SOUTHERN AFRICA MEDIA LANDSCAPE: Malawi, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe Profile compiled by 38 Harvey Brown Road, Milton Park, Harare Zimbabwe Contact: [email protected] Tel: 00263 867 710 8362 1 MALAWI Malawi is a landlocked country and former British colony. Malawi became independent in 1964. Population 16.8 million according to the Government of Malawi https://www.malawi.gov.mw/ Languages English and Chichewa (Chichewa spoken by 75% of the population) are the two officially recognized languages. Other local languages spoken are Lomwe 17%, Yao 20%, Ngoni, 11%, Tumbuka 9%, Nyanja 6%, Sena 4%, Tonga 2% as well as several other languages. Cities and towns Capital City – Lilongwe Commercial capital – Blantyre Government President: Peter Mutharika Currency Kwacha 2 Administrative map of Malawi Source: http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/malawi-administrative-map.htm 3 Summary of Media ▪ Two (2) State owned radio stations ▪ Twenty-four (24) Community radio stations ▪ Ten (10) Privately owned radio stations with national reach ▪ Ten (10) Television stations ▪ One (1) Government news agency ▪ Thirteen (13) Privately owned newspapers with the Blantyre Newspapers Limited and Nations Publications Limited owning five and four titles respectively under each media house. The remaining four are community and religious publications. The dailies are The Nation and The Daily Times. Five (5) magazines, mostly religious (Source: www.osisa.org) Broadcasting in Malawi Types of licenses for broadcasting 1. Radio a) Public national Sound Broadcaster (State/ government owned) b) Private National Sound c) Community radio (Split into National community of interest, regional community of interest, geographical community sound) 2. Television a) Public National Television (State/government owned) b) Private National Television c) Community Of Interest Television 4 Radio Stations Malawi has 78 registered broadcast media and 43 are operational. The operational licensees as listed by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority are shown below. PRIVATE PUBLIC/STATE COMMUNITY Zodiac Broadcasting Malawi Broadcasting Radio Islam (Blantyre) Station Corporation Radio 1 Capital Radio Malawi Malawi Broadcasting Dzimwe Community Radio Corporation Radio 2 (Mangochi) Galaxy Radio Radio Maria (Mangochi) FM 101 Power CCAP Livingstonia MIJ Radio CCAP Blantyre Yeneco FM CCAP Nkhoma Synod Radio Joy Radio Station Seventh Day Adventist ( Blantyre) Matindi Radio Karonga Diocese Good News Limbe Muslim Jamat Mwandama Channel for all Nations (Lilongwe) Malawi Institute of Living Waters radio Journalism (Blantyre) Star FM Pentecostal Life FM 5 Maziko Radio Station Good News Broadcasting System Beyond FM Transworld Radio (Lilongwe) Radio Maria Radio Alifane (Lilongwe) Radio Tigabane (Mzuzu) Nhotakota Community Radio Nhotakota Mzimba Community Radio (Mzimba) Usiya Community Radio (Nkhatabay) Chancellor College Radio (Zomba) Umoyo FM (Mangochi) Mzati FM (Mulanje) Yoneco FM Source: www.macra.org.mw 6 Television Stations PRIVATE PUBLIC COMMUNITY Luso TV Malawi Broadcasting Timveni Community TV Corporation Television Times TV African Bible College TV AFJ Television Television Luntha (Balaka) Galaxy Television CAN TV - Assemblies of God Multichoice Malawi (Dstv) Print PRIVATE PUBLIC COMMUNITY The Daily Times Malawi News Agency (MANA) Malawi Times The Sunday Times The Weekend Times The Business Times The Nation Weekend Nation Fuko Nation New Vision Statesman Malawi News Enquirer UDF News Weekly Chronicle 7 The Nation and the Daily Times are the largest circulating dailies Fuko Nation is a bi-weekly, which targets at rural readership in the majority Chichewa language Regulation State-Regulation MACRa State controlled Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) regulates the media in Malawi. The body was established in 1998 as spelt out in the Communications Act. The body’s duties include superintending over the Communications Act (1998) inclusive of: promoting open access to information, promoting efficiency and effective competition in the communication sector. It also promotes technological use to meet international standards as well as ensuring purchasers of information are not unfairly charged. In addition, MACRA has a mandate to conduct research and produce statistics on the industry, train and develop personnel and systems for industry efficiency, receiving application, advising the Minister and subsequently approving or rejecting telecommunications, license, frequency allocations Media Council of Malawi (MCM) This is Malawi’s self-regulatory body. Its Ethics, Complaints and Disciplinary Committee oversees the formulation, maintaining and implementation of a code of ethics for media organisations, journalists and media practitioners. The