PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Malawi Institute honours journalists, slain girl
Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - The Free Expression Institute (FEI), a Malawian non-profit making organisation which seeks to promote freedom of expression, has paid tribute to a deceased prolific writer and journalist, Hardy Nyirenda, former state-run Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) producer, the late Aretha Kamwendo, and murdered school girl, Epiphania Bonjesi, by presenting various awards in their honour.
FEI presented the awards on Tuesday to winners in poetry writing competitions, top bloggers and promoters of freedom of expression during events marking 20 July, 2011, when police killed 20 unarmed protestors.
Winners in poetry writing competitions were presented with the Epiphania Bonjesi Award in honour of Bonjesi who was killed by a stray bullet shot by police while trying to quell protests staged by opposition supporters who were protesting against election results in 2004 which saw the then ruling party candidate, the late Bingu wa Mutharika, declared winner ahead of opposition leaders John Tembo and Gwanda Chakuamba.
Top bloggers were presented with the Aretha Kamwendo Award to honour the former MBC producer.
In a statement, the FEI said Kamwendo was honoured for being inspirational to young girls for her pioneering role as Malawi’s first ever station manager of a community radio station and Malawi first ever Vice Chair for the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) – Malawi.
The Hardy Nyirenda Award was presented to individuals who have been outstanding in promoting free speech. According to FEI, Hardy Nyirenda was a young Chancellor College student when he was expelled from college alongside three others for writing, but showed tremendous courage by continuing to write and proving to be a fine writer for the BBC, the Malawi Democrat and the Sunday Times.
The institute thanked the Nyirenda, Kamwendo and Bonjesi families for allowing the organisation honour their relations in the 20 July event.
“There were several people we wanted to name awards after, some of them we failed to trace their families, others were not so keen. We therefore do not take for granted the support we received from the three families,” the FEI statement said.
One organisation, the Centre for Social Concern and 10 individuals, female photographer Thoko Chikondi, Traditional Authority Bvumbwe, musician Lucius Banda, academic activist Jessie Kabwila, broadcasters Gospel Kazako and Al Osman, health rights activist Martha Kwataine, women’s rights activist Seodi White, actor Micahel Usi and parliamentarian George Mnesa received the Hardy Nyirenda Award.
Recipients of the Aretha Kamwendo top bloggers award were Edmond Kanjedza, Levi Zeleza Manda, Chalo Mvula, Gregory Gondwe, Jimmy Kainja, Kondwani Munthali, Pearson Nkhoma, Bright Mhango, Vince Kumwenda, and Victor Kaonga.
Lumbani Munthali, aged 11, from Bolero, Rumphi, Janet Phuyo, 18, from Lilongwe and Evance Nkhambule, 36, also from Lilongwe were recipients of the Epiphania Bonjesi Award for winning the Junior, teenagers and visually impaired categories respectively of Poetry wring competitions.
Malawians held unprecedented anti-government demonstration on 20 July 2011, protesting the worsening political and economic situation under the late President Bingu wa Mutharika who died of cardiac arrest on April 5, 2012.
-0- PANA RT/VAO 23July2013
FEI presented the awards on Tuesday to winners in poetry writing competitions, top bloggers and promoters of freedom of expression during events marking 20 July, 2011, when police killed 20 unarmed protestors.
Winners in poetry writing competitions were presented with the Epiphania Bonjesi Award in honour of Bonjesi who was killed by a stray bullet shot by police while trying to quell protests staged by opposition supporters who were protesting against election results in 2004 which saw the then ruling party candidate, the late Bingu wa Mutharika, declared winner ahead of opposition leaders John Tembo and Gwanda Chakuamba.
Top bloggers were presented with the Aretha Kamwendo Award to honour the former MBC producer.
In a statement, the FEI said Kamwendo was honoured for being inspirational to young girls for her pioneering role as Malawi’s first ever station manager of a community radio station and Malawi first ever Vice Chair for the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) – Malawi.
The Hardy Nyirenda Award was presented to individuals who have been outstanding in promoting free speech. According to FEI, Hardy Nyirenda was a young Chancellor College student when he was expelled from college alongside three others for writing, but showed tremendous courage by continuing to write and proving to be a fine writer for the BBC, the Malawi Democrat and the Sunday Times.
The institute thanked the Nyirenda, Kamwendo and Bonjesi families for allowing the organisation honour their relations in the 20 July event.
“There were several people we wanted to name awards after, some of them we failed to trace their families, others were not so keen. We therefore do not take for granted the support we received from the three families,” the FEI statement said.
One organisation, the Centre for Social Concern and 10 individuals, female photographer Thoko Chikondi, Traditional Authority Bvumbwe, musician Lucius Banda, academic activist Jessie Kabwila, broadcasters Gospel Kazako and Al Osman, health rights activist Martha Kwataine, women’s rights activist Seodi White, actor Micahel Usi and parliamentarian George Mnesa received the Hardy Nyirenda Award.
Recipients of the Aretha Kamwendo top bloggers award were Edmond Kanjedza, Levi Zeleza Manda, Chalo Mvula, Gregory Gondwe, Jimmy Kainja, Kondwani Munthali, Pearson Nkhoma, Bright Mhango, Vince Kumwenda, and Victor Kaonga.
Lumbani Munthali, aged 11, from Bolero, Rumphi, Janet Phuyo, 18, from Lilongwe and Evance Nkhambule, 36, also from Lilongwe were recipients of the Epiphania Bonjesi Award for winning the Junior, teenagers and visually impaired categories respectively of Poetry wring competitions.
Malawians held unprecedented anti-government demonstration on 20 July 2011, protesting the worsening political and economic situation under the late President Bingu wa Mutharika who died of cardiac arrest on April 5, 2012.
-0- PANA RT/VAO 23July2013
