Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia Chapter Chairperson Daniel Sikazwe has said that government’s promise to free the public media should not just end at mere pronouncements.
Mr. Sikazwe said that government should not guarantee public media freedom through pronouncements because such a position can easily be changed.
Mr. Sikazwe said such pronouncements have been made before by past regimes but little change took place in terms of laws and policies governing and facilitating the existence of public media.
He has cited the time the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) came to power and promised to liberalize the media and and went further by outlining it in the manifesto but failed to enact the freedom of information bill during its entire stay in power.
The MISA Zambia chairperson has since urged the Patriotic Front government to ensure that they practice what they preach by guaranteeing freedom to state owned media through laws and not mere pronouncements.
He was speaking today during a media briefing in Lusaka.
And Mr. Sikazwe has expressed concern on the continued harassment of media practitioners by the Zambia Police. He said that MISA Zambia is saddened by the continued detention and harassment of journalists and the confiscation of equipment whenever journalists are covering public events.
Meanwhile, Chairperson for the African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC) Zambia chapter, Cornelius Mweetwa, says the planned enactment of the Freedom of Information Bill (FOIB) is a welcome move that will help in the fight against corruption.
In an interview in Choma, Mr Mweetwa said there is need for more political will in order to win the fight against corruption which he said should take a holistic approach that is not selective.
He said he is glad that within the current session of parliament, the Freedom of Information Bill will be tabled.
Mr Mweetwa, who is also Choma Central UPND Member of Parliament, said the bill, once enacted, will address some of the bottle necks that hindered access to information relating to corruption.
He said once passed into law, it will be easier for people such as journalists and the investigative wings to obtain information without hurdles, thereby giving an impetus to the corruption fight.
He said there is need for more political will in the fight against corruption so that everybody, including those holding public offices, can be subjected to the same scrutiny without necessarily waiting for five years or more when they would have left office.
QFM/ZANIS
Gibberish
PF MEANS WELL, MISA WILL SEE THE ENACTING OF THE FOI BILL INTO LAW IN THE 1ST TERM OF PF GOVERNMENT. THIS WILL TELL YOU HOW MANY MORE GOOD THINGS ARE TO COME BEFORE THE END OF FIVE YAERS.
I wish there was a law to curb media houses misinforming citizens on key issues. What is happening media politicians relationships? how do these houses influence elected officials as opposed to real public good? Levison inquiry issue!!!!!!
Zambia is better off without Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail, Zambia National Broadcasting Coporation, ZANIS and the Post Newspaper. These are the media institutions that are sowing seeds of distruction in our society. Zambians will enjoy peace without these institutions. We dont need them, they dont add any value to our lives.If anything, they have been very destrcuctive.
For public media, very little if any has changed with PF in government.Public media and even some private ones like Post newspaper are being used as government propaganda apparatus to the disadvantage of citizens.
Nonsence
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