Malawi: Professor heads draft Communication Policy team

Other members in the task force include representatives from the Malawi chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Malawi), Media Council of Malawi, as well as chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Media and Communications.

A representative each from the office of the president and cabinet, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Information, the Malawi National Commission for UNESCO, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA), the University of Malawi and the Ministry of Home Affairs will partake.

Consultations since 2003

Government says it hopes the redefined Communication Policy will be instrumental in finalising the Access to Information Bill for which consultations started way back in 2003.

Minister of information and civic education Symon Vuwa Kaunda said after the task force completes refining the Communication Policy it will be sent to cabinet which will look into it before final approval.

"This is a step forward for the Access to Information Bill. After the policy is refined and approved then we will finalise the process of bringing the bill to parliament. It is not like we are just sitting. We are currently moving on the bill," he said.

MISA hopes for sustained commitment

The MISA regional secretariat released a statement from its headquarters in Windhoek Namibia hailing the Malawi government for developing the Communication Policy saying the Access to Information Act will guarantee people access to public information.

"MISA hopes that this renewed commitment will be sustained and lead to the adoption of an access to information law which has stalled since 2003," observed Sampa Kangwa-Wilkie, MISA programme specialist responsible for Freedom of Expression and Media Law Policy in the statement.

Since the task force has already begun meeting, analysts are suggesting that this could be the result of pressure from the United Nations and the African Union to which Malawi is a member state which assert access to information as an important guard against abuse, mismanagement and corruption.