Lubashenshi Independent Member of Parliament Patrick Mucheleka has accused some media houses and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the country of being compromised.
Speaking in an interview in Lusaka Mr. Mucheleka said some media houses have deviated from their many duties of providing unbiased information to the public and driving the agenda of the country but instead are now driving agendas of individuals with selfish motives.
Mr. Mucheleka noted that it was not right for media houses to continue promoting personal agendas by selfish individuals at the expense of a national agenda which will help foaster development in the country.
He calls on the media in the country to be above board saying the media are the eyes and ears of the people in the country and that the development of the country depends on the information they provide to the public.
And Mr. Mucheleka has observed that the civil society in the country has been compromised hence failing to provide the necessary oversight to the government.
He cites the failure by the civil society to meaningfully mobilize themselves so as to force government to release the draft constitution as one such area which has shown the weakness in the civil society something he suspects is due to some organizations being compromised.
He explained that Members of Parliament provided an opportunity for the nation to raise as one force when the protested in parliament for three consecutive days but that CSOs failed to cease the opportunity and mobilize themselves and push the agenda from outside parliament.
Mr Mucheleka noted that if the CSOs in the country were not compromised the draft constitution would have long been released because they would have organized a mass movement in action as opposed to press conferences which keeps happening but without tangible results.
“The MPs were demonstrating in the house; we rose to the occasion and demonstrated for three days some thing which is unprecedented in this country, so the Civil Society should have mobilized themselves from outside.
“The CSOs should have also mobilized the student movement, the University of Zambia, Evelyn Hone, Copperbelt University and other students across the country as well as the workers to support the MPs but that did not happen.
“We lost an opportunity to raise as a country and demand for the constitution with one voice,” Mr. Mucheleka said.
He added, ” if we continue to have a constitution which is defective then organizations that should be providing checks and balances will always be compromised or appear to be compromised.”
