What was supposed to be a 10-day visit to South Africa's media houses
has become a nightmare for a group of Malawian newspaper executives, writes Angelique Serrao in The Star.


The group of five were held up at gunpoint and robbed on Sunday morning just after their arrival in the country.

The editors and managers of The Nation group of newspapers, had arrived at OR Tambo International Airport and got into a pre-arranged taxi to their hotel in the east of Joburg. Just as the gates for their hotel began opening, a man slid the back door of the van open and climbed inside.

"There were four men," said The Nation's editor-in-chief, Alfred Ntonga. "One was the getaway driver in a maroon BMW that had no number plates, and the other three were the thugs who robbed us."

Alfred Mtaula was sitting next to the door when the first robber climbed inside.

"He didn't say anything, he just climbed inside, so I made way for him, thinking he wanted a lift into the hotel," said Mtaula. "But then he started searching me, and I pushed him out the door."

It was then that another man pulled a gun on him.

Click here to read the full report, posted on The Star's website (subscribers only).