The Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has expressed commitment to promoting what it termed as a productive relationship with the media in promoting good governance, transparency and accountability in Malawi.
The office’s spokesperson, Robert Kalindiza, made the remarks at Nalipiri Eco Resort in Mulanje on Saturday during an annual general meeting of the Association of Catholic Journalists (ACJ).
The association is holding its AGM under the theme: “Responsible and Committed Media Towards Building an Informed Society Ahead of the 2025 Tripartite Elections”.
Kalindiza, who is an ardent ACJ member, took advantage of the meeting to raise awareness among media practitioners on the role of his office and that of the Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC).
He said contrary to perceptions by the media fraternity that OPC does not provide information to the public, his office operates on an open door policy and will take any question from any media house.
But Kalindiza emphasized the need for the journalists to maintain and adhere to the media ethics by being accurate and objective in their reporting
“Let us continue engaging constructively and regularly. By working together, the OPC and the media can promote a culture of openness, accountability, and citizen engagement, ultimately contributing to Malawi’s democratic growth and development,” he said.
For some years, OPC has been operating without the office of the spokesperson until recently when it engaged Kalindiza as its Chief Communications Officer.
According to Kalindiza, since his appointment, the Office has organized 22 media interface meetings with journalists from the Northern, Central, Eastern, and Southern regions as a way of establishing a working relationship between the two sides.
The Office has also facilitated the development of a Strategic Plan and some guidelines for the Communications Office in OPC, promoted publicity in various government events led by OPC such as the Open Government Partnership, which promotes values of transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement.
“It also managed to convince the State House, National Public Events, and Ministry of Information and Digitalisation to have a coordination platform where together they can discuss issues to do with Presidential Public Programs, scrutinize and assess what the social media write about Government,” explained Kalindiza.
The Executive Director for the Malawi Network of Older Persons Organizations (MANEPO), Andrew Kavala, was was guest of honour at the event, said journalists have an indispensable role to play in promoting democracy by filtering out misinformation, bias, and sensationalism, and presenting the public with credible and significant information.
Kavala, who is also a Commissioner of the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC), said the quality of the information journalists provide has a direct impact on public discourse and decision-making.
“In reflecting on the profound responsibility you hold, I am reminded of the life of Saint Titus Brandsma, the patron saint of journalists. Saint Titus was a Carmelite priest who lived during a time of great peril in Europe. His unwavering commitment to truth and human dignity during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands stands as a powerful example of moral courage. Saint Titus urged Catholic newspapers not to publish Nazi propaganda, fully aware of the risks involved. His steadfastness in the face of such evil ultimately led to his arrest and martyrdom at the Dachau concentration camp,” he said.