A soccer fans body has condemned the harassment of Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) sports journalists by Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Communications Officer Erick Mwanza.
The Zambia Voluntary Soccer Fans Association (ZAVOSOFA) described Mwanza’s behaviour as uncalled for and an embarrassment to the country’s football governing body.
ZAVOSOFA president Peter Makembo urged the public to condemn in the strongest terms possible acts of intimidation and harassment on journalists by people running football affairs in the country.
Makembo said Mwanza should know better channels to apply if he is aggrieved than resorting to harassing journalists.
The ZAVOSOFA chief stressed that it was saddening to note that a person of Mwanza’s calibre who hailed from the media fraternity himself would behave in the manner he did.
Makembo urged Mwanza to apologise unreservedly to ZNBC and the media industry as a whole for his attacks on journalists or face the consequences.
He told ZANIS Sports in an interview in Lusaka today that people that have issues with journalists should not take the law into their own hands but follow established channels to air their concerns.
FAZ Communications Officer Erick Mwanza on Monday night stormed ZNBC newsroom, demanding a retraction of a story aired on the evening main news and charged at some of the members of staff he found in the newsroom.
ZNBC management has since given Mwanza a 48- hour ultimatum to apologise or they would take legal action against him.
Meanwhile, Makembo has welcomed FIFA’s directive to FAZ to call for early elections during the meeting between FIFA, FAZ, FAZ faction and government officials in Zurich, Switzerland that was held to find solutions to the current impasse at football house.
He said FIFA’s ruling was an indication that the World Soccer Governing body acknowledged the grievances of the FAZ faction led by Aaron Kamanga and Simataa Simataa.
ZANIS
I am not commenting today
ok, i will comment for you #1 , these Kalusha and Simata people are the same- so Faz is going no where- kalilo chabe- it is a political group on it’s own-lol
This boy Eric who calls himself Manager/Officer at FAZ should be fired.His past track record is of a crook, ask Zambia DailY Mail, ZBCA (Zambia Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS) WILL TESTIFY THAT HE IS A CROOK, AND BEING IN FAZ IS BECAUSE OF CORRUPTION.Please ensure that security at ZNBC is enforced, when he actually bars reporters from entering FAZ House, and stop covering him immediately, and let PS Teddy Mulonga take action now!!!
Makembo who do u represent.Please ZNBC jounalist learn to air the truth,u deserved the harasment.how can u twist the story and say FIFA has said the Kalusha executive is illegal
IWE CH MISHORO u support lying.ZNBC is no beter than shit.how can they twit thr truth.They deserve it
Take it easy Eric.
LT, ZNBC TV is not online, so how do we know the story? LT Reporters, give us bits of the story aired on ZNBC TV.
Erick,we will probe you and your boss after march elections!
Dont just get too excited for nothing!
Please help what did ZNBC broadcast? kashi, Zambian football needs both Kalu, and Simata Simata, some time i intend to think Simata Simata do not like Kalu at all, l hope one day Kalu and Simata will sit down and talk l wonder why RB appointed Teddy Mulonga as Ps in the ministry of sports when he knows that it made former Presindent Chiluba to plead with Mulonga to step down when almost every zambian were not happy about how money were used at the Africa cup, lm sure Kalu’s work has been made hard for those guys please let Zambia be first
Imwe, “FAZ faction led by Aaron Kamanga and Simataa Simataa”, who is Aaron??? These Simataa Simataa’s you people want will just take FAZ back to empty coffers which existed before. Let us wait and see.
Eric Bravo!!! Fi ZNBC fya bufi. They are the ones who are supposed to apologising for the lies
THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT WATCH ZNBC HERE IS WHAT ZNBC AIRED ON THE 19HRS NEWS AFTER FIFA MEETING- THEY SAID THE TWO FAZ FACTION AGREED TO HOLD ELECTION IN MARCH NXT YEAR. ZNBC QUOTED SIMAATA FROM ZURICH. AND I’M SURE YOU ALL KNOW WHAT FIFA SAID.
I PERSONALLY WAS ALSO DISTURBED OF THE LACK OF FACTS FROM ZNBC COZ I KNOW THEY HAVE INTERNET IN THEIR OFFICES AND CAN BROWS TO GET THE TRUTH
Are there any journalists at ZNBC? Those are just government propagandists. They exercise freedom of speech only when they r not reporting on Rupiah Banda and his ministers. Since they know FAZ is not govt they will pretend to be fearless journalists but Dickson Jere makes them put their tails between their legs.
