MISA Malawi Demands Action Against Silver Strikers FC Coach for Derogatorily Labelling Some Journalists' Questions as "Stupid"
Head Coach Hedrikus Pieter De Jong verbally launched an offensive tirade against journalists during a post-match interview, derogatorily labelling some of the questions posed to him as "stupid."
LILONGWE, Malawi — MISA Malawi has called for immediate disciplinary action and legal prosecution against the coach of Silver Strikers Football Club and the club's supporters, following a disgraceful incident of verbal and physical assault against journalists on Friday, August 25, 2023, writes Winston Mwale.
This incident transpired after the Super League of Malawi (SULOM) match between Silver Strikers and Extreme FC at the Bingu National Stadium (BNS).
Head Coach Hedrikus Pieter De Jong verbally launched an offensive tirade against journalists during a post-match interview, derogatorily labelling some of the questions posed to him as "stupid."
In a separate incident, supporters of Silver Strikers physically assaulted Kasupe Radio reporter, Smart Chalika, who was documenting a confrontation between fans of the two teams.
Swift police intervention was necessary to rescue Chalika from the clutches of Silver Strikers' supporters.
MISA Malawi vehemently condemns the reprehensible actions of De Jong and the club's supporters in assaulting journalists.
Football and the Super League hold a prominent place in the public eye and are regarded as public endeavours.
It is essential to emphasize that Silver Strikers Football Club receives public funding, and the BNS is a public stadium. Journalists have an unequivocal right to access information in the public interest.
This lamentable incident involving Coach De Jong is not an isolated occurrence, as he has previously displayed a lack of tolerance for critical questions regarding his team's performance.
MISA Malawi calls upon the authorities at Silver Strikers, SULOM, and the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to take immediate disciplinary measures against Coach De Jong and the Silver Strikers supporters involved in the assaults.
“Furthermore, we urge the Malawi Police Service to launch an investigation and pursue legal action against the individuals who attacked Chalika at the BNS,” reads part of a Misa Malawi statement.
“Assault is a criminal offence, and assaulting a journalist is a particularly grave matter. Such an attack not only instils fear in the individual journalist but also undermines the journalistic profession as a whole, ultimately limiting the public's right to information.”
MISA Malawi emphasises the critical importance of respecting and upholding media freedom within the realm of sports. Journalism is not a crime.
"We encourage individuals who may have concerns or issues with journalists to approach us directly or contact the relevant media organisations instead of resorting to any form of aggression against journalists," stated Golden Matonga, Chairperson of MISA Malawi.