Minister challenges government spin doctors to get their act together and ‘sell’ Malawi’s development

Information and Communications Technology Minister Shadric Namalomba has issued a stern challenge to government public relations officers — telling them they must do a far better job of communicating the government’s achievements to ordinary Malawians.

The Minister delivered his message on Tuesday at a co-creation workshop for government PROs in Salima, held under the theme ‘Building Effective Communication for National Development’.

Namalomba told the assembled officers they needed a firm grasp of the Government’s long-term vision, as set out in the Malawi 2063 strategy and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s manifesto — and must be ready to communicate it clearly to the public.

He pointed to the DPP administration’s early focus on tackling shortages of food, fuel, forex and fertiliser as exactly the kind of achievement PROs should be shouting about.

“Development which is not communicated is not appreciated,” the Minister warned.

He urged the officers to get a firmer handle on the mandates of their own ministries, departments and agencies — insisting they cannot properly inform the public if they don’t fully understand their own institutions’ work.

Namalomba also sounded the alarm over the growing threat of fake news and AI-generated misinformation, urging PROs to find effective ways of stamping it out.

Balaka District Council PRO Mary Makhiringa admitted the workshop had been a wake-up call, despite her years of experience in the role.

“I have served as a PRO for seven years but lacked some knowledge. I understand my roles go beyond responding to media queries,” she said.

The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Information, with backing from the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority.