Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa who is also Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Vice President for the South has condemned the intimidation and harassment of journalists in the country and called on the President Chakwera to uphold press freedom.
Nankhumwa said this in Parliament on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at the end of Budget Session of Parliament.
Malawi Police on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 stormed and arrested investigative journalist Gregory Gondwe for publishing a story exposing government through Attorney General, Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda for giving Zuneth Sattar K1.4 billion and yet he is being probed by ACB.
Nankhumwa said that the arrest and detention of Gondwe is a brazen attempt by government to prevent citizens from exercising their fundamental rights and stop journalists in this country from holding government accountable to its citizens.
“I learnt with deep concern about reports that the Police had stormed the offices of Institute for Investigative Journalism in Blantyre and arrested journalist, Gregory Gondwe, on Tuesday, April 5, 2022.I still do not understand why this government should decide to take us back to the one-party era of harassing and arresting journalists on bizarre charges despite the gains we have made as a nation in the past three decades, regarding press freedoms, including the passing of ‘Access to Information Bill,” said Nankhumwa.
Meanwhile, Gondwe has been granted a police bail.
