This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

251447Z Jan 06

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000068 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE PASS USAID 
AF/S FOR MOZENA, MALLORY 
AF/PD FOR MING 
 
REF: 2005 LILONGWE 1018 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV OPRC MI
SUBJECT: TWO NEW PRO GOVERNMENT TABLOIDS LAUNCHED 
 
 
1.(SBU)  Two new pro-government newspapers, The Guardian and 
The Weekly Courier have recently appeared in Malawi.  The 
Guardian is reported to be owned by a consortium of 
entrepreneurs, but is in fact funded by President Mutharika 
and managed by his daughter Duwa.  The Guardian largely 
fills the role of the now-defunct Democratus, which 
functioned as a mouthpiece for the Administration to counter 
the President's political opponents.  Democratus was owned 
by former Presidential confidant and political advisor Ken 
Zikhale Ng'oma, who stopped publishing the paper after 
leaving government.  Presidential Press Officer Chikumbutso 
Mtumodzi commented to Public Affairs staff that the 
President asked him to oversee the establishment of the 
paper.  Presidential press secretary and IV alumnus, Mike 
Kamwendo is also an editorial advisor to the Guardian. 
Kamwendo recently commented to PAO that he was working to 
help the President do a better job of communicating his 
success stories to the public. 
 
2.(U)  The Weekly Courier has also risen out of the fall of 
the Democratus, and is reported to be funded by  Malawi 
Housing Corporation regional manager, Wanagwa Mbereka. 
Mbereka has no public political affiliation with Mutharika, 
but the paper is staunchly pro-Government.  The Guardian 
(circulation 9000) and The Weekly Courier (Circulation 5000) 
are both telling the Mutharika Administration's success 
stories and attacking the President's political opponents. 
Both papers receive an inordinately large portion of 
government-generated advertising revenue, provoking 
resentment by established independent papers.  The Guardian 
plans to expand into a daily paper by February. 
 
3.(SBU)  Comment: Owning a newspaper seems to be a 
prerequisite for Malawian presidents.  By placing his 
daughter and State House press officials in charge, 
Mutharika will certainly be able to both promote his 
Administration's achievements and attack opponents. 
Directing a sizable stream of government advertising, a 
primary source of revenue for Malawian newspapers, to the 
Guardian and Courier also appears to be an accepted part of 
the spoils system here, although other media outlets 
complain about the practice.  Unfortunately, creating two 
new pro-government papers does little to counter the cynical 
lack of professionalism in Malawian journalism, and 
undercuts the legitimacy of whatever real good news the 
Government is trying to disseminate.  End Comment. 
 
GILMOUR