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afrol.com, 31 August - Rankin Nyekanyeka, editor of the "Daily Times" - one of the only two daily newspapers in Malawi - has been suspended for allegedly 'belittling' a story about President Bakili Muluzi. The suspension letter takes issue with the paper's Friday, August 25, 2000 edition in which the paper had a story entitled 'Malawi Police To Serve In Kosovo' as its front page lead. The previous day, President Muluzi had presided over the opening of a factory in Blantyre. In the suspension letter, the paper's Editor-in-Chief, Mike Kamwendo, said Nyekanyeka should have used his judgment to know that the Muluzi story was more important than the Kosovo one. But Nyekanyeka said he still believed his choice was professional. "My boss says my choice of the lead for Friday was wrong but I thought our police to serve in Kosovo was of national importance," he told the Malawi branch of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA). "For me that was great news for both the government and everybody else since our police service is getting international recognition." Kamwendo refused to shed more light on the issue, saying it was an internal issue. Nyekanyeka's suspension came three months after the original board in charge of the paper, appointed by the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP), was fired to pave the way for a government appointed board. Blantyre Newspaper Limited, publishers of the "Daily Times", was part of the MCP establishment but when former president Hastings Kamuzu Banda died in November 1997 the newspaper was put under a trust. Relatives of Banda sought a court order, saying Banda's estate was not being properly distributed. The court ordered that the estate be put under an interim administrator until the case was settled. A new board had to be appointed to run the newspaper, effectively moving its editorial stance from the opposition to the government. Tony Mita, a former Chief Information Officer under Banda who is one of the current board members, justified the suspension, saying Muluzi's function was more national interest than Nyekanyeka's choice. MISA-Malawi condemned the action, saying it was a move to muzzle free flow of information and editorial independence. In a statement, the organisation said the move will intimidate journalists at the paper from working freely.
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