GOVERNMENT says there is nothing sinister with the delayed tabling of the Freedom of Information Bill before Parliament but that the bill will be tabled during the next sitting of the House in September this year.
Chief Government Spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni who is Information and Broadcasting Services Minister said yesterday that the bill was yet to be approved by Cabinet but it was currently going through the legislative Parliamentary Committee before it could be tabled before Cabinet for approval.
Mr Sakeni told journalists in Lusaka that government was committed to seeing an independent and objective media as and such it was working round the clock to finalise the stages of the bill so that it could be tabled in the next sitting of Parliament.
He described as mere politicking assertions by Get Involved Zambia President Frank Bwalya on one of the local radio stations yesterday that government was scared to table the bill because of illegality and corrupt activities allegedly going on in the PF government.
He said government was not scared of anything but it was only ensuring that the bill passed through all the necessary stages so that a right product could be attained.
Mr Sakeni said “Father Bwalya is merely politicking because the bill has stages which it must go through before it is tabled before Parliament. Cabinet has already said that it goes to the legislative committee which needs to scrutinise because we cannot jump the gun but follow the right procedure.”
He said the bill could only be tabled in the next sitting in September because there were four days remaining before the current Parliament adjourned sine die.
He said government was consulting widely on the same as Zambia was living in a global world.
“We must make sure that when we take it to Parliament, it has all the required ingredients. We are committed to tabling it before Parliament but we can’t manage to do so now because we are only remaining with four days before the House adjourns” he said.
Mr Sakeni was positive that by the time Parliament resumed in September, the legislative committed would have completed its work and Cabinet would have approved the document to be ready to be taken to Parliament.
Poor Sakeni, a shallow spoken for a government that’s known for breaking its promises. Why bother with another promise Mr Sakeni? Learn to keep quiet. Nobody trusts you.
At the end of this article, there is a Related News section and going through the listed headlines there tells a lot about this Government. There is even a 90 days promise in there. I rest my case.
Start by upholding the current rule of law,what’s the point of having that bill and yet u are suppressing those with a different view.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Why is it not possible the pass the Freedom
of Information Bill asap? We need this Bill
urgently, since ECZ observed that the Public
Media was biased towards PF in bye-elections.
We need independent public media and good
protection for journalists. We need an end to
silly censorship.
Lies have short Legs…..PF learn to be optimists with real time target indicators that u can easily measure. Why lies ,lies lies , this FOI bill goal shifting is eroding public confidence and sickening. Sakeni through Malupenga promised July 2013 ,where’s the FOI bill?????
Lies lies lies , checking in the “Related news ” items at the bottom of this article there are 3 interesting observations ; First VP said FOI bill within 90days, then Sakeni said first Quarter of 2013, then same Sakeni D…..ty mouth said in June and now September from the same Sakeni, do these chaps gat moral conscience?????
If youths are looking up to leaders as icons , their heroes and mentors what type of a youthful generation are we constructing??
Remember in communicating reality, we construct reality- society is a human construction. But surely NOT a society of lies and deceit as PF wanna make us believe (God forbid!! – ten commandments)!!!!!
Lies are the front face of PF strategy, they do not know how else to do business. It is working for them, then why ask them to fix what is working for them.
Am on leave from criticizing Sata & his PF criminal minions.
Am so happy that come 2016 or before, Sata will be unheard of. Zambians have seen through Sata & his PF ministers’ lies & salvage activities and very soon even his close supporters will see that does not mean well for the current generation Zambians.
Sata & PF salvages like Lungu & Kabimba are fit for the stone age politics not now!
For goodness sake how do u expect SHUSHUSHUs like Sakeni & salvages like Sata, Lungu & Kabimba to pass a good Freedom Media Bill?
These are little men afraid of their own political shadows! Zambians will only get a Free Media Bill through a real revolution more like the Egyptians have done!
Do u really have American trained Zambians soldiers patriots like those in Egypt?
Do we Zambians really have American trained Zambian soldiers patriots like the great General Abdul Fatah Saeed Hussein Khalil al-Sisi of Egypt?
I still believe that its time African soldiers intervened in African politics (not as in the 1960 to 90s military dictators) against African greed Dictator politicians like Sata & his govt who abuse constitutions
The Egyptian current military general intervened to protect civilians and its not a coup but to give a fair ground to all political players in Egypt
Zambian Military Generals can Dictators like Sata (who torture & violate Zambians rights to Freedom of Association) to respect the constitution
Its time Zambians soldiers play their role in protecting the constitution when politicians like Sata & PF violates it!
Zambian Military Generals can give ultimatum to Dictators like Sata & his PF govt (who torture & violate Zambians rights to Freedom of Association) to respect the constitution
Anyway, am waiting to come to Zambia and participate in politics & fight a good cause for Zambians against Sata and his PF
Am so happy that Zambians like Fr Bwalya & my fellow Roman Catholic Priests are able to see through Sata & PF populist lies just as Germans saw thru Hitler’s lies
I just hope Sata & PF can wake up one day and look back to their promises and follow their contract they signed with Zambians (that is prosecute criminals like Gabriel Namulambe of Mpongwe & all political criminals they are shielding). All the lost fortunes of Sata will come back like Mwanawasa had favors from Zambians
Uh…. enjoy your leave?
Kwati chi ng’wena
This embalmed government has full of stories. They are still behaving like they are still in opposition.
Poor sakeni! Just repent and get baptised.
July + August + September = 90 days.
Another 90 days!
#Bufi
Yep. Like tomorrow is always a “just a day away”, so too are 90 days always three months in the furture!
In fact, next thing I’m sure Sakeni will tell us PF is right on track to deliver on all of its 90-day promises… we just have to wait.
These are lies; shameless lies by a shameless government. This document was ready a long time ago, in fact it was prepared during the MMD rule and was not tabled in Parliament due to the same fears the PF have. Sata was very vocal and kept on pushing for the tabling of the same bill in Parliament. How can Sakeni claim that the bill is not ready today? This document was ready before the PF went into government. They should just tell us that they have failed to table it because it will work against them. They have committed so many atrocities and are scared that skeletons will be exposed. This is the most corrupt government we have ever had in this country. They are all busy stealing and are scared that if information is leaked they will be disgraced. This is a government of thieves. CORRUPT
What do you expect from disaster pf govt? Lies in the morning, lies in the afternoon, lies their dreams. Pf foundation is based on lies hence it ruling is also based on lies. But as the saying goes lies have short legs.
Sakeni’s mouth is too wide,don’t expect any truth!
Lies lies lies bufi buhata bubela ulabeja!
I hate this Sakeni guy,no lye.