Minister of Finance Joseph Mwanamvekha bankrolled the recent cabinet assesment propaganda with a whopping K100million, only Malawi Cables can reveal.
Apart from Mwanamvekha, Information and Digitalisation Minister Shadreck Namalomba was also involved in the project.
The article, published on Wednesday on several mercenary tabloids, assesses President Peter Mutharika’s administration after its first year in office.
Each tabloid pocketed K10million to publish the article.
It gives Mutharika a score of 7.6 out of 10, while Namalomba scores 6.7 and Mwanamvekha 6.3.
The assessment praises Mwanamvekha for maintaining what it alleges as economic stability despite pressure on foreign exchange and public finances.
It also credits the government with progress on free secondary education, the Affordable Inputs Programme, reduced official travel and the clearance of pension arrears.
But the assessment also points to continued problems, including daily electricity blackouts, limited job creation, shortages of medicines and equipment, and weak performance in some ministries.
This cabinet assessment propaganda comes as Mwanamvekha is positioning himself to be a possible successor to Mutharika, who is serving his final term as president.
The project has raised questions about the independence of the cabinet assessment and whether political interests influenced its content.
“This project was intended to help present Mwanamvekha in a favourable light as he builds his public profile ahead of a possible leadership contest,” said our source.
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