Africa-Press – Malawi. Hapless Malawians journalists had to endure pain and humiliation in the hands of an international team from the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) who were holding a conference at the Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital Lilongwe Lilongwe.
For two days, the AFRODAD accounts team – reportedly from Zimbabwe – clang to cash allocated for transport fares for the journalists who were invited to cover the conference.
This forced some journalists, who are working for under-resourced media houses, to walk to their homes after the conference. Ironically, the allowances were pegged at MK24, 000 (approximately US$19) per day.
Attempts by local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) proved futile, as the AFRODAD Accounts Team put their feet down and vowed not to reimburse the fares.
It took the intervention of AFRODAD Communication Manager, Fidelite Nshimiyimana, for the Accounts Team to finally release the cash at around 8:30pm. Some journalists, especially women, were heard complaining about how they would get to their homes that late.
It would appear Malawian journalists face these scenarios every time international delegates are entrusted with the responsibility of cash disbursement.
Last year, another team from Kenya clang to the allowances for journalists at Crossroads Hotel, keeping the media team for hours before sorting them out.
In August 2021 again, journalists had to endure two months of waiting before they go their daily subsistence allowances for the three-day training workshop on Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit reporting held in Salima.
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