Malawi media giant Times to change format on Cabinet assessment after an uproar

Malawi media giant Times Group is moving swiftly to change its format on cabinet assessment following an uproar over its newspaper assessment which was published in Sunday Times.

Writing in a WhatsApp group, Times Group managing director Leonard Chikadya said next time the media house would engage experts and civil society groups to help in making the Cabinet assessment.

“As this exercise attract public interest including those being assessed, I have given guidance to the Editor-in-Chief  [George Kasakula] to establish a multidisciplinary Think Tank including civil society such as The Law Society, ICAM etc to assist,” says Chikadya.

Malawians took up in various social media platforms to express dissatisfaction over the cabinet assessment which awarded president Lazarus Chakwera 70 percent, vice president Saulos Chilima 60 percent, Sidik Mia and his wife, Abida 60 percent each.

But Chikadya said cabinet has collective responsibility and the individual scores may not matter much.

He said one has to look at the collective score which is 50 percent which was qualified as being over generous.