What are they referring to as FIFA directive here? From the press releaseFIFA did not direct anyone they just advised. I never take LT reports seriously I just come here to read the bloggers. That way I learn more than reading bootlickers’ stories
I WAS LATER TOLD THAT ZNBC APOLOGISE THE FOLLOWING DAY AT THEIR 10HRS NEWS AS THE STATION OPENED. LOOK AT THE WEIGHT THE NEWS CARRY, AT PRIME TIME NEWS ZNBC TOLD A LIE AND LATER APOLOGISED WHEN FEW PEOPLE ARE WATCHING AT 10HRS, PRIME TIME NEWS YESTERDAY THEY TOLD ERIC TO APOLOGISE. PROPAGANDA AT ITS BEST.
ERICK MWANZA he is unleashing the last kicks of a dead horse chikala chakwe. FAZ does not belong to an individual. The noble men and women who formed FAZ left it for others to take over, but never did they anticipate a situation like this – where a so-called President Kalusha is running from South Africa, and the national coach is Kalusha’s mulamu. All of you supporting Kalusha are just his vuvuzelas, his slaves, and you will all go with him come March 2011. However much you hate Simataa and Kamanga, the truth is that each one of them has more money than Kalusha. Kalusha even failed to pay salary to the manager of his K-stars football team. What kind of FAZ president is that? He is an embarrassment and he must go! Naba plunder FAZ accounts pafula baleyafye!!!
Where is the security at ZNBC?
Imwe ba LT look at the story below by BBC the professionals and see how they identify news sources. There is no interim President here so learn sumthing:
Zambian President Rupiah Banda says he is happy that Fifa has intervened in the wrangles currently rocking his nation’s favourite sport.
World football’s governing body ruled on Monday that only Kalusha Bwalya is the legitimate president of the Football Association of Zambia (Faz).
However, Fifa says Faz members are free to pass a vote of no-confidence against Bwalya during the body’s annual general meeting next March.
A rival group headed up by Andrew Kamanga has already indicated that it will pass a vote of no-confidence in Bwalya’s committee and force elections.
“They are supposed to be having a meeting in March
This is the problem when you give responsibilities to wrong people. Everything is life and death.
I think enough is enough! It’s high time footballl was cleaned up in Zambia.. F@*K FIFA rules,authorities need to step in and dissolve FAZ so that we start things afresh with new people who are well qualified to develop the sport in Zambia. All those maggots like Simaata and Kalusha have now become irrelevant and a pain in the backside!
Where was the sports editor for ZNBC to air a twisted story? Reporters at ZNBC are forgeting how to research and write news because they have been turned into publicit secretaries.
publicity secretaries indeed. This afternoon I sat to watch a programme ‘sport on’ on znbc. there was an sms question concerning faz/fifa meeting outcome. these chaps at znbc only read 3sms which some how fitted with their agenda. I’m very sure that the topic might have attracted several responses
Eric” Chemical Ali” Mwanza at it again.
This football boys are big in Zambia
These football boys are big in Zambia?
No# 11 tHE best wani tekunya hahahahaha. I quote “tHE bESt says:
December 22, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Eric Bravo!!! Fi ZNBC fya bufi. They are the ones who are supposed to apologising for the lies.”
Its like all wel meaning soccer lovers including ZNBC are anti Kalusha, otherwise they could have waited for an official outcome of the meeting instead of publishing a twisted story from Kamanga.
Anyhow, FAZ needs new blood with integrity, I guess the country is tired of noisy Simata and incopetent Kalusha (and group). cant we have other people take up positions on March 2011 elections?
Eric!!! down ball.Ichifukushi te kusova ka
Looks to me that for the first time ZNBC and the Post are in the same bed. That’s Zambia for you
Yes you people are simply too much, Eric was right to go and kick those guys in their balls. I just hope he won’t resign over this incident.
Ba ZNBC just sue this ka stupidi boy ka elik mwansa & why did u even allow him 2 come & sh.it inside ZNBC?Nway GALU & group only have 3 months to go (remember FIFA directed that march 2011) fresh elections so GALU kuya bebele
lusakatimes, do you have a PRIVACY POLICY in place? Looks like you are publishing some names from the e-mails that you receive!!!
Is this an MMD online chat news forum? Please let us know?
Aaron kamanga or Andrew Kamanga? Was he directed to change his name by FIFA?
The axion of Eric cannot be justified, however wrong ZNBC waz(if they were wrong that iz). The behavior of Eric just goez to show the the kind of desperation that iz at Football House.
viva great kalu abash ci simataa icikanwa cafula ifyabufi atase………..
Its NOT early elections!!!! Its AGM opportunity to table the issue!!!! Big difference!!!