By Innocent Chamtulo

Mulanje, January 28, Mana: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi on Monday engaged Mulanje District stakeholders on disinformation during an election period.

MISA Malawi Chairperson Golden Matonga said as Misa Malawi they have conducted similar sessions with other districts in order to furnish them on how they can deal with disinformation-related cases as the country heads towards September 2025 polls.

“Peaceful transfer of power during an election is very important for the development of the country. Therefore people from the grassroots level must be fed with the right information for them to make the right decisions and prevent indulging in activities that might fuel violence during elections,” he said.

He said Misa Malawi is implementing the 'I verify' initiative, which will enable members of the public to inquire about election issues that they have heard about through internet sites, and Whatsapp forums that will be handled by MISA.

“Misa has assembled a team of experts that will be able to verify the information and give feedback as well as disseminating to other people,” he said.

Mulanje District Commissioner David Gondwe hailed the initiative saying that it has come at the right time, as the project will help to clarify allegations that surround general elections in September 2025.

“Disinformation often stimulates negative emotions, such as fear, anger, and distrust, to manipulate individuals into believing false or misleading information. Therefore, it is important that district members engage grassroots people to avoid such emotions among people,” he said.