Police in Malawi have prevented Nation Online, a leading newspaper, from live streaming the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) convention, citing a ban on mobile phone use at events attended by the President.
In a Facebook post, Nation Online reported: “We were told that phones are not allowed according to the law, but the officer couldn’t specify which law.”
National Police Spokesperson Peter Kalaya insisted that permission from State House was required to use a phone at the event, despite the outlet having used the same device for updates without issue for the past two days.
The incident has raised concerns about media freedom in Malawi, with critics arguing that the police action amounts to an unnecessary restriction on press coverage.
President Lazarus Chakwera is currently attending the convention at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe.
