Freetown, 8 November 2026 — The popular Liberty TV Online Breakfast Show, hosted by Mabel Kabba and Khadija Bangura, has found itself at the centre of Sierra Leone’s latest press freedom storm after an appearance by SLPP National Publicity Secretary Moses Sellu Mambu triggered sharp condemnation from the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ).
Mabel and Kadija, the duo widely credited with turning morning radio into must-listen content during their years on Radio Democracy 98.1’s Gud Morning Salone, left the station in 2023 to launch Liberty Online TV. Based at 20 Cantonment Road, their new platform quickly established itself as a key space for political discussion. That visibility has now placed them in the middle of a growing dispute between ruling party officials and the journalism community.
On 19 October 2026, Mambu appeared as a guest on their live breakfast show. During the broadcast he made two claims that have since dominated public debate: that journalists were pursuing an agenda against the SLPP, and that AYV journalist Victor Jones and Thomas Dixon, Chairman of the Guild of Newspaper Editors, had conspired to submit a false report against him to SLAJ.
Victor Jones filed a formal complaint with SLAJ on 21 October. In a statement released on 28 October, the association said it contacted Mambu through Secretary-General Edward Fara Marrah. According to SLAJ, Mambu clarified that his “agenda against the SLPP” remark referred to media houses generally rather than Jones personally. He maintained, however, that Jones and Dixon had worked together against him.
SLAJ rejected the second allegation outright. “Its records contained no evidence of a false report submitted by Victor Jones and Thomas Dixon against Moses Sellu Mambu,” the association stated. It described Mambu’s public accusations as unsupported and dangerous, warning that such statements from a senior ruling-party official could damage professional reputations and expose journalists to hostility.
The Liberty TV incident did not occur in isolation. It followed a more serious allegation just weeks earlier. On 27 September, after a programme at AYV, Thomas Dixon claimed Mambu had threatened him, allegedly saying: “We will hit you hard! This is the same reason for which your friend Samura was killed the last time.” The reference was to journalist Ibrahim Samura, who died after an assault while covering the 2018 elections. SLAJ condemned the alleged threat on 6 October and called for an impartial police investigation. Mambu denied making any threat, saying he had only cautioned Dixon about insulting a political party.
For many Sierra Leoneans, the names Mabel and Kadija remain closely tied to independent morning journalism. Their transition from community reporting in Dwarzack to national prominence, and later to founding their own television platform, has made Liberty TV a frequent stop for political actors. That same prominence has now drawn their show into the wider tension between politicians and the press ahead of the 2028 elections.
Information Minister Chernor Bah, speaking on a recent Wi Yard episode, defended Mambu’s right to free speech while acknowledging the difficulty of drawing the line between open debate and unfounded public accusations against journalists.
SLAJ has urged political figures, including Mambu, to use formal channels such as the Independent Media Commission and the association’s Disciplinary Committee rather than airing allegations on live television. As of Friday, neither Liberty TV nor its hosts had issued a public response to the 19 October broadcast. The full video remains online and continues to circulate widely on Facebook and WhatsApp groups.
Moses Sellu Mambu remains SLPP National Publicity Secretary and continues to speak regularly in defence of the government.
