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.

“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.