Stung by embarrassing reports, government has ordered all its ministries and statutory corporations to stop advertising with the Daily Times and its sister paper the Malawi News. Dismissal awaits those who give the papers business.
Government is the biggest single advertiser in the country.
Speaking at a rally recently, President Bakili Muluzi said the papers, owned by supporters of late former president Hastings Banda, were running a vicious campaign against him personally and his government. Ironically, he was one of the first independent publishers during Banda's despotic rule and fled into exile while working for the Daily Times. And if I seek legal advice, journalists should not squirm and try to hoodwink the international community that the president of Malawi is depriving them of their freedom. The decision to cut advertising comes less than 18 months before the next election. Observers see similarities between Muluzi's attitude and that of Banda, who introduced laws to ban press freedom.