Macra boss moved
Government has removed Godfrey Itai from his position as Director-General of Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) and has since replaced him with Henry Shamu who was Post Master General.
Itai has been posted to Malawi Post Services.
Minister of Information Mark Botomani confirmed the development, saying the appointments were with immediate effect.
The development comes at a time there has been public outcry that Macra has not been impartial in handling broadcasters’ cases.
In February this year, Macra summoned taxpayer-funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) management after MBC had called the Human Rights Defenders Coalition “terrorists”.
The decision was reversed later. Recently, the regulator also said it would look into the conduct of MBC after the State-controlled broadcaster used vulgar language against Vice-President Saulos Chilima in one of its news bulletins.
Observers believe Macra is not handling the matter with the energy it should.
Mathews Kasanda is a journalist who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Malawi (The Polytechnic).
In 2015, Media Institute of Southern Africa awarded him the Best Print Media Education Journalist of the Year accolade.
He joined Times Group Newsroom in September 2019.
