The Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) has urged government to implement the Freedom of Information Bill (FoIB) and desist from ‘changing goal posts’.
PAZA President, Andrew Sakala, says his organization is saddened by the continuous change of the important piece of legislation which affects the lives of the people.
Mr Sakala observed that the previous MMD administration lamentably failed to implement the Bill and this gives the new Patriotic Front (PF) Government an opportunity to table the piece of legislation in parliament before the end of this year without wasting time.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr Sakala said the people of Zambia look up to the PF Government to deliver to its promises.
He said the Bill is very urgent to the people of Zambia because it would provide for people accessing the vital information at all times, enhance transparency and help fight corruption and public officers will be accountable not only to the Government but to the people, too.
Yesterday, Chief Government Spokesperson, Kennedy Sakeni, indicated that the Bill will be tabled in parliament and implemented in March, 2013.
The PF administration intends to change from FoIB to Access to Information Bill once enacted next year.
ZANIS
You are on your own. The post stopped talking about that issue now. Whatever happened to digging deeper.
With 90% of Zambian media heavily comrpomised and all reporting with interest in getting jobs from PF, we have big problems. Whers is MISA?
The Post is a crap paper. I for one wouldn’t think twice about wipping my ass with it, even before i read it.
The POST newspaper become a past paper the moment they become PF praise team. i can never waste my 3,000 to buy Fred Mumembe’s propaganda but if i happen to stumble on one especially in the TOILET i just flip to Sangwapo.
Why is our government doing this? It is the last thing we expected PF to do. FOI and Public Order Act should not have become difficult bones to chew with PF in power.
Delay in these matters can also mean denial. Why is government denying the people of Zambia the best practices of freedom?
Same old story. Talk talk talk. Little or no action. When you’re in opposition or outside the big house you want access and freedom of information. Once you are in the big house and have access it is all suppressed and forgotten and the ‘outsiders’ take up the chorus of freedom of information. And the big wheel keeps turning…….does this sound familiar to anybody?