Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba has pledged to ensure the three public media institutions, TIMES OF ZAMBIA, ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL and Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) are recapitalised and modernised to desirable standards.
President Michael Sata recently swapped Mr Mwamba who was Western province Permanent Secretary with Amos Malupenga who was at Information.
Mr Mwamba prodded media heads to collaborate closely with him by submitting names of various institutions with outstanding debts so that the debts could be collected and funds utilised to enhance operations.
Speaking when he featured on a live Muvi Television, The Assignment programme, on Sunday, he said his priorities among others were to uplift the welfare of public media institutions.
“Being a media practitioner myself, I understand problems our public media institutions are currently facing. They are crippled with huge debts. I want to make sure they are recapitalised and modernised to operate at a much desirable standard,” he said.
He would ensure the three media houses were fully connected to social networks such as facebook, twitter coupled with effective websites for people in the Diaspora to access news from Zambia.
Mr Mwamba would directly engage the ministry of Finance to help with funding on recapitalisation of the public media institutions to enable them expand their operations and be accessed globally.
“This is one of first issues I will fight for because I want to put these institutions in an updated standard to be accessed by people globally. Look at BBC, it is well updated and this is my focus also,” he said
He urged the public media heads to closely work with him by identifying institutions especially ministries that had outstanding debts so he could dialogue with them.
Mr Mwamba said the institutions had fundamental roles in highlighting and educating people on various Government developmental projects being implemented countrywide.
Besides developmental projects, he said, other significant issues the media could highlight were the fight against cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS and Government’s continued quest to create massive jobs.
He also pledged to provide wise leadership that President Sata had entrusted him and newly appointed Minister Mwansa Kapeya to champion professionalism and objective reporting in all media houses.
Mr Mwamba assured that he would use his new role at the ministry to fight for development but that journalists should also assist by reporting accurately and objectively.
He said journalists should uphold their ethnics saying inappropriate reporting triggered misunderstandings among people especially that public media institutions used taxpayers’ monies.
On the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill, he said, the bill could be tabled during the forthcoming parliamentary He cautioned journalists that the growing tendency of some ministers always wanting preferred reporters to cover them should cease as it was compromising their work and professionalism.
“I think issues of reporters being favourable to some ministers should cease because every reporter employed by TIMES or ZNBC can report. Where ever they go, they represent their institutions,” he said.
Its time to clean your name. There is always a second chance in life,
you are so right.
i do not view mwamba as an upright person.
maybe he now has a chance to shine at his new post and prove me wrong.
It’s all about pledges. Hardly a week on the job without even fully understanding operations and issues at the public media houses
Ba Mwamba, where are you going to get funding for recapitalizing these institutions? start by asking the institutions to be professional, then citizens will starting buying public news to support your initiatives.
Where indeed will he get funding? The only option is for you to privatise
well he can have all these ideas but the truth is hes boss will not support real development because hea not interested, in development but politics I mean these stone age guys always have a pissing contest or whose got the biggest waper so really its all talk
Good move by the President – you are indeed equal for the task at hand. Hope everyone gives you the support you rightly deserve.
Bemba useful id.iot displaying typical tribal myopic vision.
look at your profile photo.you look more like a monkey.who are you trying to please.both have done nothing from their respective portfolios.they are like monkeys being transferred from one zoo to the other without purpose.
What we want is ZNBC to be transformed into a Public Broadcaster, like SABC; not being aligned to any party in power outside. ZNBC, because it is our heritage, we pay levy for it. The rest of the newspapers, can remain partisan, we will read ZWD, LT, The Nation, etc. Understand FTJ’s boy?
I will only believe when i see, talk is cheap!
PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA DO YOU SEE THE NEXT PF PRESIDENT IN WAITING? THIS MAN HAS WORKED VERY WELL AND TO BE HONEST I DID NOT EXPECT MR MWAMBA TO PERFORM THIS MUCH. HE HAS MOVED FROM PROVINCE TO PROVINCE AND READING IN THE PRESS I CAN TELL THAT ME MWAMBA IS DOING A GREAT JOB. KEEP IT UP MR MWAMBA FOR THE GOOD WORKS.
YOUR DREAM OF SEEN ZNBC BE SEEING WORLD WIDE WILL SURELY COME TO LIGHT. PLEASE TELL THESE THUGS AT ZNBC TO UTILIZE TV LEVI WISELY. THEY JUST USE IT TO HAVE SEX
I hope most Zambians are smarter than you.Just because this man grabbed reporters and cameramen to document him when he toured clinics and roads you think he deserves to be president? You will have a another Chimbwi no plan in statehouse if your idea sees the light of day.
Mwamba hasn’t done any work. Show us a project with his name on it.
This guy was in the village and it grated him that he had to depend on ZWD,LT and Daily nation for news.Welcome to the city!
If you concentrate on blocking Watchdog, you will fail and you will be fired like your predecessor. Just let them be, do other jobs where you have chance of success.
Mwamba if you want to modernise the public media to desirable standards your solution is to privatise them especially the two papers and get them off the balance sheet. Gov’t has no business in running papers!!
Mwamba if you want to modernise the public media to desirable standards your solution is to privatise them especially the two papers and get them off the balance sheet. Gov’t has no business in running papers!!
Just sell off the darn things! They are a drain from the national treasury.
My worry is his head. Where is he going to get the hair so that he is able to go to state house? Welcome brother, you almost messed up Western.
Ba Mwamba we have been given these promises since 1991 when MMD took over from UNIP. Nothing ever happens. All the ruling party does is misuse taxpayers’ money running these parrot boxes
Tell us: Why was the FAT, lazy, always travelling Permanent Secretary Amos Malupenga demoted?
Bravo BA Mwamba! Haters go eat grass!!
modernise. my foot! Does Mwamba know what it takes. Any body should know that the first thing after a new appointment is first to analyse what is on the ground and not make retorioc statements without proper knowledge.
Mwamba ask your self why govt depts are ion debt with media.
Take ZNBC AS it stands today. adverts are pathetic same stuff. if were u i would ask management to wake up prog content has gone to the dogs. repeats are the order of the day. newcasters often appear on tv appear bored
Mwamba is most travelled PS in since this country Zambia was created. Just know soon you will be transfered to N/W, that how our Plot 1 tenant operates. Your promises are empty………..we had three governments they hav been sayin the same thing, even Amos said the same. Please zambians, let get fresh blood.
i hope the pf has no debts at znbc. And if so ba mwamba are u going 2 manage to get de money…… ?