Journalists who cover the environment in Malawi face numerous challenges, with corruption and contradicting government policies carrying the day. This is according to the leaders of the Association of Environmental Journalists (AEJ) in Malawi.

During an online interview on 3 May 2024, Mathews Malata, the president of the AEJ and an environment advocate, noted that contradicting policies, corrupt government officials who prioritize personal gains over environmental protection and threats to the lives of environment journalists are some of the challenges that environmental reporters in Malawi face.
“The Ministry of Water advises against irrigation near rivers to protect the buffer zone, while the Ministry of Agriculture promotes irrigation and provides solar water pumps for farmers to use on river beds, which is inconsistent with the Ministry of Water’s policy,” Malata observed.

In the forestry sector, he cited the example of Vipya plantation, the largest man-made forest in Northern Malawi, as a prime example of contradictions. “On paper, concessions are given for up to 15 hectares, but in reality, individuals control 20 hectares, benefiting politicians and connected individuals,” he noted.

Furthermore, according to him, environmental and social impact assessments are compromised, and corruption is rampant, with no safeguards to monitor reports or implementation.
“We are supposed to be doing these environmental and social impact assessments to improve our governance and compliance but you realize that most of the reports that are generated which could be for road construction, an irrigation project, fishery or anything else, are compromised and there is a lot of corruption happening in Malawi,” he said.

Malata also recalled the 2022 controversy over the government’s plan to cut 500 mahogany trees to pave way for a six-lane road project in Lilongwe, despite environmental concerns. “Officers from the city council acknowledged the problem, but environmental journalists received threats from political masters in statehouse,” said Malata, adding that “some contractors were fined, but the project continued, highlighting political pressure and corruption.” He also noted that the mechanism they had put in place to return the trees and stop their importation to China failed and it was difficult to trace the huge trees that were valued at approximately 1.234billion Malawian kwacha.

Meanwhile, according to the Deputy General Secretary of the AEJ and a journalist at Nation Publications Limited, James Chavula, government officials who promised to end corruption are instead engaging in increased levels of corruption, affecting environmental reporting. “These officials with their powers and money pollute the environment, disregarding shared resources meant to benefit the public,” he said.
According to Chavula, the politicians favor illegal mining activities while disregarding environmental and social impact, yet they are supposed to regulate and monitor these illegal activities.
He was also disappointed that journalists face threats from plastic manufacturers, “who seem to have support from government systems and courts, leading to indefinite postponement of laws, including the 2015 ban on the manufacturing and use of thin plastics,”.