Malawian Journalists who on Wednesday night covered the state banquet organised for visiting Tanzanian President Samil Suluhu had an experience to forget as they were denied entry into the banqueting hall.
This Publication has information that while journalists that have accompanied the visiting Tanzanian President were allocated a table inside the Banqueting Hall, Malawian journalists from the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Malawi News Agency, Times Media Group, Nation Publications Limited ,Zodiak Broadcasting Station and Channel for All Nations were all denied entry.
“We were told that there was no space for us inside the banqueting hall and that we will have to seat outside. Worse still there was no designated place for us to seat to an extent that we had to start fetching for chairs by ourselves,” one Journalist who attended the event has told us.
The narrative has also been collaborated by another journalist who has told us that they neither even given a bottle of water nor a soft drink to complement their meal.
“It was embarrassing .Imagine being denied just mere soup for our relish. The food was also sub-standard not befitting a state banquet. I felt bad”, said the journalist.
The Atlas Malawi understands that the journalists proceeded to confront one state house Press Officer (name withheld) who promised to work on their grievances but the journalists had to brave the cold weather to cover the Presidential banquet as no action was taken until the end of the function.
There has been no immediate comment from statehouse over the incident.
Ironically this is happening when on May 3 this year during a breakfast meeting as part of celebrations of the World Press Freedom Day, President Lazarus Chakwera made an assurance that his government will work towards providing a conducive working environment for journalists in the country.
The Tanzanian President is in the country as part of this year’s Independence Day Celebrations.
She is expected to grace the climax of the 59th Independence Day Celebrations at the Bingu National Stadium on Thursday.
