When an institution like the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) speaks, the whole country listens. Elections are about trust. And trust is built on information. That is why the Public Relations Office of MEC matters so much. It is the bridge between the Commission and the people, and the media is the vehicle that carries that bridge to every village, office and home.
Lately that bridge has cracks. And the hard truth is that media houses across Malawi are raising the same complaint: the MEC Public Relations Office is not engaging them in time.
The hard truth is that several journalists have told this column they are struggling to get feedback from MEC’s public relations department. Calls for interviews go unanswered.
Requests for clarification sit without response. When reporters need facts to correct rumors or to explain a decision, they are met with silence. That silence does not stop the story. It only pushes reporters to write without MEC’s side.
The hard truth is that the concerns are being directed at the current Public Relations Manager, Sangwani Mwafulirwa. Media practitioners who participated in a survey said they have made repeated attempts to reach him. The calls were not returned. This columnist also made several attempts to get his comment for this column. By the time of publication, there was no response.
Whether that is due to workload, policy, or choice, the result is the same: the media could not get MEC’s position.
The hard truth is that public relations in an electoral body cannot be a part-time job or a reactive desk. Elections, voter registration, delimitation, and civic education are not once-in-five-years events. They are continuous. The public needs constant updates.
The media needs constant access. When the PRO waits until a controversy has already gone viral to respond, the damage is done. The narrative is already set, often incorrectly.
That is the difference between being proactive and being reactive. A proactive PRO picks up the phone before the story breaks. He calls editors to explain a new policy. He issues timely statements when misinformation starts spreading. He makes himself available.
A reactive PRO only appears after journalists have published, and by then the explanation looks like damage control. The hard truth is that this reactive approach creates the very problems MEC tries to avoid.
The hard truth is that the media are not enemies of MEC. They are partners.
The Commission depends on radio, TV, newspapers and online platforms to educate voters, announce timelines, and clarify procedures. Without the media, MEC’s messages never leave Lilongwe. Without MEC’s cooperation, the media cannot do its job of informing the public accurately. When that partnership breaks down, it is Malawians who lose.
The hard truth is that this is not the first time MEC has had a media office. And previous occupants of that office managed to maintain working relations with journalists. One name that comes up often is Aubrey Sumbuleta.
Journalists recall that during his time, access was easier, responses were quicker, and briefings were regular. There were disagreements, as there always are in journalism. But the door was open. The phone was picked up.
The hard truth is that standards were set, and those standards are what the media are asking for again.
The hard truth is that public institutions must be judged by how well they serve the public interest, not by how comfortable the office is for those inside it.
A PRO’s job is not to avoid the media. It is to manage the relationship with the media. That means answering calls. That means granting interviews. That means issuing clarifications before speculation takes over. If that is not happening, then the institution must ask hard questions about whether the right person is in the right seat.
The hard truth is that no one is saying Sangwani Mwafulirwa is incapable as a person. He has served MEC for more than a decade. He has explained complex electoral processes to the nation. But service must also be measured by current performance and current needs.
The demand for information has grown. The speed of news has increased. Social media spreads rumors in minutes.
The MEC media office must match that pace.
The hard truth is that when it does not, the Commission looks secretive even when it has nothing to hide.
The hard truth is that media houses are now openly calling for change.
Some have suggested a complete overhaul of the department. Others have said MEC should bring in a publicist who is media-friendly, accessible, and understands that the job is about engagement, not avoidance.
That is not an attack. That is feedback from partners who want the Commission to succeed.
The hard truth is that leadership means listening to that feedback. MEC has repeatedly said it is committed to transparency.
Transparency is not a slogan. It is picking up the phone. It is holding a briefing. It is issuing a statement on the same day an issue arises, not three days later. It is making sure that when a reporter calls, someone answers.
So what should happen next? The hard truth is that Sangwani Mwafulirwa should consider his position.
If he feels he can no longer meet the demands of a media environment that requires 24-hour engagement, then the honorable thing is to pave way for someone who can.
MEC should bring in a media-friendly PRO who will prioritize updates, who will treat journalists as allies, and who will ensure the Commission’s voice is heard first, not last.
The hard truth is that Malawi’s democracy is too important to be undermined by poor communication. We cannot afford a situation where voters get wrong information about registration because the PRO was unavailable.
We cannot afford a situation where results are questioned because clarification came too late.
MEC must remember: the media will write with or without you. The question is whether you want to shape that story, or chase it.
The hard truth is that right now, MEC is chasing. And it is time to change that.
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Email: jonesgadama@gmail.com
