malawi: reporter shot
On 27 January 2003, Penelope Paliani-Kamanga, deputy chief reporter for the "Daily Times", Malawi's oldest daily, was shot in the knee by a rubber bullet. The shot was fired by Blantyre anti-riot police, who fired shots to disperse demonstrators. Members of civil society were demonstrating against the tabling of a bill in Parliament aimed at allowing President Bakili Muluzi to serve a third term in office.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - MALAWI
27 January 2003
Reporter shot
SOURCE: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek
(MISA/IFEX) - On 27 January 2003, Penelope Paliani-Kamanga, deputy chief
reporter for the "Daily Times", Malawi's oldest daily, was shot in the knee
by a rubber bullet. The shot was fired by Blantyre anti-riot police, who
fired shots to disperse demonstrators.
Members of civil society were demonstrating against the tabling of a bill in
Parliament aimed at allowing President Bakili Muluzi to serve a third term
in office. Parliament sat on 27 January for a two-day extraordinary session
to change the constitutional limitations of presidential terms in office.
Kamanga told the National Media Institute of Southern Africa (Namisa),
MISA's Malawi chapter, that she and several other journalists were covering
the demonstrations when police fired shots at her. "The police fired at us,
and as I tried to run away a rubber bullet hit a wall, ricocheted, and hit
me on the knee. I lay in agony and could not move for some minutes," Kamanga
said.
She told Namisa that journalists rushed her to a nearby office, where she
was given first aid treatment before being rushed to her newspaper's clinic.
She confirmed that she is now able to walk, although her leg is bruised and
badly swollen.
BACKGROUND:
On 4 July 2002, Parliament rejected an Open-Term Bill that aimed to delimit
presidential terms of office. At the time, President Muluzi accepted
Parliament's decision in a televised national address and promised to abide
by the decision.
With only one year to go until the next general elections, the ruling United
Democratic Front says it has no replacement for Muluzi. The party is trying
to push for the constitutional amendment before it holds its first
convention since it ascended to power in 1994.
For further information, contact Zoe Titus or Kaitira Kandjii, Regional
Information Coordinator, MISA, Street Address: 21 Johann Albrecht Street,
Mailing Address; Private Bag 13386 Windhoek, Namibia, tel: +264 61 232975,
fax: +264 61 248016, e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected],
Internet: http://www.misa.org/
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of MISA.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit MISA.
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