Africa-Press – Malawi. “The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them.” –Thomas Jefferson, 1787.
What is the role of the press in a democracy?
A free and independent press is a key mechanism of a functioning, healthy democracy. In the absence of censorship, journalism exists as a watchdog of private and government action, providing information to maintain an informed citizenry of voters. – Popular tenet on press freedom.
This week the Malawi Police Service behaved like its predecessor the Malawi Police Force of pre-Democratic Malawi. A social media report by Sylvester Ayuba James showed how manipulatable and overzealous some members of the Police can still behave, even in a democracy.
A journalist was arrested and held under severe archaic, fear-mongering investigation tactics of old. And the killing stab, his cellphone, and computers were confiscated, Police demanded the supply of the source of an article and computer passwords! Investigative journalist Gregory Gondwe’s crime: a news article he and the Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) had published on an ongoing saga involving the government and heavyweight moneybags Indian businessmen.
Having survived as a journalist in the one-party state and even the misguided UDF first term rule, the news hit a raw nerve in me that reverberates still. During the 1960s and even during some years of the UDF rule (1994-1999), muzzling the press was the order of the day. The arrest of a journalist puts a check or a halt to society’s ability to hold the government and even some private citizens accountable for their actions, especially illicit or corrupt actions.
Sylvester wrote on Tuesday: “Being informed that Police have descended on PIJ Gregory Gondwe and seized all PIJ and Gregory’s personal computers and hand gadgets (cellphones). Apparently, they are forcing PIJ to reveal where it got the stamped document from the Attorney General pay out legal opinion.
“Very unfortunate that Indian businessmen have become a reason for our Government to start chewing its own children.
“More the reason to rally behind Citizens Against Impunity and Corruption in the next step that it will take in dealing with impunity if this journalist is not immediately released. In an age of Access to Information Act, we find this conduct to be retrogressive and against the ideals and aspirations of our Constitutional democracy.“
On its part, the Journalist Union of Malawi (JUMA) demanded the immediate release of Gondwe and furthermore a free and safe working environment, media freedom, and respect for access to information law. The Union also condemned the arbitrary arrest of Gondwe.
And weighing in, the Minister of Information and Digitalization, Gospel Kazako, affirmed that his ministry “is investigating the circumstances that led to the arrest of renowned investigative journalist Gregory Gondwe….” Describing the arrest as not a welcomed development.
While we thank the Minister of Information for stepping in here and icing his concern, as members of the press, we wish to let the Police Service, through the Homeland Security Ministry, know that the Police Service is a SERVICE to all Malawians, including media practitioners (journalists among them). It does not exist to do the bidding of a few choice heavy-armed individuals with money to burn and corrupt practices to hide.
Secondly, Malawi is a democracy, Police, and officers in governing sector (who are sustained by taxpayers’ revenue), must remain accountable to the citizens of the country. In the equation of democracy, accountability is inherently achievable through and by a press corps that is independent and vibrant, a press corps that operates in an environment that is free from coercion, threats, intimidation, and arrests based on flimsy and sometimes non-existent charges.
As I waxed lyrical on the tenets of this great pillar of democracy, Gondwe surfaced on social media and narrated scenes akin to what made James Hardley Chase a maestro of suspense and drama.
My fellow social media don, Nyengo commented that “if this a true narration of events – every rule of evidence gathering has been massacred; they endangered the life of a sister and her child; it all seems very amateurish!!” To which my reply was that the Police used a third person whose only crime (if a revelation of a crime can itself qualify as a crime), is that she is born in the family as the “suspected officer.”
Gondwe’s post: the Police erred on so many fronts, but I have stopped breathing; I am stuck on four painful atrocities against Gondwe, which is an affront to the work of the free media, we boast we enjoy in Malawi.
1. Gondwe is being compelled to reveal his sources for his journalistic article.
2. Gondwe asked for a lawyer, did not get one, police officers continued to use contradictory and intimidating tactics
3. Polic ransacked PIJ offices, still without Gondwe’s lawyer present
4. Police confiscated cellphones, laptops, and computers and demanded passwords – all these contain live investigations/operations of the PIJ
a. These are PIJ’s instruments of production
b. The act impedes the work of the media.
What the Police SERVICE must keep at the front of its mind, and gingerly remember, it is a service, not a force; the Police should be professional and cease being used by individual politicians or heavyweight moneybags, it should respect and look at media as its collaborators in maintaining our democracy. This is because had it not been for the contribution of a vibrant and free press, energetic social media, Malawi would not be a democracy, Malawi would not have averted from a third UDF term, Malawi would not have had its first female president, and most important of all, Malawi would not be in the Third Reich.
And lastly, to all people in positions of influence, come to grips with reality, when you do right, take accountability for your actions and decisions, you have no fear when they are recounted in the press; however, when you err and act in a corrupt manner, then fear the press you should!
To the Malawi Police Service and the Inspector-General, please return to Gregory Gondwe his instruments of production in their untampered form. Please apologize to the Media in Malawi!
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