Newly appointed Minister of Information Gospel Kazako has promised to make the state broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) clean and independent when executing its duties.
Kazako said this yesterday when he visited the media house on a familiarization tour.
In his remarks, Kazako pledged to reconstruct the public broadcaster as one way of restoring long gone trust from the general public due to its active involvement in politics.
Kazako added that it is important that MBC should be serving all people in the country regardless of their political affiliation or tribe as it was with previous Democratic Progressive party (DPP) administration.
The Managing Director of Zodiak said it was pathetic to note that MBC has been operating as a political tool and favoring a few individuals that were aligned to the previous ruling party.
“Malawi Broadcasting Corporation MBC was establish to serve the nation in Informing, Educating and entertaining the nation. Unfortunately, the public broadcaster turned away from its core responsibility and became a political tool where a ruling party would dictate the affairs of the corporation,” said Kazako.
He therefore appealed to MBC staff to restore the corporation’s lost glory by being professional in their operations.
After noting that some of the staff at MBC were politically connected to the former ruling party and that they were being favored and given opportunities despite lacking qualifications and skills, Kazako did not hesitate to tell them that they will be cleaned.
He then described MBC as a bad boy that need to change its ways.
The minister then stressed that government will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that people are employed on merit and not on political grounds.
While giving a word of hope to the staff, Kazako emphasized that during the reconstruction and sanitization of MBC, some employees will fall casualties.
Kazako further put it straight that the Tonse alliance will ensure transparency and accountability by operationalizing the Access to Information law.
On his part, MBC Director General Aubrey Sumbuleta admitted that the corporation has not done a good job in some respects and pledged never to repeat the past mistakes.
The minister is expected to inspect a number of companies and institutions that report to his ministry as part of his familiarization tour.
