Media Council welcomes APM briefing, tips media

Media Council of Malawi (MCM) has welcomed President Peter Mutharika’s scheduled news conference this Friday on his trip to the 71st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York and has since asked media houses to assign experienced journalists.

In a statement issued yesterday, signed by its executive director Vales Machila, the council has also advised private media journalists attending the news conference to be sensitive to the situation.

Reads the statement in part: “We also hope that the State President will seize the opportunity to clear other issues which the public has expressed concern about or shared through the social media, particularly regarding the President’s personal health and other pertinent issues affecting the country.

“The nation, as the employer, has the right to know about the personal well-being of the President. It is the duty of every employer to ensure that the person they spend their wages on is working and performing to the optimum and where need be, also ensure that the employee receives medical care and assistance to enable them to do their job to satisfaction.”

While noting that a lot has been said or exchanged in the media about Mutharika’s health and that virtually every piece of information shared has been based on rumours or hearsay, MCM said the onus is on the President to clear the air by assuring the nation that he is in good health.

The council said the demand is coming because private media houses are sometimes not given enough time or chance to ask questions as master of ceremonies curtail the event immediately after journalists working for public media houses have asked their questions.

In a related development, MCM has also commended police and officials that arranged the President’s arrival programme at Kamuzu International Airport on Sunday for not impeding the work of journalists or making them feel threatened as they covered the event.

Tomorrow’s news conference at 2pm at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe comes amid speculation about the President’s health after he was seen actively using his left hand while the other appeared stiff during his arrival on Sunday.

Yesterday, President Mutharika failed to preside over the official launch of the national identity (ID) documents project as the function was postponed indefinitely, fuelling more speculation about the President’s health.