MEDIA bodies have welcomed the Government’s intention to offload 35% shares in government-owned media organizations.
The Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA), Zambia Union of journalists (ZUJ) and the Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) said the move was a step towards improving the performance of public media.
MISA Zambia chapter chairperson Daniel Sikazwe said the sale if implemented would allow for more independence and re-capitalization of the media institutions through investment brought in by the sell of shares.
Mr Sikazwe said those that would buy into the media institutions would demand for upholding of ethics and encourage responsiveness to the diverse areas of media coverage.
“The media would now not only be owned by the Government on behalf of the public but also the public having a direct stake,” he said.
He said new owners would be able to make demands for high ethical standards and restore public confidence in public media.
ZUJ president Anthony Mulowa said public media organizations should be viewed as business entities by allowing the public to own a stake.
Mr Mulowa said the government had shown political will and that it was a step towards implementing media reforms.
He however urged the government to ensure that the media bodies were recapitalized and made attractive for investment.
“Over the years, the media houses have not received any serious grants so they need re-capitalization,” he said.
PAZA executive secretary Patson Phiri said it was a landmark decision by the Zambian Government to float shares in public media institutions.
Mr Phiri said the trend by most African governments, was to manipulate public media for their political expedience.
“Those that will invest in the media will ensure that they are re-financed,” he said.
[Times of Zambia]
i thought it was 45%. anyway good move all the same!!
Hey what happened? It was 45 percent!
Thanks to the PF government for this move and this should be extended to some of these parastals eg Zesco, Napsa, Zisc etc so as to strengthen the lusaka stock exchange and ownership by the locals in most of the companies operating in the country, for this is the trend in most of the developing countries and emerging makerts
Don’t be deceived by Michael Chilufyanya Government.If 45% of shares were offloaded to the public it could have made sence because the public could have been majority shareholders and government a minority shareholder.As things stand Chilufyanya governent will still have a big control of the public media.Joe Chilizya must be ashamed to allow opposition defectors to be paraded by Post Front(PF) on ZNBC TV a thing which was also prominent in RBs government.
We are appearing to the Government and MIZA zambia to concetrate not only in public institutions but also the private institutions,most private institutions are not doing very well. people don’t even get paid for 3months plus in some media institutions.please Hon. Lubinda investigate this pool performing institutions.
How does the PF measure control of an institution?
hehehe..let them sell and we shall see how the post will die..!
Brilliant move!! … government for the people of the people .. hats off!!
35% is a fickle amount to offload, even 45% was trifle. If the government wants to diminish its influence over the public media then they should either be placed under independent trust in the same manner as the BBC or alternatively over 51% (or more) of the outstanding equity should be sold to the public. As it stands 45 or 35% is meaningless.
35% will simply help these papers raise some capital- beyond that this is meaningless as far as media independence is concerned.
#10 In addition, am sure the govt wont allow the shares to be sold to someone or an institution that is not closely connected to them.
So we will see Fred Mmembe buying the shares?