High Court Orders MBC to Provide Defamatory Recordings of Jefu wa Jefu to Calista

The high court in Blantyre has ordered the state owned Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to hand over content connecting to the broadcast of recordings in which Grelzedar Jeffrey Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary General claimed former first lady Calista Mutharika Killed her husband former president Bingu Wa Mutharika.

Jeffrey, on June 2, 2018 during a DPP political rally in Thyolo claimed that Calista was responsible for Bingu’s death.

Jeffrey’s remarks prompted the former first lady to file a lawsuit demanding damages amounting K500 million Jeffrey and MBC.

Following an application by Calista’s lawyer, Ambokire Salimu, Justice Mike Tembo issued the order.

Salimu made the application when the case had resumed for scheduling conference under order of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules to map out the times frames within which certain tasks would have to be done before a trial date.

Salimu’s prayer to the High Court was that MBC and MACRA produce both TV and radio content for the day in issue and the court has since ordered the two institution to do so within 7 days effective Tuesday July 16.

Lawyers representing Jeffrey and MBC were not available to comment on the matter.