Malawi’s Information Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa New Years Message to Media

Colleagues from the Media,

I extend greetings of the New Year to all of you.

I would like to congratulate you all for the great year we had in resetting the media and Government synergy in the year 2014 and further wish you a prosperous New Year – 2015.

On a sad note, allow me to extend my deep felt condolences for the souls of our departed colleagues that we lost in the just ended year. We ask the good Lord to sustain their families and we all celebrate what they did for country.

On another note, I feel this is ripe time to reflect on the past as well as focus on the future. The last 12 months has seen you operate under two governments – the Peoples Party (PP) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led administrations from January to May and from June to December 2014 respectively.

I will not be saying the truth if I say that there were no challenges for journalists and the media in general. However, you will agree with me that information flow has improved, the government is more open and the presidential press conferences are now professionally managed. There are areas we need to improve. I believe, together, we can do this country proud by making our synergy positive and value enhancing.

During this period you did the nation proud and were the envy of the world when you reported courageously and professionally during Malawi’s first ever Tripartite General Elections in May 2014. Both the private and public media did a good job deserving our appreciation.

During the same period you also courageously helped to expose Cashgate – the systematic syphoning of money from Capital Hill.

The two activities were a benchmark among many commendable acts of professional and courageous reporting that we must aim to follow in our daily operations.

I wish to encourage you to continue on that path so that the masses that we all serve benefit in their day to day lives through your noble service.

Further to the above, may I also warn that elements of backbiting and victimising innocent hard working fellow journalists must stop. The Government that I speak for does not want to be associated with lies and cheap politicking in the public and private media houses for cheap political appeasement. We must rise above this and love country more than self.

Government believes that time for hurling insults, false arrests, mudslinging, and venomous assaults is gone and should be considered buried. We should all be committed to the unity and national socio economic development of Malawi.

Government for its part will make sure that the environment is levelled for all hence its commitment to bring to the National Assembly the Access to Information (ATI) Bill, the Communications Bill and the E-Transactions Bill in 2015.

I therefore wish to reiterate here that President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika’s commitment that no journalist will be arrested, impeded and stopped from professionally doing his/her work, will be followed to the letter.

And another thing close to my heart that Government will seek to address in the New Year is to work towards improving conditions of service and remuneration for journalists operating in the country.

In this regard, Government will work closely with The Journalists Union of Malawi (JUMA), Media Institute of Southern Africa – Malawi Chapter (MISA?Malawi), Media Council of Malawi (MCM), Media Owners Association of Malawi, and other key stakeholders to see to it that journalists work in competitive jobs just like other trades.

Allow me to conclude by urging you all to continue operating under the virtues of patriotism, hard work, unity, discipline, honesty, courage, self-sacrifice and love in your prescribed codes of conduct: ethics of the profession.

May I finally wish you all and your families, a Successful and Prosperous New Year.

Kondwani Nankhumwa, M.P.
Minister of Information, Tourism and Culture
Government Spokesperson
31st December 2014