The Nation (Malawi)

Last updated

The Nation
TypeEnglish-language newspaper
Format Berliner
Owner(s)Nations Publications Limited
EditorEphraim Munthali
Founded1993;31 years ago (1993)
Headquarters Blantyre, Malawi
Website Homepage

The Nation is a newspaper based in Blantyre, Malawi, owned by Nations Publications Limited. It began distribution on 26 July 1993, and became a daily newspaper on 11 July 1994, coming out on Mondays through Fridays. Its sister newspaper Saturday Nation, now called Weekend Nation, was launched in 1995. [1]

Contents

The Nation Newspaper

The Nation began distribution in July 1993, and became a daily newspaper in 1994. It became an important voice against the one party rule and the MCP party during the transition to multi-party rule. [1]

The Weekend Nation

The Weekend Nation is a weekly newspaper based in Blantyre, Malawi owned by Nation Publications Limited (NPL). The weekly version is The Nation. It was originally called Saturday Nation, and was launched in 1995. [1]

Cochrane-Dyet 2011 cable controversy

In April 2011, the Weekend Nation published an article quoting a leaked diplomatic telegram from British High Commissioner Fergus Cochrane-Dyet in which he wrote that Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika was "becoming ever more autocratic and intolerant of criticism". [2] On 27 April 2011, Malawi's government declared Cochrane-Dyet persona non grata and expelled him from the country. The UK responded by expelling Malawi's acting high commissioner, Flossie Chidyaonga. British aid to Malawi was also cut off. [3] [4]

In October 2011, Mutharika apologized for the expulsion of Cochrane-Dyet and lifted his ban from Malawi. By November 2011, Cochrane-Dyet had not been sent back to Malawi and the British government had not decided whether or not to re-establish normal relations with Malawi. Relations between the two countries did not normalize until there was a change of leadership in Lilongwe, in April 2012. [5]

The Nation and Weekend Nation Online

The online version of the Daily and Weekend Nation began in 1998. [1]

Fuko

The Nation launched its Chewa language and Tumbuka language development paper online, which it distributes for free in rural areas. The paper partners with United Nations Population Fund, Total Land Care, Malawi Rural Finance Company and Pride Malawi. [1]

Nations Publications Limited

The Nation and Weekend Nation are publications of Nations Publication Limited (NPL), which is located in Blantyre. NPL's parent company was founded by Aleke Banda after the 1993 referendum in Malawi. It was started with eight employees. This included Ken Lipenga, who served as the editor-in-chief until 1995. Its initial assets consisted of one car, two computers and two telephones. It currently has offices in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba. [1]

Banda became the country's former agriculture minister and former vice president of the United Democratic Front (Malawi). In 2010, Mbumba Banda, Aleke Banda's daughter became the managing director after the death of her father. [6]

Notable contributors

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malawi</span> Country in Southeastern Africa

Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi and formerly known as Nyasaland, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south and southwest. Malawi spans over 118,484 km2 (45,747 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 19,431,566. Malawi's capital and largest city is Lilongwe. Its second-largest is Blantyre, its third-largest is Mzuzu and its fourth-largest is its former capital, Zomba. It was the first capital city of Malawi before being changed to Lilongwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Malawi</span> Political system of Malawi

Politics of Malawi takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Malawi is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly. There is a cabinet of Malawi that is appointed by the President of Malawi. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bakili Muluzi</span> President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004

Elson Bakili Muluzi is a Malawian politician who was President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004. He was also chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF) until 2009. He succeeded Hastings Kamuzu Banda as Malawi's president. He also served in Banda's cabinet as minister without portfolio, before retiring in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bingu wa Mutharika</span> President of Malawi from 2004 to 2012

Bingu wa Mutharika was a Malawian politician and economist who was President of Malawi from May 2004 until his death in April 2012. He was also President of the Democratic Progressive Party, which he founded in February 2005; it obtained a majority in Malawi's parliament in the 2009 general election.

Air Malawi Limited was the state-owned national airline of Malawi, based in Blantyre, which operated regional passenger services. Because of its financial situation, the airline was placed in voluntary liquidation, the Malawi Government announced in November 2012, and flights have been suspended since February 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joyce Banda</span> President of Malawi from 2012 to 2014

Joyce Hilda Banda is a Malawian politician, who served as President of Malawi, from 7 April 2012 to 31 May 2014. Banda took office as President following the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika. She is the founder and leader of the People's Party, created in 2011. An educator and grassroots women's rights activist, she was the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and the Vice-President of Malawi from May 2009 to April 2012. She has served in various roles as a member of Parliament and as Minister of Gender and Child Welfare before she became the President of the Republic of Malawi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Mutharika</span> President of Malawi from 2014 to 2020

Arthur Peter Mutharika is a Malawian politician and lawyer who was President of Malawi from May 2014 to June 2020. Mutharika has worked in the field of international justice, specialising in international economic law, international law and comparative constitutional law. He informally served as an adviser to his older brother, President Bingu wa Mutharika, on issues of foreign and domestic policy from the onset of his election campaign until the President's death on 5 April 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Lipenga</span>

