Macra tough on pornography
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) has warned people not to possess and distribute pornographic materials in the country.
Macra acting Director- General Henry Silika says the act is punishable by a fine of K10 million as well as a 15- year prison sentence.
In a press statement, which Silika has signed, Macra warns that it is also against the law to make available or transmit any pornographic material through an information system.
Possession of any child pornographic material in a computer system or on a computer data storage medium has also been cited an act that is punishable by a fine of K10 million or 15 years imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the Malawi Police Service (MPS) has expressed concern over increased cases of fake news circulation through social media.
“We are, at the moment, tracing individuals involved in the production of fake audios that were released recently,” he said.
He said one of the fake audios alleges that a College of Medicine student was kidnapped in Blantyre while another audio alleges that there were running battles between the police and community members in Machinjiri Township, Blantyre.
He, however, said police investigations revealed that no College of Medicine (CoM) student was missing and abducted.
After the delinking of some University of Malawi constituent colleges in early May, CoM has been merged with Kamuzu College of Nursing in what is now known as Kamuzu University of Health Sciences.
“Recently, another fake audio was also in circulation alleging running battles between police and communities around Machinjiri Township in Blantyre.
“MPS, therefore, informs Malawians and Blantyre residents in particular, that the audios were fake and maliciously created to disturb peace and tranquillity,” Kalaya said.
Recently, there has been a proliferation of pornographic photos and videos on social media, some of which involving minors.
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.
