By Durell Namasani
In an office once graced by communicators who understood the pulse of the nation, the current Minister of Information, Shadric Namalomba, is rapidly earning a reputation as a man running out of his depth. And Malawi’s media fraternity is taking notice.
The latest flashpoint: Namalomba’s decision to boycott phone interviews altogether. Announced via a Facebook post—ironically, a medium notorious for its own distortion risks—the minister declared he would no longer take calls from journalists, claiming his statements were often misrepresented.
For a man whose constitutional role includes being the government’s chief spokesperson, this retreat from direct engagement is nothing short of bewildering.
To understand just how far Namalomba has fallen, one need only glance at the recent occupants of his office.
Moses Kunkuyu, the previous Information Minister was a master of message control without hiding from the microphone. He understood that a minister’s job is not to be liked but to be clear—and he answered the tough calls, even when the news was bad.
Then there was Gospel Kazako, whose tenure during the COVID-19 pandemic was a masterclass in crisis communication. Kazako was everywhere: on radio, on television, on Zoom. He didn’t hide from hard questions; he leaned into them, earning rare cross-party respect. He understood that a government spokesman who refuses to speak is a contradiction in terms.
Now compare that to Namalomba. Instead of engaging with the media to address concerns over distortion—a legitimate grievance that could be solved through recording interviews or issuing follow-up written clarifications—he has chosen a bunker mentality. His Facebook post is not leadership; it is petulance dressed in policy.
MISA has wisely proposed dialogue, pledging to engage the minister to resolve the matter. But the onus is on Namalomba to show up. If he continues to hide behind social media posts while refusing the basic tools of his trade—the telephone, the interview, the press conference—he risks not just his own credibility but the government’s transparency.
Malawians have seen good information ministers and bad ones. But a minister who refuses to be reached by the very journalists tasked with informing the public is not merely ineffective. He is a liability to democracy.
Is Namalomba the worst in history? The verdict is not yet sealed, but the evidence is mounting. And if he continues to confuse his comfort with the public’s right to know, history will not judge him kindly.
