Africa-Press – Malawi. Malawi Police Service (MPS) officers will never reform despite numerous fresher courses they keep on attending to transform the service for the better.
Refresher courses on the law-enforcers come as many join the service with low education qualification that duty execution is marred with arrogance and rude when dealing with the public.
MPS officers are fully aware that media is the fourth arm of the state that every time they need journalists to execute their duties diligently. Even the supreme law of the land, Malawi Constitution’s Section 36, empowers media to fully operate freely without any intimidation.
Therefore, any law that is enforce without agreement with Supreme law of the land, is challenged in court of law for review. Currently, misguided MPS officers including communication and CID department are using the current Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act wrongly against the media for selfish interests.
For instance, on Thursday, February 9, 2023, MPS publicist Peter Kalaya defended the detention of The Maravi Post reporter Dorica Mtenje using this useless law for the article which she even did not author.
Kalaya in his low wisdom failed to read between the lines of the said article which was carried and later pulled down on National Intelligence Service (NIS) Chief Dokani Ngwira’s incompetence at the service.
Despite numerous attempt to talk to these uncivilized officers to handle the matter in a civil manner by MISA Malawi the media body, Maravi Post Editorial Management, these misguided officers detained further the reporter while misbehaving coupled with rudeness.
Until MISA issued a statement and engaging the Homeland Security Minister Zikhale Ng’oma, Information Minister Moses Kumkuyu, Maravi Post Reporter was released unconditionally without any charge. Was it really difficult for one Kalaya and CID department to reason with media body and Maravi Post editorial team to handle the matter amicably?
Kalaya and his MPS communication department fully understand well that the media including Maravi Post are its partners in their daily work but always chose to misbehave on simple matter that could be resolved outside corridors of police cells. The current state of work at the service and media is embarrassing and disgusting.
Clear Message to MPS communication department
Listen, and listen good Mr. Kalaya, there were your friends at the services before you, who served Malawi Police Service diligently without using head when executing duties while working mutually with the media.
Rhoda Majolo, Willy Mwalukwa, James Kadadzera, Chingwalu, Gondwa, served that office with honor and dignity. Learn from these noble police publicists whose legacy live long.
Arrogance, rude do not define your work at Malawi Police Service but honor and respect. You are not the first one to hold that office. One day, you will leave that office but leaving a bad legacy of empty head of dealing wrongly the media.
You are a crop of police officers denting President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance on rule of law with friendly to press. You have taken this Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act very personal as we have always seen you to be on top of it as if its your person entity or farm.
First was Nyasa Times, then Platform of Investigative Journalism (PIJ), now The Maravi Post. Why wasting energy on tracking online publications work instead engaging them mutually?
You are a public officer not a private company manager. Do you know that office you are occupying, its the media that advocated for its establishment?
Work with media houses owners and media bodies including MISA, Malawi Media Council of Malawi (MMC) on anything to do with journalists not other way round.
If you can’t handle the media now, leave that office for able and capable individuals but not muzzling the media otherwise you will be a total embarrassment. Do better next time by using all possible avenues to handle media queries.
Clear Message to MPS CID department
Whoever heads this department at Malawi Police Service (MPS) lacks fully knowledge on how the media can even help his family for a better welfare at the service. You have duty work in dealing criminals not media which has no any political interests in the leadership which mostly you work for.
There are a lot injustices; theft, murders cases, robbery happening in this country but your sweating with petty and empty matter with the media which have no basis.
Get this into your heads, politicians will go but media will live for ever as its there to serve the public not fat bellies for nothing. Stop embarrassing yourself tracking journalists work to impress pockets, one day you are to leave that office, the same media will be needed.
Conclusion
Noone has never won war against the media but engaging mutually for better Democratic society.
For More News And Analysis About Malawi Follow Africa-Press
