Malawi Media Group Urges Local Councils to Improve Information Access
The 2024 theme for the UN-proclaimed awareness day is "Mainstreaming Access to Information and Participation in the Public Sector."
LILONGWE, Malawi— A leading media rights group in Malawi is calling on local governments to increase transparency and provide better access to public information, writes Winston Mwale.
The Malawi chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) issued a statement Saturday urging city, town, municipal, and district councils to embrace "a culture of proactive disclosure" as the world marks the International Day for Universal Access to Information.
MISA Malawi Chair Golden Matonga said many local councils have yet to implement the country's 2017 Access to Information Act, leaving citizens uninformed about development initiatives in their areas.
"It is unfortunate to note that a culture of secrecy persists in public institutions and local councils remain closed to the public," Matonga said.
The organization highlighted that billions of Malawian kwacha from the national budget and international development partners are channelled through local councils.
However, MISA Malawi claims most of these bodies have not appointed information officers or established proactive means of sharing information, such as websites or social media platforms.
"Citizens cannot participate in decision-making and development processes without access to credible and relevant information," the statement read.
MISA Malawi called on the national government to take decisive action in ensuring public institutions adhere to information access principles, emphasizing that the information held by these bodies "belongs to Malawians."
The 2024 theme for the UN-proclaimed awareness day is "Mainstreaming Access to Information and Participation in the Public Sector."