Creatives have often found themselves walking a thin line between expressing themselves freely and abiding by censorship laws.
During the one-party system before 1993, some songs were banned and some drama productions were not approved to be staged or had some parts removed for allegedly containing elements ‘too sensitive’ for public consumption.
During the 1990s, Wakhumbata Ensemble Theatre’s production Papa’s Empire was banned.
In the post-multiparty era We Wanna Do’s play The Anointed also faced heavy political resistance and in 2022, WAZ Arts Theatre was forced to edit out some parts of its popular production Bwabwalala.
Departed actor Thlupego Chisiza was once arrested when he was about to stage his play Semo at Nanzikambe. As the aforementioned cases attest, creatives have at times found it tough to balance between expressing themselves freely and upholding censorship rules.
The Copyright Society of Malawi (Cosoma) is championing a three-year project dubbed Empowering Cultural Practitioners in Malawi for Enhanced Freedom of Expression, an initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of artists and cultural practitioners to freely express themselves, advocate for their rights and actively participate in democratic processes.
According to Cosoma, the project focuses on addressing legal, institutional and capacity-related barriers that limit artistic freedom in Malawi, while promoting a more inclusive and vibrant cultural sector.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, project manager Shadrick Kumtengo said the initiative is encouraging artists to exercise their freedom responsibly by understanding existing legal frameworks such as censorship laws, defamation laws and regulations on public communication.
He said the project emphasises capacity building to help artists navigate these legal boundaries ensuring that while they express themselves freely, they remain aware of legal limitations and avoid content that may violate existing laws.
“Freedom of expression for artists refers to their ability to create, perform and share ideas, opinions and creative works without undue restriction, censorship or fear of legal repercussions.
“It includes the right to participate in public discourse, challenge societal issues and contribute to democratic processes through artistic means,” he said.
Kumtengo said censorship laws in Malawi are considered significantly limiting although the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression cited laws such as the Censorship and Control of Entertainments Act, Penal Code provisions and the Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act as some of the restrictive laws.
However, seasoned actor-cum-playwright Jeremiah Mwaungulu said it is wrong for creative freedom to be limited by censorship and has asked Cosoma to come out clear on self-regulations and its rating system.
“As artists, we know our audience and understand who will watch our creations. That is why we tailor our content accordingly. We also deploy reviewers who check our work. We hope Cosoma is being sincere enough with their project by not appearing like they are giving us a free space to hook us in the end,” he said.
