Maravi

Milupi warns officials sanctioning harassment of Post journalists

Milupi warns officials sanctioning harassment of Post journalists
Written by Ernest Chanda
Friday, May 29, 2009 5:00:19 PM

LUENA Independent member of parliament Charles Milupi has warned that MMD officials that are sanctioning the harassment of Post reporters risk shooting themselves in the foot.

Commenting on the continued harassment of Post journalists by MMD cadres, Milupi reminded the MMD officials that since they would not be in the ruling party forever they would need The Post to give them a platform to air their views.

He said politicians should learn from history that those who had tried to suppress The Post ended up using the same newspaper to express themselves politically, socially and economically.

“The same press, the government controlled press that is giving them airtime and so on, when they are on the other side, that same press will ignore them. The same press that they are harassing now [The Post] will give them a chance to air their views. I say this because you see in politics it does not take much to offend the person that you are getting on with today, it does not take much,” Milupi said.

“I think there was some statement attributed to the chief government spokesperson [Lt Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha] some time back. Now supposing, just as an example, at the [MMD] convention he [Lt Gen Shikapwasha] decides to exercise his democratic right to challenge for the [MMD] president, how would the cadres take that? Will he continue to be free? The answer is no.”

Milupi said it was a big disappointment that such harassment was coming from the ruling party and with the blessings of the leadership.

“I think it’s very unfortunate, it is extremely unfortunate that in a constitutional democracy where we say the press is the fourth estate: in other words after the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary, the fourth estate is the press that we come up with statements or positions that stifle the press, that’s unfortunate. When senior government officials carelessly come up with statements that in any way suggest giving support to those that wish to stifle the press that’s extremely unfortunate.” Milupi said.

He said since 1991 the media had played a very important role in enhancing democracy in the country.

“Now going back to The Post, whether you like them or not, The Post have played a pivotal role in enhancing democracy in this country. From the 1990s up to now, this country would not have been what it is from the democratic position if The Post had not been there in the uncompromising manner regarding the role that they have played,” Milupi said.

“First of all when you threaten physical violence on anybody, whether they are members of The Post or just anybody, the mere fact that you are threatening violence means you are breaking the law. Our government and Executive are there to uphold the law. So where you have people saying so and so, we shall beat them up, in a properly functioning society we expect that the Executive will move in very quickly to arrest those people and have them prosecuted for the mere fact of threatening violence against other citizens.”

Milupi said the press should be allowed access to all public functions for them to inform the public effectively.

“With specific regard to the press, in order for the press to play their pivotal role as the fourth estate they must have access to all public functions. When the Executive have functions those are paid for by the taxpayer, therefore all the press must have access to those functions. Where they have issues with the accuracy of reporting, I think we have decent ways to highlight those. Sometimes myself I have questioned the accuracy of what is being said and that is normal in a democratic situation,” said Milupi.

“But that should not force someone to threaten violence against another person, least of all a reporter. That is something that I abhor, I detest and I hope that people will realise the folly of their ways and make correction.”

The Post journalists have of late suffered at the hands of the MMD cadres who have vowed that they will continue meting physical punishment as long as the newspaper continues to be critical of President Banda.

Labels: CADRES, CHARLES MILUPI, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, PRESS FREEDOM, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 4:03 PM