Monday, August 19, 2019

Justice? What Justice?

The lead story in The Nation newspaper today is headlined “Synod Backs Costly Airport Shutdown.”

General Secretary of the Livingstonia Synod of the CCAP is quoted as saying his church is supporting demonstrations organised by HRDC. “As a church we have vowed to fight together with people who are mourning that the elections were rigged. We will make sure justice prevails.”

The reporter of the story, Andrew Nyondo, leaves Reverend Nyondo here, with that quotation and goes on to report on what HRDC and a University of Malawi academician said of the demonstrations.

You have to wonder, really: what happened to journalism in Malawi? This was time to ask the reverend a question:

Reverend, what justice are you pursuing with violent demonstrations when the matter is in court where MCP and UTM are seeking justice?

Anyway, this is journalism in Malawi. We are waiting for Zeinab Badawi to ask such valid questions?

The Nation ran a second story titled “AG ‘mired in Conflict of Interest’ in Polls Case” on its front page. The story is a failed attempt to cover up the opposition’s failure to make a case in court.

Instead, The Nation is attempting to divert attention away from Saulos Chilima’s admission that there was no rigging to a silly debate on the duties of the office of the Attorney General.
The story itself says it is within the AG’s legal mandate to represent the Malawi Electoral Commission. Yet the story attempts to label the AG as partisan as if the MEC is a political party.

Grow up guys at Nation!

There is a silent majority in Malawi that is aware that the aim of MCP (and its baby HRDC) and UTM is to topple government not to pursue justice in court. If the aim were justice in the courts, MCP (and its baby HRDC) and UTM would have waited for the court case.

But they knew from the beginning that their case was going to collapse in court, hence resorting to violence.

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