Malawi’s Minister of Trade, Mr Vitumbiko Mumba, has opted to hold a press conference at the upscale Capital Hotel instead of using the government boardroom at Capital Hill, forcing the government to foot a significantly higher bill.
The Malawi government has announced that the minister is slated to host a press briefing on Monday, 17th March. Mumba will be joined by the Minister of Information, Moses Kunkuyu.
Mumba’s decision has sparked criticism on social media, with many calling it hypocritical for a government already struggling with fiscal management. Malawi is currently battling hyperinflation, with comparisons being drawn to Zimbabwe and Zambia before their respective currency redenominations.
As part of efforts to steer Malawi away from the heightened risk of economic collapse, Mumba recently imposed a ban on the importation of basic necessities, arguing that such goods were depleting the country’s already strained foreign exchange reserves. The ban includes items such as rice, toothpicks, and other everyday products.
While Mumba’s decision to restrict imports was initially praised by many Malawians on social media, his choice to hold the press conference at a hotel, rather than using government facilities, has been widely condemned. Many view it as hypocritical for a government advocating austerity. Critics argue that this practice, common among ministers, is a way to justify allowances rather than a necessity.
“Don’t their respective ministries have boardrooms for these press briefings instead of always booking hotels?”questioned one user on X (formerly Twitter), prompting a flurry of responses.
Mumba, a close ally of President Lazarus Chakwera’s son, Nick Chakwera, is reportedly being groomed as a potential vice-presidential candidate for the 2025 elections. After losing at the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) convention, Mumba was swiftly appointed to a ministerial role by Chakwera; a move many see as strategic positioning.
Hailing from the North, Mumba is perceived as a key figure who could help MCP and Chakwera secure northern votes, especially as recent opinion polls suggest Chakwera is set to lose the 2025 Malawi Presidential Elctions by a landslide to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s Peter Mutharika.
Kunkuyu himself is not without controversy, raising doubts about his commitment to the country’s interests. Recent evidence has emerged showing him holding a map that allocated a portion of Lake Malawi to Tanzania during his visit to the country. As a public official, his pose was widely perceived as an endorsement of the map by a representative of the Malawi government.
