Minister of Finance Joseph Mwanamvekha allegedly bankrolled a recent Cabinet assessment campaign with a staggering K100 million as he seeks to boost his public profile and prop up his presidential ambitions, Malawi Cables can exclusively reveal.
Information and Digitalisation Minister Shadreck Namalomba was also involved in the project.
The article, published on Wednesday by several mercenary tabloids , assessed President Peter Mutharika’s administration after its first year in office.
According to information in our possession, each publication received K10 million to publish the assessment.
The assessment awarded President Mutharika a score of 7.6 out of 10, while Namalomba scored 6.7 and Mwanamvekha received 6.3.
It praised Mwanamvekha for maintaining what it described as economic stability despite continued pressure on foreign exchange reserves and public finances.
The assessment also credited the administration with progress on free secondary education, the Affordable Inputs Programme, reduced official travel and the clearance of pension arrears.
However, it acknowledged several persistent challenges, including frequent electricity blackouts, limited job creation, shortages of medicines and medical equipment, and weak performance in some government ministries.
The publication of the assessment has raised serious questions about its independence and credibility, particularly amid allegations that political and personal interests influenced both its financing and content.
The development comes as Mwanamvekha is reportedly positioning himself as a possible successor to President Mutharika, who is serving his final term in office.
Sources familiar with the project allege that the campaign was designed not only to assess the performance of the administration but also to portray Mwanamvekha favourably as he builds his political profile ahead of a possible future leadership contest.
“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 a source familiar with the matter.
Mwanamveka is accused of sponsoring some publications and social media campaigns to mudslide his fellow politicians and other senior officials in the Mutharika administration to advance his political agenda in a move to succeed Mutharika .
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