Dr. Bakili Muluzi
President of Malawi
Office of the President
Private Bag 301
Capital City
Lilongwe 3
Malawi
C/O The Justice Ministry

Vienna, 25 May 2001

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors and media executives, condemns the recent decision of the police in the Malawi capital Lilongwe to arrest a newspaper vendor selling newspapers critical of the government.

According to the information provided to IPI, on 23 May, newspaper vendor Austin Machewere was arrested by a police detachment led by George Chikowi of the Police Public Relations Department. At the time of Machewere’s arrest, five copies of The Dispatch newspaper were confiscated by officers from the Area 18 police station.

Subsequently, Machewere was charged with the offence of creating public fear or alarm. He was later granted bail and released on a surety of approximately US $65. Commenting later on his arrest, Machewere said he was asked to reveal the names of those newspaper vendors who distribute The National Agenda newspaper.

In a related incident, police officer Chikowi visited the offices of the Karora Printers, which prints The Dispatch, and asked members of staff where they could find the managing editor of the newspaper, Martines Namingah. Apparently, Namingah is being sought by police for publishing The Dispatch.

The police officers told members of staff at the Karora Printers that Namingah was to report to police headquarters for questioning. Responding to the request, Namingah has steadfastly refused to attend police headquarters and has attempted to contact the Inspector General of Police and Oliver Soko, the Public Relations Officer, in order to explain his position. However, there has been no reaction from the police. The newspaper editor says he fears for his safety if arrested, particularly since the Director of Public Prosecution, Fahad Assani recently stated that he would bring sedition and treason charges against those who used derogatory language. Under Malawian law, treason is punishable by death.

Aside from suppression of The Dispatch newspaper, there have been attempts to confiscate the following newspapers in Malawi: The Chronicle, The People=B9s Eye, The Mirror and The National Agenda.

In the belief of IPI, the intimidation of newspaper vendors confirms suspicions that the attacks on the media are motivated by a desire to prevent critical reporting in the lead-up to a possible announcement by Your Excellency that you will run for an unconstitutional third term as president of Malawi.

As highlighted by IPI in a previous protest, dated 22 May, the independent weekly The Chronicle is currently facing three separate civil defamation suits instituted by Your Excellency, the health and population minister and the speaker of the national assembly. Furthermore, IPI has been told that vendors for the newspaper have been afraid to sell the newspaper in the southern town of Blantyre for fear of attack by United Democratic Front supporters. Elsewhere, publications such as the People=B9s Eye have been intercepted while being transported to various distribution outlets.

IPI would remind Your Excellency that the right to “report and publish freely” is enshrined under chapter 4, section 36 of the Malawian Constitution and that the arrest and intimidation of newspaper vendors is in breach of this implicit right. With this in mind, IPI calls on Your Excellency to withdraw the charges against Machewere, desist from harassing newspaper vendors, and allow newspapers to be sold in all parts of Malawi. By doing so, you will be affirming the right of the media to operate freely within Malawian society.

I thank you for your attention.

Best regards,

Johann P. Fritz
Director