The meeting with by Chief Secretary to the Government, Justin Saidi on Thursday
* Effective, coordinated, and professional communication is essential for improving public trust, enhancing policy uptake, managing crises, and strengthening institutional credibility
* PRSM acknowledges the need for structured collaboration with Government to address various communication challenges across Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)
By Duncan Mlanjira
Public Relations Society of Malawi (PRSM) has been greatly encouraged by Chief Secretary to the Government, Justin Saidi’s positive assurance to support the Society’s vision to position PR and communication as a driver towards realisation of MW2063 national agenda.
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The PRSM held a high-level courtesy audience with the Chief Secretary on Thursday, at the Office of the President & Cabinet at Capital Hill in Lilongwe to share outcomes of the 2025 PR annual conference in November 2025 held in Mzuzu that ushered in a new executive committee.
On its official Facebook page, the PRSM indicates that it is “encouraged by the Chief Secretary’s positive reception and his assurance of support, including facilitating collaboration with Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and engagement on national communication policy, capacity building, and professionalisation of the sector”.
The PRSM president Rachel Kalera-Mhango highlighted “the critical role of strategic communication as a governance enabler and a catalyst for national development”.
“She noted that effective, coordinated, and professional communication is essential for improving public trust, enhancing policy uptake, managing crises, and strengthening institutional credibility.
“PRSM acknowledges the need for structured collaboration with Government to address various communication challenges across MDAs,” says the Society, adding that it is “committed to supporting the Malawi Government is strengthening capacity for public sector communication practitioners, and the development of national communication policy, guidelines and crisis communication frameworks”.
“The engagement marks a significant step in our post-conference stakeholder consultations. PRSM will continue engaging key institutions as we work to position the PR and communication profession to meaningfully contribute to Malawi’s national development agenda.”
The PRSM elective assembly in Mzuzu commemoration of World Public Relations Day 2025 in July last year, held under the theme; building-the-malawi-we-want-by-2063-leveraging-strategic-effective-communication-as-a-change-catalyst/ was graced by high profile people — whose presentations centred on the role ‘The Role of Communication in Managing Change’.
And in commemorating of World Public Relations Day 2025 in July last year, PRSM under the theme; ‘Shaping Malawi’s Future Through Strategic Communication’, PRSM emphasised that public-relations-is-an-art-of-building-relationships-managing-perceptions-and-influencing-positive-change/.
The theme was mooted as a reminder that “strategic communication is not a luxury — it is a necessity [since] in a world of rapid change, misinformation, and growing public expectations, Malawi needs communicators who are not only skilled but also strategic”.
It was emphasised that PROs must “understand the pulse of the people, who can bridge the gap between policy and public understanding, and who can help steer our nation toward inclusive development”.
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