US embassy cable - 05LILONGWE338

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000338 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, KPAO, MI, Media, Political, President 
SUBJECT: MUTHARIKA DEFIANT ON JOURNALISTS' ARREST 
 
REF: A) Lilongwe 259  B) Lilongwe 333 
 
1. Summary: President Mutharika has defended the recent 
arrest of two journalists for publishing stories about 
ghosts in the presidential mansion.  Although the two were 
released on bail after two days, charges of ridiculing the 
president have not been dropped and the case remains in the 
judicial system.  End summary. 
 
2. At a media availability during the April 14 launch of 
Mutharika's new political party (ref B), the president told 
reporters and the large crowd of supporters that he has not 
forgiven journalists Raphael Tenthani and Mabvuto Banda for 
publishing stories about ghosts in the presidential mansion 
(ref A).  The reports were carried on the BBC and wire 
services worldwide.  Despite earlier accounts that zealous 
presidential advisors had ordered the arrests without 
specific orders from the president, Mutharika's statements 
confirmed that he had agreed with the detentions.  A visibly 
agitated Mutharika declared that "these people published 
lies" that embarrassed the president, and that "they stood 
by their lies" even after the story was denied.  Mutharika 
appears intent on seeing the case to a conclusion, stating 
"the matter is now with the courts."  He went on to admonish 
the journalists present, as he has on previous occasions, 
saying that they are not professional and need training that 
his government could provide. 
 
3. Comment: While Mutharika frequently claims that he favors 
a free press and is open to criticism, this episode 
demonstrates that there are limits to press freedom in 
Malawi.  The print press is generally quite free and the 
president is a regular target of critique.  In this case, 
however, the president clearly was personally offended by 
the story, and it appears that these two writers crossed an 
indeterminate invisible line that invoked his wrath.  The 
arrests do not yet constitute a pattern, but they have 
certainly caused bitter feelings among journalists here. 
For Mutharika, the episode will do nothing to earn the 
positive media coverage that he is desperately seeking for 
his reform program. 
GILMOUR