Mutharika asks reporters to avoid Malawi ‘impoverished’ clichés
Malawi President Peter Mutharika has echoed what Minister of Information, Tourism and Culture Kondwani Nankhumwa said that journalists should put an end to the “glorification” of poverty in the media.
Mutharika speaking a group of Malawian journalists in Sharma el Sheikh, Egypt on Thursday after signing the tripartite free trade area pact which enables free movement of goods and services between 26 different African countries said journalist should avoid writing “negative stories.”
The President said his administration has put in place a number of economic policies and strategies aimed at changing the country’s economic fortunes.
He said the media should avoid clichés that Malawi is aid infested country to attract.
“Who want to come to that country,” said Mutharika.
He cited one report in the international media titled “Lake Malawi infested with bilharzias” saying it was unpatriotic for a Malawian journalist to file that article.
Mutharika also faulted some online media for claiming Ebola had hit Malawi.
“Someone takes glory to say there is Ebola in Malawi, for whatever reason I don’t know,” said Mutharika.
“We must not demonise Malawi overseas,” the Malawi leader appealed to journalists, mostly from state media.
“We need to be very, very careful the way we present Malawi,” he added.
“When you write those articles, don’t try to please foreign employers by demonising Malawi. Don’t put adjectives that ‘Malawi a poor southern African nation’. Don’t write those things,” the Head of State appealed.
President Mutharika also said bad information about Malawi scares investors, saying negativity stories about Malawi being an Aids infested, poor Southern African country are not good for the country.
He further said investors are interested in rule of law of country and he was excited that Malawi has never persecuted any one and there were no political prisoners in the country’s overpopulated jails.
Mutharika said since his government came into power May , 2014 it has created an enabling environment which has led to a Chinese Telecommunication Firm plans in rolling out its operations and two Egyptian companies interested in tobacco processing and manufacturing of cigarettes.
“My main goal is for Malawi to be self sufficient and independent in five years and improve the lives of Malawians if these companies come, the price of tobacco would go up, and if the telecommunication company comes, the GDP of Malawi will grow,” he explained.
Mutharika said he expects Malawi to experience economic boom in his first term which ends on 2019.
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President by defaault
All sinners need to die.
Many people lack patriotism. When benefits do we get when we demonise our country? Only fools hate themselves and tell foreigners how poor they are! Poverty stricken; hunger stricken; hiv struggled country and many other negative descriptions should not be coming from us. What’s wrong with us Malawians?
If u APM is rich money which you stole from the people do not think that Malawi is rich Malawi is poor and it shall remain so untill when an honest leader shall rule and move Malawi out of poverty
We are filthy rich, we stink money. Unlike Greece our economy is not about to collapse, businesses are booming, Banks including MSB are thriving, our educational system is top ranked, our health care system is top notch, our military and police are second to none. We have abundant food reserves and effective agricultural policies in palace no-one will die of hunger, our streets are paved with gold……….. we are RICH! ………. that’s what you want to hear Mr President??? ….somebody is crazy and I’m glad it’s not me………….Reality check? may be!
pliz stop mentioning Kamuzu the crocodile farmer, who murdered many Malawians. bola APM
Guys Malawi is poor by choice. We do not elect leaders of our choice. They steal votes since Kamuzu left.
That is why we can not rely on free lance Journalists to promote our Country. The country should create its own mouth puce to be honest in the true picture if our country. They should thwart those lies from these unpatriotic Journalists.
That’s why we have Embassies, consulate offices and High Commission Offices to promote our countries. Do not fight with these stupid idiots who have no respect for their countries.
I doubt you your excellency,so you suggest we shouldn’t say what we are supposed to say about Malawi. This is why Chola a journalist for the daily dispatch had to resign for being forced to write in favour of the rich and the leaders in Tiyambe Zeleza’s Smouldering charcoal. So you say government won’t increase civil servant pay because it has no funds. Then Mr President what do you excepect the media to write?
Mr President you are totally wrong and badly mistaken. For 30years under Kamuzu no one in Malawi wrote anything bad about Malawi. Did Malawi develop? No. It is the free flow of information that spurs development. You are sparking fears of censorship when you start talking in those terms. As a Professor you should be the first to appreciate and value free flow of information and ideas.