other duties include receiving, adjudicating complaints from the media organisations, practitioners and the public through mediation Constitution (1994) Section 35 allows every citizen the right to freedom of expression Section 36 allows the press freedom of establishment and operation without any hindrance as well as full access to information Section 37 allows every citizen unhindered access to information held by the state. Legislation Printed Publications Act (1947) - outlines steps to be taken in licensing and registering a newspaper and other printed publications Communications Act (1998) - Empowers MACRA to receive applications, register and give licenses to prospective media houses. MACRA, under the ACT can also monitor and investigate media practices, engage in research and training and uplifting industry standards. 8 Policies ICT Policy (2013) – regulate the ICT industry. National Access to Information Policy (2014) - Promotes access to information in Malawi Malawi Digital Broadcasting Policy (2013-2018) - the policy seeks to guide Malawi from analogue to digital broadcasting in line with specifications from International Telecommunications Union. 9 NAMIBIA General overview: Population 2.3 million Languages English (official 7%) Afrikaans (lingua franca) and German are the official languages. Other indigenous languages spoken include Setswana, Lozi, Oshiwambo, Otjiherero, Rukwangali, Damara Literacy: 65% of total population Capital City – Windhoek Government President: Hage Geingob Currency Namibian Dollar/ South African Rand 10 Administrative map of Namibia 11 Summary of the Media ● Ten (10) State owned radio stations ● Ten (10) Community radio stations ● Ten (10) Commercially-owned radio stations ● Two (2) Television stations ● Eleven (11) State-owned newspapers (Four dailies and seven weeklies) ● Six (6) privately owned newspapers (One privately owned five weeklies) ● Five (5) magazines Types of licensing for broadcasting 1. Radio a) Urban community-based radio stations b) Commercial radio stations c) Rural community-based radio stations 2. Television a) Commercial television stations. b) Community-based television stations Radio: There are about 30 radio stations in Namibia. State owned Commercial Community NBC !Ha Fresh FM Base FM NBC Afrikaans Hitradio Namibia Channel & NBC Damara/Nama Omulungs radio E- FM NBC German Radio 99 Karas NBC Lozi Radio Cosmos Live FM NBC National Service Radio Energy Namcol (English) NBC Oshiwambo Radio France Ohangwena International NBC Otijiherero Radio Kudu Omaheke NBC Rukavango Radio Wave Oranjemund FM NBCTirelo ya Setswana West Coast FM UNAM Radio 12 Television: There are two television stations in Namibia NBC TV and One Africa. State owned Commercial NBC TV One Africa Print Private Owned State Owned Community The Namibian Allgermeine Zeitung Erongo Confidente Die Republikein Kundana Namib Times New Era The Villager Namibian Sun Windhoek Observer Kundana Namibia Economist Southern Times Informante Windhoek Express Regulations State-regulation Namibia Communications Commission 1992 The commission has the mandate to issue broadcasting licenses and to supervise broadcasting services and programme content. Namibia Film Commission (2000) Regulates the film industry to prevent the production of material that threatens national security. Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) Regulates telecommunication services and networks, broadcasting services, postal services and the use and allocation of radio spectrum. 13 Constitution (1990) Chapter 3 Article 21 (1) (a) guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of expression which include freedom of the press and other media Article (21) (2) imposes reasonable internal limitations on freedom of expression. Legislation The Communications Act of 2009 The ‘Spy Bill’ continues to threaten freedom of expression as it allows interception of communications as well as Apartheid era laws such as the Official Secrets Act, and the Criminal Act. The Public Service Act of 1995 The Act restricts public servants from disclosing information that should in fact be available to Namibians. The Protection of Information Act It sets out a number of provisions relating to the disclosure of security related information. The Radio Act (1952) Licenses radio stations and allocates radio frequencies 14 BOTSWANA Botswana is a former British protectorate which gained Independence in 1966. Population 2,313,100 according to the Government of Botswana Source: www.gov.bw Languages English is the official language .Setswana is spoken by the majority (78.2%) of the population, Kalanga-7.9%, Sekgalagadi (3.4%), Shona (2%),Mbukushu (1.6%) and Ndebele (1%). 1.7% speak Tshwa (a Khoe language) and 0.1% speak !Xóõ, a Tuu language (both non-Bantu). A further 2.8% also