Muslims return MBC camera

Muslims in Malawi’s southern district of Mangochi on Saturday night returned a camera they confiscated from state broadcaster (MBC) television crew after several hours of negotiations.

Minister of Information and Civic Education Moses Kunkuyu and secretary at Mangochi Main Mosque Cassim Kasinde confirmed the camera was returned to MBC through Mangochi Police Station.

Kasinde said Kunkuyu apologised on behalf of President Joyce Banda.

“We returned the camera to MBC through the Mangochi Police Station. Kunkuyu was humble. He apologised on behalf of the State President. But it was returned with strings of conditions,” said Kasinde.

Among others, the Muslims have asked MBC to apologise for the action that led to the seizure of the camera on Saturday, August 24. The Muslims have, however, refused to release the recording that led to the seizure of the camera.

Kunkuyu in a statement applauded the Muslims of Mangochi for surrendering the camera back to MBC, saying it was in a truly patriotic spirit and in line with the tenets of Islamic teaching of peace.

He assured Malawians of government’s undivided commitment in the respect and promotion of various freedoms and rights as enshrined in the Constitution.

Attempts to get the camera ended up in confrontations between the Muslims and Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola and Ralph Jooma Minister of Economic Planning and Development.

A Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) Mangochi-based reporter Raphael Mlozoa was allegedly roughed up by Jooma’s bodyguards as they frogmarched him to police.