THE Team

The CIJM is run by the Secretariat, which acts as the implementing agent, with advisory support from the Board of Trustees and the National Governing Council.Nine senior journalists drawn from the three regions of the country make up the National Governing Council, and three of them are founding members of the CIJM.

Collins Mtika

CIJM Executive Director and Chief Investigative Journalist

Chief Investigative Journalist

Collins is a Malawian Investigative Journalist and founder of the Centre for Investigative Journalism in Malawi ( CIJM ).

Collins was born in Malawi but bred in Zimbabwe where his parents worked in the mines there. He did his primary and secondary school level in Zimbabwe before he trekked back with his parents to Malawi after some of the mines where closed in the late 1990s.

He has worked for the country’s biggest newspaper publication, Blantyre Newspapers Limited that publishes, The Daily Times, Sunday Times, Malawi News and The weekend Times where he was is Bureau Chief for the Northern region.

He also worked for the tri-weekly publication The Guardian as a Chief Reporter. He also corresponded for IPS (AFRICA) and Collins is a Malawian Investigative Journalist and founder of the Centre for Investigative Journalism in Malawi (CIJM).

He heads the Investigations desk for Malawi’s www.nyasatimes.com

He is currently studying for a BA in Communication Science with the University of South Africa (UNISA) by distant learning. Collins started journalism in 2002. Collins also has a certificate in Journalism from Pen Point School of Journalism, a certificate in mental health, a Diploma in Journalism from Agrrey Memorial and an advanced diploma in Journalism (ABMA).

Patricia Mtungila

Investigative Journalist

Patricia  Mtungila is an experienced journalist and social media marketer, development communications expert with over five years experience in Government of Malawi and the NGO sector. She specializes in reporting on governance, elections, ICT4D, women and children’s rights and population and agriculture.  She has a Masters Degree in Organizational Psychology  from Unicaf University, a Bachelors Degree in Journalism from University of Malawi the Polytechnic and a Certificate in Professional Marketing with CIM UK. Patricia is also a girls rights activist and has been recently been selected among few creative hubs in Malawi to participate in the Connect Hubs Programme by British Council and partners.
She is a talented radio presenter with over three years experience  at Trans World Radio in Malawi.

Wanangwa Tembo

Investigative Journalist/Member of the National Governing Council

Wanangwa Tembo is a media trainer, governance reporter and communication lecturer. He has 10 years experience as a newspaper reporter and magazine editor. While he can report on a wide range of sectors, Tembo has a lot of interest in governance reporting. This includes such elements as democracy, corruption, elections, human rights and community participation and empowerment.

Armed with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Malawi – The Polytechnic, he has worked for various institutions as follows: reported for Blantyre Newspapers Limited (now Times Group); has been editor at NorthernLife magazine; taught News Writing, Media Law and Ethics at Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ); taught Communication at Mzuzu University; taught English in various secondary schools; has been a media attaché at National Initiative for Civic Education.

Zizwani Nyirenda

CIJM Accountant

Zizwani has experience in Market Research and Accounting. He worked with Research Information Masters as a Supervisor. With the former Southern Bottlers Limted  he worked as a Debt Collector responsible for the northern region and he also worked with Sunbird Hotels in Mzuzu as its Credit Controller. He posses Diploma in ICAM/PAEC.

Joseph Mwale

Member of the National Governing Council/Investigative Journalist

Joseph Mwale is a local and international award winning, innovative
and competent Print, Broadcast and Online media editor and researcher
with nine years of experience in managing writing staff, overseeing
the layout and content of articles. A holder of the Bachelor of Arts
Degree in Journalism, Mwale boasts of so many awards that include
Business and Economics Journalist of the Year Award (2019); Lilongwe
Water Board Water and Sanitation Journalist of the Year (2019);
Education Journalist of the Year Award (2018); Tourism Journalist of
the Year Award (2018); Infrastructure Management Journalist of the
Year Award (2018);      Good Governance and Democracy Journalist of the
Year Award (2016 and 2017); Safety and Security Journalist of the Year
Award (2017); SADC Print Media Story Award by Gender Links (2016); and
Malawi Print Media Story Award (2015 and 2019) by Gender Links.
Currently working as Bureau Supervisor for Nation Publications Limited
in Mzuzu, Mwale has also worked as Sub-Editor Online for the same
institution, Sub-Editor for MIJ and Capital FM, Information Officer
for the Government of Malawi and Head of News for Matindi FM (Now
Times Radio).

Lameck Masina

Member of the National Governing Council

Investigative Journalist

Lameck is an accredited stringer for Voice of America and has filed for other international and regional media organizations

Juliet Chirwa

Investigative Journalist/Member of the National Governing council

Juliet Mlowoka Chirwa holds a Diploma in Journalism from Malawi Institute of Journalism and a Diploma in Information Processing (City and Guilds) from University of Malawi, Chancellor College.
She has been working in the media field since 2011 as a volunteer radio broadcaster for radio ABC (Mzuzu studios), as a reporter for MIJ FM (December 2012-june 2013) and also as a Reporter, Presenter and Producer at Voice of Livingstonia Radio (October 2015 to May 2018).
Juliet has also worked as a Stringer for Malawi Electoral Commission- MEC in the 2014 and 2019 Tripartite Elections respectively.
Aside of Journalism, Juliet has worked as a Research Assistant for Centre for Social Research-CSR ( Chancellor College in Zomba), Coalition of Women Living with HIV and AIDS ( COWLHA), Impact Research Solutions and many other research companies and organisations, conducting surveys ranging from, Agriculture, Customer Satisfaction, Financial Literacy, HIV/AIDS impact assessment and other Health related issues, Education, Politics and also Human Rights.
Conversant with reporting for Print, Online and Electronic media, Juliet has also received training in Environmental, Youth Leadership and Skills building ,Women Empowerment, Sexual and Reproductive Health-SRH that she has also helped in formulation of some youth Organisations undertaking such topics.