National News

madonna goons detain reporters

Pop music star Madonna’s security detail yesterday detained three Nation Publications Limited (NPL) journalists assigned to cover her visit to the children’s facility which she sponsors at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre.

The three—entertainment reporter Brian Itai, current news reporter Jonathan Pasungwi and intern Wisdom Chirombo were held for about two hours.

Media Institute of Southern Africa-Malawi Chapter (Misa-Malawi) has since condemned the act, describing distraction of the media from obtaining information as retrogressive 

“Madonna’s work in Malawi is of public interest and it is for the same reason that the journalists went to cover her visit at a public place. We, therefore, find it unfortunate that some foreign security personnel would detain reporters and force them to delete pictures they had taken outside the facility. This shouldn’t happen in a progressive society,” said Misa-Malawi chairperson Teresa Ndanga in reaction to the development.

Madonna (facing camera) interacts with some of the facility’s officials yesterday

Madonna, 62, who was accompanied by her four adopted Malawian children Mercy, David and twins Esther and Stella, was visiting Mercy James Centre of Paediatric Surgery and Intensive Care Unit, which she constructed under her Raising Malawi initiative.

When Nation on Sunday received a tip of her visit to the facility, it was granted permission by one of the centre’s administration officers [name withheld], to cover the visit on condition that pictures will be taken outside as Madonna arrives, as it was a private visit.

At exactly 1.10pm, a Premier Enterprise 28-seater blue and white coaster, registration BW 5600, which carried Madonna, her adopted children and 15 other passengers, was seen arriving at the centre.

Just as we were getting set to take pictures, the scene turned ugly as Madonna’s security detail pounced on us.

One of the security personnel, reportedly an Israeli, claimed the visit was private and there was no need for us to take pictures.

After noticing that Chirombo was still trying to steal shots at Madonna, a tall security officer clad in a grey pair of trousers and a black T-shirt and sporting dark glasses, jumped over a 2.5-metre fence and confiscated his camera—forcing him to delete all the pictures taken.

They said they were waiting for police, whom they had called, to check if our phones and the camera had pictures.

The officer threatened that they would deny NPL business—and not allow its journalists to cover anything to do with Madonna—if we went ahead to publish anything about her visit to QECH.

It was after lengthy reasoning with them that they set us free and ordered us off the premises.

When contacted, QECH director Samson Mndolo admitted that the hospital management was aware of Madonna’s visit, saying “she is visiting like any other person”.

But he declined to give details of the visit.

“You can ask her people about that [private meeting]. As QECH we are not privileged to know everything about her visit to Malawi. In fact, it is not necessary for you,” said Mndolo.

The 56-bed Mercy James children’s facility was opened on July 11 2017 by Madonna herself, and former president Peter Mutharika graced the occasion.

Speaking off record, one of the Material Girl media team, said they could not disclose the purpose of the visit, but would do so at ‘an appropriate time’.

During her recent visit to Malawi, Madonna has met President Lazarus Chakwera, who shared on social media, on Friday, a picture he had taken with her at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe. 

Madonna, nicknamed Madge, has two biological children—Lourdes Leon and Rocco Ritchie.

Related Articles

Back to top button