Malawi Govt Faults UK Times Newspaper Over Inaccurate Reporting

The Malawi government through the Minister of Information Gospel Kazako has demanded an apology from The Times Newspaper of United Kingdom for reporting that the Malawi leader flew to UK to attend an online meeting citing internet glitches in the country as the reason.

On Sunday, Chakwera left the country or UK where he attended an Education Summit co-hosted by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Before Chakwera left the country, there were calls from different stakeholders asking the president to cancel his UK trip and attend the Summit virtually, the call was however given a cold shoulder as government said there was a need for the president to physically attend the Summit.

The Times of the United Kingdom also reported that the Malawi leader left the country with his family.

Kazako in a statement seen by Faceofmalawi reporter described the reporting by The Times of the United Kingdom inaccurate and misleading hence demanding an apology.

“The government of Malawi has noted with concern the article published by The Times of the United Kingdom On July 26, 2021 in which it claimed that His Excellency Dr. Lazarus Chakwera President of the Republic of Malawi travelled to UK to attend a virtual summit blaming internet connectivity and that the president has travelled with his family,” read part of the statement.

Respondg on the matter of travelling with his family, Kazako said every person who travelled with the president has a different role to play.

According to Kazako, Chakwera’s son in-law Sean Kampondeni traveled with the president in his capacity as the president’s Executive Assistant and  Director of Communications .

Where as Violet Chakwera, the president’s daughter accompanied the president as personal assistant to Chakwera’s wife, who is also the country’s first lady Monica Chakwera.

Kazako has therefore asked media houses both, international and local to first cross check facts “with relevant authorities rather than rushing to publishing inaccurate information that has the potential to damage reputation of the president and the country as well.”

The Minister has therefore asked The Times of the United Kingdom to apologize and retract the published story.