MEDIA bodies have resolved to protest before the Speaker of National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa over sentiments by Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament Mumbi Phiri referring to practitioners in the public media as dogs.
And the MMD has joined the media fraternity in condemning Ms Phiri for referring to the media workers as dogs of Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Lt-Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha.
The media bodies that include the Press Association of Zambia, the Press Freedom Committee of The Post newspapers, Zambia Media Women Association (ZAMWA), the Zambia Union of Journalists and the Zambia Union of Broadcasters and Other Information Disseminators (ZUBID) said they will protest tomorrow over Ms Phiri’s remarks.
MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya said Ms Phiri should do more to improve her education levels to understand how to conduct herself as an honourable person.
In a joint statement released to the Times of Zambia signed by the five media houses, the associations have stated that they will tomorrow petition the Speaker to take action against Ms Phiri’s refusal to withdraw her statement against the public media personnel.
[pullquote]“We feel that Mumbi Phiri’s behaviour puts the name of the speaker into disrepute and puts the reputation of Parliament into question.”
“Her apparent denial to apologise shows how deep rooted her arrogance is. We think she is fighting wrong people who have nothing to do with the land and other problems in Munali Constituency,” the statement further reads.[/pullquote]
“As the media associations we have decided to march to the National Assembly building to petition the Speaker to either reprimand her or take any corrective measures against her,’’ the statement reads in parts.
The associations have since called on all media practitioners, sympathisers and associates to assemble at BP Arcades Shopping Mall at 13:00 hours in time for the protest march to Parliament.
“We feel that Mumbi Phiri’s behaviour puts the name of the speaker into disrepute and puts the reputation of Parliament into question.”
“Her apparent denial to apologise shows how deep rooted her arrogance is. We think she is fighting wrong people who have nothing to do with the land and other problems in Munali Constituency,” the statement further reads.
The association noted that Ms Phiri does not understand her role as MP and the dignity that goes with the position and her public conduct.
Ms Phiri was quoted as having called media practitioners working for the Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail and Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation as Gen Shikapwasha’s dogs.
[ Times of Zambia ]
mumbi phiri has nothing to write home about she in unmannered, uncultultured and needs alangizi. I dont know were cobra got her from. If she is married I dont know what the husband goes through. If she can call scribes imbwa shakwa shikapwasha then she is also a dog and a mongrel for that matter. those are the PF law makers na marketeer is better just komboniki character
The dogs are raising the voices in backing and will soon bite Mumbi phiri through the other MMD dog-in the name of speaker
it is pipo like mumbi, kambwili nsanda mpombo shakafuswa kavindele magande who behave like rabid dogs
#1 Lady gaga…
What can you say about the minister who said as dogs obey their Master so should MMD misters obey RB.?? You never demostrated against this Minister but instead you praised him. How come today you are condemning Mumbi for saying that State media journalist obey shikapwasha in the same way dogs obey the Master?
You double standard people…just coz Mumbi is from opposition you find something wrong in what she said but you dont find any thing wrong in what that Minister said.
To tell you the truth Sata media Journalists behave like dogs in the way they report. They dont think. What else can we liken them to if not a DOG
And the dogs have been told by their master to demostrate , who is escourting them coz Zambia police does not deal with dogs. Let ARMCO security escourt these dogs because ARMCO has dog- escourts.
The statement attributed to Mumbi Phiri MP, with regard to journalists in state-owned and government controlled media institutionz must be condemned. However not in the manner our dearest Dora Siliya MP iz suggesting. I thought The Post journalists have been called all sorts of namez and even beaten by all and sundry, without anybody demonstrating, what’s the fuss now?
Dora spot on especially on this:”MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya said Ms Phiri should do more to improve her education levels to understand how to conduct herself as an honourable person.”
I was really disgusted with the way she debated Lance mate’s death(Zambian student killed in Russia) by referring to his body as ‘maggot infested’ .Can really an honorable person make such a remark?
No one puts the speakers name into disrepute, the speaker does not need help to achieve that.