Wa Ganyu
Are you a sports journalist and you won the 2024 National Bank of Malawi (NBM) Mo626 College Basketball Media Awards? If yes, then be prepared to have your accolade revoked because one of the awardees feels he deserved more than two honours.
Times Media Group’s Chichewa editor Ronald Mpaso has sought the Competition and Fair Trading Commission’s (CFTC) intervention, claiming other winners bribed the judges.
CTF Public Relations Officer (PRO) Innocent Helema confirmed the development to Wa Ganyu, saying Mpaso submitted his complaint on 25th February, 2025.
“He alleged that he was not satisfied with how the Mo626 award winners were selected. He feels that there was no fairness,” said Helema.
During the award ceremony last month at Sunbird Ku Chawe in Zomba, NBM Plc awarded winners in print, television (TV), radio and online categories, splashing them with K500 000 each. Runners up got K350 000 each.
Mpaso defended the print category award but finished runner-up in Radio while Nation Publication Limited’s Solomon Manda was the second best in print.
The best radio journalist accolade went to Bright Kanyama of Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) while Amin Mussa of Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) won in the TV section with Times Group’s Mabvuto Kambuwe coming second.
Richard Tiyesi of Timveni and Atlas’ Eric Chiputula were online winner and runner-up, respectively.
Helema has since told Wa Ganyu that the commission earlier referred the matter to the Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Board because his office believes they can handle the matter.
“We did not delve into that because corruption issues are not under our mandate,” he said. “As I said, we referred the matter to the Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Board. However, Mr. Mpaso has since withdrawn his complaint.”
Wa Ganyu can confirm kuti koma awawa inu apwetekana!
