Labour, Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Fackson Shamenda has expressed regret over the decision by Chilanga police to confiscate a Muvi TV video camera.
Mr. Shamenda says there could have been some overzealous officers who want to portray a wrong image of the PF government which he says respects media freedom.
Mr. Shamenda who is also Chief government spokesperson, adds that it is not the policy of the PF Government to harass journalists in the course of their duty, except when they come in conflict with the law.
The Minister said this when he paid a courtesy call on Muvi TV Northern Region Bureau in Ndola on the Copperbelt.
Chilanga Police on Saturday released a MUVI TV video camera they confiscated on allegations that a journalist from the institution used it to capture a brutalized suspect in the missing ivory case.
However the footage was erased before releasing the video camera.
Human Rights Commission Director Enock Mulembe has since strongly condemned the detention on Thursday of two journalists Bruce Mwale from Muvi TV and Delphine Zulu from Times of Zambia for following up the country’s biggest ivory theft scandal.
Ivory worth about two billion Kwacha has since gone missing from the Zambia Wildlife Authority-ZAWA- storeroom and police have since apprehended two game scouts in connection with the alleged crime.
MUVITV
You need to punish these police officers. Including the ones involved in the battering of UPNDÂ demonstrators. Dont just give up a lip service. You must act.
Why erase the footage. The police (or GRZ) are hiding something. Please dig deeper.
when are the Police going to be arrested and brought to the people’s court?
Good job bwana minister.
Off the record: good job to the police too for erasing the incriminating footage, sir. We nearly lost the deal for our campaign money……..donchi kubeba
Too little too late!
Where was the minister all this time?
This s just PR clean up, that charity girl was even boasting and daring people to report her to Mr. StellaÂ
Its not enough to just express regret and leave it there. Do something so that this does not happen again. Its only after you have taken appropriate measures that PF govt. will truly be seen as respecting press freedom or you will just be seen like all other govt. before PF
Iwe chi Shamenda you are a moron Chimpanzee you are now speaking like Kabimba ichiwelewele! Honestly you can not say overzealous officers when you know the perpetrator Charity Katanga the Lusaka Police Commissioner who is now boasting and seem to upgrade herself to the untouchable status after Sata ordered her to be brought to the Airport when he was coming from London as a TOURIST! Katanga seem to have the blessing of Sata and PF after she beat and abused UPND youths! Up to now Sata and PF have never apologised for the abuse that Charity Katanga committed.
If you wont wake up from your slumber all the support Sata and PF had from us Zambians will evaporate soon!
You honestly can not tolerate the abuses Charity Katanga is committing in the name of being a Police Officer!
All the UPND youths who were abused by the Lusak Commissioner Charity Katanga should photocopy the notes that their Doctors wrote and keep these notes to be used in the prosecution of Charity Katanga for her abuse and beating of UPND youths and the latest ZAWA people (since the Zambia Police are refusing to give them Police Medical Forms to go to hospital)
Zambians should create a FORUM ONLINE for Charity Katanga to be prosecuted for all her abuses of UPND youths and ZAWA detainees.
Buju muchibe. Mixed messages, to do or not to do. You can’t win.
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IME BATU..WHO WERE BLAMING THE UPND DURING THERE PROTEST?NOW SEEWHAT HZ HAPPENED 2 THE 2 JOURNELIST?ZAMBIA NEEDS TO WAKE UP..WE AR SOO BEHIND WERE INGNORANT IS CONCERNED,SO MUCH UNEDUCATED!LET US PUT RIGHT PIPO WHO AR HIGHLY EDUCATED AD LEAD OUR COUNTRY,,,BUT IF WE BE CONTINUE VOTING ON TRIBE,,THEN WE BE JUST BLAMING OURSELVZ..TRY 2 WORK UP FELLOW ZAMBIANZ,,LET US HAVE A GOOD CHANGE…..ITS CHIBWE NO PLAN NOW?CHECK OUT DE MINISTER,,VERY OLD,,WHEN AR WE GOING TO HAVE FRESH PIPO IN GOVERNMENT?
IME BATU..WHO WERE BLAMING THE UPND DURING THERE PROTEST?NOW SEEWHAT HZ HAPPENED 2 THE 2 JOURNELIST?ZAMBIA NEEDS TO WAKE UP..WE AR SOO BEHIND WERE INGNORANT IS CONCERNED,SO MUCH UNEDUCATED!LET US PUT RIGHT PIPO WHO AR HIGHLY EDUCATED AD LEAD OUR COUNTRY,,,BUT IF WE BE CONTINUE VOTING ON TRIBE,,THEN WE BE JUST BLAMING OURSELVZ..TRY 2 WORK UP FELLOW ZAMBIANZ,,LET US HAVE A GOOD CHANGE…..its chibwe no plan?CHECK OUT DE MINISTER,,VERY OLD,,when ar we going 2 hv young pipo in government?
It’s just old-style politics. He knows exactly why the footage was erased and he supports the erasing!!!
Press freedom has always been a hot issue in Zambia. To enhance that freedom, why not issue a statute so that those police officers who confiscate cameras and tamper with them may be brought to book? A custodial sentence followed by dismissal will certainly act as a deterant to would be offenders. What do others think?
Rubbish.
Shamenda is minister of informstion and not home affairs minister so how do you expect him to punish the police?
Since u are intelligent win an election.. U insult PF VOTERS and u expect to be given votes in 20 whatever u UPND followers are funny.. Any appointment as long as its not Tonga you label it Trible..frustrations must be killing u.
I don’t know how old you are , but your mouth stinks…
I hope the police realize that erasing footage is a criminal offence –  “It’s called tempering with evidence.” All that’s needed in Court is to prove that evidence was tempered with.Â