes for a number of news outlets including Nyasatimes,” reads the statement in part.
It further reads: “We look at the detention of Mr. Mzungu as a futile attempt by Dr. Chakwera’s leadership to instill fear in journalists in the country, a development that can easily be construed as a tactic to stifle media freedom and freedom of expression in Malawi”
According to the statement Malawians will never be intimidated with such acts by the police, in a democratic state where everyone is supposed to enjoy freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, the Police have unconditionally released Mzungu who was being detained at Area 30 Police in Lilongw
The act of failures in running the Government.