Ken Diston Lipenga is a Malawian politician, journalist, and writer. He was the Member of Parliament for Phalombe East from 1997 to 2014. He has served in various ministerial positions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleke Banda</span> Malawian politician

Aleke Kadonaphani Banda was a Malawian politician who served as a Member of Parliament, as Minister of Finance, and as Minister of Agriculture in Malawi. He was also co-founder of 'the Nation Publications Limited'. Banda's life in politics (1953–2008) was devoted intensely to his country as it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964, as it established the political and economic structures of an independent state under Hastings Kamuzu Banda and as it created the framework of a multiparty democracy under Bakili Muluzi. Banda died from leukemia on 9 April 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Etta Banda</span> Malawian politician

Eta Elizabeth Banda is a former Malawian politician who was the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2009 to 2011. Prior to entering politics, she worked as a health professional and university administrator.

The 2011 Malawi protests were protests aimed at winning political and economic reforms or concessions from the government of Malawi. On 20 July, Malawian organisations protested against perceived poor economic management and poor governance by President Bingu wa Mutharika and his Democratic Progressive Party. After the first two days of protests, 18 deaths, 98 serious injuries and 275 arrests had been reported. Further demonstrations were organised on 17 August and 21 September The first protest was later cancelled due to the intervention of a UN representative in initiating a dialogue; however, the talks broke down with more protests planned for Red Wednesday through a national vigil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fergus Cochrane-Dyet</span> British diplomat

Fergus Cochrane-Dyet is a British diplomat who served as High Commissioner to Zambia from April 2016 until August 2019, being succeeded by Nicholas Woolley. In 2011, while serving as High Commissioner to Malawi, he was declared persona non grata and expelled from the country because of controversial comments he made in a leaked diplomatic cable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malawian Defence Force</span> Military force of Malawi

The Malawi Defence Force is the state military organisation responsible for defending Malawi. It originated from elements of the British King's African Rifles, colonial units formed before independence in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flossie Gomile-Chidyaonga</span>

Flossy Gomile-Chidyaonga was the Deputy High Commissioner of Malawi to Britain and Tanzania. She was involved in a diplomatic spat between Malawi and the United Kingdom in 2011 due to a leaked diplomatic cable, and was expelled. She was the Malawian High Commissioner to Tanzania.

The 2012 Malawian constitutional crisis occurred from April 5, 2012 - April 7, 2012 after senior members of the Democratic Progressive Party-led cabinet failed to notify the public of the death of the sitting president, Bingu wa Mutharika on April 5. Instead, cabinet ministers held a series of meetings in Lilongwe, Malawi without vice-president Joyce Banda with the aim of undermining the constitution and Banda's succession to Presidency. News confirming his death had, however, quickly spread across the country through word of mouth, cellphone text messages, Malawian bloggers, Twitter, Facebook, and on listservs by the end of the day on April 5, 2012. Therefore, the failure to announce his death resulted in speculation over the real health of the president and over whether the succession procedures would be followed as outlined in the constitution. According to the constitution, the vice-president takes over but there had been no official word on a successor or communication with the vice-president. Amidst growing speculation, the Cabinet announced that the president's brother, Peter Mutharika, the foreign minister, was the new President of the party on April 6. The Cabinet only announced his death two days after his death, after which Banda became Malawi's first female President.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malawi–United Kingdom relations</span> Bilateral relations

Malawi and the United Kingdom have formal diplomatic relations. They are both Commonwealth countries.

Raphael "Ralph" Tenthani was a freelance journalist from Malawi. Tenthani was a BBC correspondent and a columnist for The Sunday Times. He was a respected journalist in Malawi well known for his popular column, "The Muckraking". He was well known for providing political analysis on topical issues. He had been the subject of controversy for his candid reporting on political issues. He was very critical of the crackdown on journalism during the Bingu wa Mutharika administration. He was also a columnist for Associated Press, Pan African News Agency, and the Maravi Post.

Mabvuto Banda is an investigative journalist from Malawi. Banda is a well respected journalist in Malawi and on the continent. His writings have been subject of controversy due to a strong stance against corruption and other political exposés. He has been arrested five times due to his work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India–Malawi relations</span> Bilateral relations

India–Malawi relations refers to the international relations that exist between India and Malawi.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Lilongwe, Malawi.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Nation (Malawi) (10 August 2020). "Nation Publications Limited (NPL): About Us". Blantyre: The Nation (Malawi). Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  2. Godfrey Mapondera and David Smith (19 April 2011). "Malawi threatens to expel British high commissioner over leaked remarks". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  3. Mabvuto Banda, Adrian Croft, Mohammed Abbas (27 April 2011). "UK, Malawi expel each other's diplomats". Reuters.com . Retrieved 10 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. BBC News (27 April 2011). "UK and Malawi in tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions". London: British Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  5. Scott Baldauf (7 April 2012). "Malawi's Banda becomes Africa's third female head of state". Boston, Massachusetts, United States: Christian Science Monitor . Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  6. Chem'bwana Nkolokosa (18 October 2019). "Malawi Flagship Newspaper Nation Closed In Tax Dispute". Blantyre. Retrieved 10 August 2020.