Malawi Regulatory Communications Authority (Macra) has threatened to shut down three powerful private broadcasters in the country for allegedly violating their broadcasting licence agreement during the ongoing campaign ahead of fresh presidential elections, a warning which has been rebuked by citizens and commentators.

In a letter on Tuesday, Macra director general Godfrey Itaye says preliminary assessment of some political broadcasts by Mibawa Television, Times Television (TTV), Times radio, Zodiak Broadcasting Station (radio and TV) indicate breaches contrary to section 22 of the second schedule to the Communications Act, 2016.

However, Malawians have angrily reacted in social media platforms, accusing Macra of bias and shielding state broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) which recently showed obscene words against state vice president Saulos Chilima.

Macra summoned MBC management to appear before it last Wednesday, May 20 following a complaint filed by lawyers in conjunction with three civil rights society organizations -- Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), Church and Society of the CCAP Livingstonia Synod and Youth and Society (YAS) that asked to take MBC Television and Radio off-air or they would immediately file for an order in the High Court, compelling the regulator to close the public broadcaster until the professional personnel there at are flushed out and duly replaced.

In their petition to MACRA, the four complainants had said MBC "is a creature of Parliament and that its broadcasting licence is statutory, per section 108 of the Communications Act".