ATI Act to benefit all—Misa-Malawi
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa)-Malawi Chapter has called on citizens to familiarise themselves with the Access to Information (ATI) Act to fully utilise its benefits.
Misa-Malawi chairperson Tereza Ndanga was speaking in Mulanje District on Monday when the organisation held a sensitisation meeting on the recently enacted ATI Act with district executive committees (DECs) and local level actors to help them appreciate the importance of the Legislature.
She said: “Just because the law has been championed by journalists, people think it will only benefit journalists. But the general public stands to benefit more because they can access any information they need for the enjoyment of a particular right.”
Ndanga added that once in practice, the Act will also remove fear from people in holding public officers accountable and in that way, foster development.
She said: “In some districts where we have visited, we found that people are scared to ask for even the basic information. With the coming of this Act however, it’s different. People can now ask, for example, how much money they received as Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and follow up on how it has been spent.”
Ndanga then disclosed that this is why as Namisa, they plan to visit selected villages across the country and sensitise them to the same.
“Right now, as we continue to push for the commencement date of the Act from the Minister of Information and Communications Technology, we plan to sensitise beneficiaries and public officers that will provide the information,” she said.
