Brian Banda travelling to China for further studies
* Governance framework is so vast — State House Director of Communication, Sean Kampondeni
* Hence there would be no deficiency in distribution of information related to government agenda
* Kampondeni will be carrying out press secretary duties until the time an acting press secretary will be announced
By Patricia Kapulula, MANA
State House has dismissed fears of any gaps in communication in its Press Office following the President Lazarus Chakwera’s sanctioning of the leave for Press Secretary, Brian Banda for a scholarship in China.
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State House Director of Communication, Sean Kampondeni said this during a State House briefing at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Monday that governance framework was so vast hence there would be no deficiency in distribution of information related to government agenda in the absence of one person who has taken leave.
He said the press office was not an individual but an institution which he said would be functional even as the press secretary takes leave.
“We have Ministry of Information that is a government mouth piece and all of the ministries across Capital Hill, with a few exceptions; have public relations officers that furnish the public with information.
“Departure of one person doesn’t mean that that institution is left with a gap. The government is more robust than that,” Kampondeni said.
Kampondeni to act as press secretary
He said government has more than one mouth piece and Brian Banda’s leave should not be a cause for concern, saying it is the President’s responsibility to make sure that institutions such as the Press Office continues to function even in the absence of an individual.
The Director cited the one-week absence of President Chakwera to the Global Education Summit in London as one of such which didn’t see the presidency stopping functioning.
“The Presidency continues even in the absence of a member of the presidency. So this is how governance institutions work which is why the president is taking immediate measures to ensure that the role of the press secretary is not left vacant,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kampondeni will be carrying out press secretary duties until the time an acting press Secretary will be announced.
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There have been speculations about Brian Banda’s scholarship with some media houses saying he has been fired for gross misconduct and worsening President Chakwera’s public relations crisis.
However, according to Kampondeni, what has been said at the press briefing remains official stance on the matter.
Brian Banda said he leaves for China this Friday and he called upon journalists to always cross check facts before putting anything on different platforms, saying in that way they would serve the people better.
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