The newly appointed Minister of Information, Gospel Kazako has vowed to make state broadcaster the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) free from political bondage.
The Minister Kazako, who is also the Director for the privately-owned Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS), made the vow in an interview with a local media.
The former MBC employee, Kazako said his first task as the Information Minister will be to find out why the state broadcaster has been used a propaganda tool for the governing political parties.
Apart from setting MBC free, the Minister also promised to make Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) independent.
Recently, The Media Institute For Southern Africa (MISA)-Malawi Chapter Chairperson, Tereza Ndanga asked President Lazarus Chakwera to allow MBC and MACRA to operate without political interference.
Ndanga said the media regulatory body MACRA and the state broadcaster MBC fails to work professionally due to political interference.
“MBC and MACRA require transformation that goes beyond changing the leadership of the two institutions to legal reforms that guarantee independence and security of leadership positions.
MACRA should not be used to censure private media houses and MBC should not be used as a propaganda tool for the party in power but a platform for diverse and robust debate on matters of national interest,” said Ndanga
Misa-Malawi further appealed to President Chakwera and his vice President Saulos Chilima to respect freedom of expression and Access to information.
Angonena awa, tiwaonera ife anthu ndi maso. Uyu ndi laz man. Kunali amnzawo amatama chonchi koma anadzindikira mochedwa kuti pano mpamalawi pomwe msanje nkaduka zidamanga nthenje. Angakhale usatire malamulo olo upange zitukuko chotani iwo nkhani imakhala poti iwowo basi ndiye ali oyenera. Always change change change without real meaning. Ngati pano ayamba kale kulira oti sadawasankhe unduna ndi maudindo ena aboma. Always politics politics politics, kusowa zochita basi. Apm ndi uyo boma wachita kulandidwa ngati kuti akanakhala wamuyaya koma chonsecho term yake pano itasala zaka zitatu zeninzenizi nmiyezi yowerengeka. Atolankhani athunso ndiye mavuto enieni ndiamene amadzetsa mpungwepungwe mdziko muno. Mwachitsanzo uja adayambitsa nkhani yatippex ku comesa pano anatembenuka kulalatira laz ati sanaganiziridwe. Nkhani siufulu koma kufuna kuponderezana nkudyererana masuku pamutu.