Ligomeka resigned from the position of MISA Malawi chairperson effective 10 December 2010 and the council's deputy chair, Anthony Kasunda, has since taken over leadership of the organisation until elections are conducted in August 2011. Ligomeka said he has resigned to concentrate on his postgraduate studies.
Accepting the resignation, Kasunda said Ligomeka's leadership sustained the body at the time the organisation almost collapsed due to the financial hardship.
"Ligomeka ably steered MISA Malawi to its present form despite the [worst] economic meltdown MISA has ever experienced since its inception 15 years ago," he said. With his exit, Kasunda said the organisation has decided to reposition itself to once again stamp out authority as a regional media watchdog.
The media body has already set its sights on the 2011 World Press Freedom Day celebrations (WPFD). The NGC has resolved to hold 2011 main WPFD celebrations in Mzuzu and regional debates and freedom marches among other activities in Blantyre and Lilongwe. The body has also announced plans to hold its annual general meeting in August 2011, where new office bearers will take up the leadership of MISA across the region followed by the regional AGM.
Kasunda said since 2002, MISA has been operating based on a five-year strategic plan commonly called Strategic Partnership Programme (SPP). He said from 2002-2005 MISA implemented SPP I with funding from the Nordic countries.
"From 2005-2010 MISA implemented SPP II. In other words, 2005-2010 saw MISA implementing the same programmes espoused in SPP I," he said.
SPP I and II focused on five key programme areas which are implemented by all chapters and these are Freedom of Expression and Right to Information Campaign; Media Freedom Monitoring; The Campaign for Broadcasting Diversity; Media Support Activities and Legal Support.
"However, due to shifts in donor policy and priority areas, the institute has deemed it fit to narrow down and re-focus its programmes and strategy," he said.
To this effect, Kasunda said from January 2011, the institute will be implementing SPP III with focus on two key programmatic areas, Media Monitoring and Research as well as Policy and Advocacy Campaigns while most of the activities from 2011 will be people-driven and research based.
