United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema says media practitioners deserve the respect of politicians regardless of the media houses they represent.
Mr. Hichilema notes that Journalists play an important role in the dissemination of information to citizens hence the need to grant them the respect they deserve and to protect them at all times.
Mr. Hichilema says suppressing and intimidating the media is tantamount to infringing on their freedom and denying the majority Zambians access to vital information.
He says Zambians have the right to information and to be educated on the many issues affecting the nation hence the need to give space to the media to do their work professionally for the benefit of all Zambians.
The UPND leader has since hailed both the public and private media for the hard work and fair coverage of all political parties in the country.
Mr. Hichilema notes that there has been great improvement in the way journalists are executing their duties in the country apart from a few media houses which he hopes will also emulate other professional media houses.
Meanwhile, UPND Vice President for politics Canisius Banda has dismissed as political propaganda assertions that his party is locked in a fight with the MMD.
Dr. Banda says those insinuating that the two opposition parties are fighting each other have fallen prey to the machinations of what he has termed as dark forces.
He has told Qfm news in an interview that the fight his party is involved in is against poverty, ignorance and disease.
Dr Banda says it is on this basis that the UPND wants the ruling Patriotic Front to be removed from power for allegedly deceiving Zambians and subjecting them to misery and suffering.
He says his party is offering an alternative development plan which will, among other things, ensure education for all, food security, reduce deficits in the national budget and ensure decent healthcare.
Dr. Banda has further stated his party is not overrating itself by claiming to be the only political party currently with the capacity to wrestle power the ruling PF.
The truth can never be suppressed. One way or the other truth will be known.I agree with HH that the media practitioners in this country are increasingly operating under very difficult conditions. This has led to self censorship and ZNBC is the worst culprit
Democracy. .!!!
EMPTY WORDS FROM UNDER FIVE AS USUAL.
What empty words pa peter niemwe? You want him to remain mute like your overpaid president who just hands out certificates at swearing in ceremonies?
Chi peter ulakwatako insoni.If you have nothing to contribute better keep Zii maningi .Pipo willthink you are wise.HH is speaking the truth and PF should improve on this one.We need balanced news.We need all political players to be covered.
Well Spoken Mr. President. We surely have Challenges in our technical part operating and we should be given respect. Thats why A’m giving you my vote in 2016 even before. HH Zambia foward.
For sure respect of Institution is cardinal for development !!
@ peter…… Indeed these are empty words from an under5 waitin for the scale at the clinic. Is this not the same under 5 who called mmembe and the post all sorts of diabolical words, what has changed?
Tony blair what a misuse of the name.Which under five are you talking about .How can someone as old as your father be under five.HH is above 50yrs at the right age to be a mature president.Your old dinosaur president expired .We can not eat rhetoric but we want to works.HH should be allowed to be president he will bring Joy to Zambia.Zambian will be turned in green farm with lots of processing industries all over.We shall have businessmen exporting caned Beef,Vegetables and many sem processed products .Real Jobs in the production sector will be born .Pipo with skills and papers will be employed not based on nepotism as in PF.We want to Zambians how to create wealth.Not always rushing to Dubai to go order salaula.
Ba sido mark, i agree with peter. H.H has nothing to offer. In short, he is an empty tin who loated our mines during privitazation, besides being a tribalist. Tonga, pamatako
@ sido mark
you indeed ve sido brain. is the person that can bring happiness, he stole from privatisation killed our pipo go to luanshya and hear it for yourself. the beef you are talkin about ll not leave zambia coz his aromatic alderhyde and formalderhyde beef he fed us wont go beyond these our borders. your under 5 president is not presidential material only a person with chibwantu in his head thinks so.