Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations for the President, Amos Chanda has said government was concerned with the way Zambian journalists that covered the AU summit were treated by South African authorities.
Mr Chanda said government was not happy that out of the seven Zambian journalists who were officially accredited by both the African Union and South African government to cover deliberations at the assembly, only two were allowed access to selected events by authorities in that country while the rest were completely barred.
The Zambian journalists were also barred by South African police from covering the arrival of President Edgar Lungu at the Lanseria International Airport near Pretoria despite repeated pleas by officials from Zambian High Commission in Pretoria to allow the press access.
The ZANIS cameraperson was forcefully ejected by South African police from the airport premises as she captured the taxing of the Presidential challenger.
Mr. Chanda said the Zambian government will take up the issue of ill treatment of the Zambian journalists with the African Union which had signed protocols with the South African government for hosting the AU summit in that country.
Our journalists rely entirely on prepared texts by officials like Amos Chanda. In my view one journalist is more than enough to do that and they can do it from their office where ever that may be!
Why do you need seven??
These new PF, now Zambians everywhere is to be mistreated…. I think it goes with the importance of delegation and its leader. What is Edgar Lungu worth to South Africans, he is just their patient.
If it was Sata (may he rest), all Journalist from BBC to ZWD could not be controlled…. chaleitila!!
Kikikiki Amos Chanda, copy some rudeness from umwaice Chellah.
So Edgar didn’t buy a new watch after selling it at a “night-out” in Solwezi?
@Nostradamus…..lol. Wali pena mudala. Ati, “What is Edgar Lungu worth to South Africans, he is just their patient” Lungu kugwa kugwa chabe. Mugwileni uyo azagwa.
South Africa has learned that Zambian journalists are treated like rubbish by their own govt. Also the journalists’ focus is so petty and shallow: what’s the point of taking a video of a taxing plane at Lanseria? Was this the first plane she had seen in her life? Of all things she could do thousands of kilometres from Zambia….!
Instead of rallying behind journalists and governments stance on the issue you are condemning…
Amos you are just firing yourself. Look at that picture, seems he is not enjoying his job.
Which journalists iwe KC the ones who only write what they are told, good for them
KC, the problem is that the Zambian government are not best placed to condemn South Africans when they themselves set their cadres on journalists. If you treat yourselves without respect, even foreigners will treat you without respect.
Guys these are our brothers and sisters being mistreated,its not about pf,upnd or mmd.Its about Zambians,for once think and comment as Zambians and not politicians.
I would love to know the whole story. Having said that the mistreatment of journalists is an Africanwide problem (save for a few places like Namibia and Botswana). It speaks to hypocrisy and draconian postures of these countries. For RSA it continues with their Mickey Mouse defense of their Nkhandla comedy…
These journalists are a big disappointment especially to us Zambians. Are they not the same ones who told us that Sata is well and working when the man had turned state house into a hospital ward?Now they are complaining about unprofessional ism. They are not worth being treated as professional journalists and we’re rightly treated as the stupid cadres that they are.
This is South Africa big bully big boy mentality a country credited for its crime and sangomas what do you expect.
The journalists are controlled by Kambwili…The AU authorities were briefed about this. Hence their logical decision. Well done AU.
South Africadid us a favour. PF is reaping what they have been sowing according to what Christians say. They have spent millions of money to block ZWD and to arrest perceived ZWD journalists. These Zambian journalist only rely on written prepared notes. They can’t unearth the scandals going on in PF. they can’t write about the filthy Lusaka streets. so why go waste tax payers money in RSA?
Ba Amos naimwe stop being a cryboy. You are just being a cadre what ill-treatment are you talking about. The whole world knows how your politicians manipulate ZNBC reporters and feed the Zambian people with stupid propaganda and singing praises to your stupid politicians.
Grow up bro….
PF government has just failed the people.
They are usless only parroting the Pf line. Not one of them has the guts to ask these GRZ officials about $25 M airport theft, $113 M oil over charge, mulenga sata and his plunder of land in lusaka.
Usless journalists, keep banning them, they are colluding in the plunder.
DO UNTO OTHERS AS OTHERS DO UNTO UNTO YOU.PF CARDERS IN ZAMBIA BAR JOUNALIST FROM OTHER MEDIA HOUSES TO COVER EVENTS.
WHY THE WHOLE 7 WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SAVING AS THE ECONOMY IS IN MALAISE
Useless comments. Show a bit of patriotism at times. So if a Zambian is killed in a foreign country all you will say PF PF Pf ?
Ndanje Khaks
Uli chipuba someone has commented above about how PF blocks journalists from other media.Have u ever heard these cadre journalists complaining? They are given the same treatment and they complain.Like the disgraced former PF cadre M ‘ Membe would say “this world will not be good for all of us if it is not good for some of us”
Mr Sosala is talking about exactly what you are exhibiting here- don’t think he is talking about leaders- remember leaders come from among you and you are already showing how bad and immature you are. Americans will always stand together if one of them is injured regardless of which party.
Patriotism is a scarce resource in a country being run for the benefit of a very small sector of society. That’s why lots of Zimbos fled their country and right now illegal immigrants are dying while fleeing west Africa and the middle east. You cannot eat patriotism. PF would do better to run Zambia for the benefit of all Zambians, not just their relatives, tribesmen and cronies.
Ndanje Khaks
There you go again defecating in your pants.We are talking about journalists here be specific. You think an American journalist can stoop to the levels these cadre journalists stoop? You now want to compare these cadres to professional American journalists? They are lucky they even have a job.
So import American journalists just as you import everything. As for your insults I won’t retaliate because that is below my status.
Ndanje Khaks
Don’t forget that even there being there if it was probed would reveal scandals.You will find that some are girlfriends to media bosses whilst some were chosen for the trip on tribal or friendship basis.
Ndaje Khaks
The long and shot of it all is that we should not judge ourselves on American standards.At best compare yourselves with DR or Burundi not America.
Ndaje Khaks
Imagine comparing our James on Lungu with Obama it is clearly a mismatch.
Forget it , your reasoning is only bent on malice
I would treat them the same. These shabby looking journalists wearing boom smelling second hand suits , behaving as though they are celebs without the mind of their own BUT their masters? What were they even doing in South Africa? Look at their ZNBC news? Nothing worthy looking at! I am happy someone put them in their place
Ndaje Khaks
But if you compare Jameson Lungu with Nkurunziza or his mentor Mugabe he can even come out tops.
@14.1 mailon As for your insults I won’t retaliate because that is below my status. I like to debate not to insult others because this is like terrorism where you have no points so you resort to threats. Please if your culture is to insult do not engage me in your postings
@Ndaje Kahks, you and I have noted on different platforms how this insult-trading is diluting and standing in the way of meaningful debate. It is very disheartening that belittling seems to be the only blog hallmark obtaining on most Zambian sites. I would love some satire or sarcasm in place of what obtains… Very disheartening.
Serious! What are the South Africans doing “taxing” the Zambian President’s plane?
As for the journalists, if they have nothing better to do than take photos of the Presidents plane “taxiing” then probably it wasn’t worth the expense of sending them to South Africa. Better I think would be to stay at home to study basic spelling and grammar.
YOU HAVE BECOME SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IRRELEVANT AS A NATION, NO ONE WILL LOSE SLEEP BECAUSE OF A JOURNALIST MISTREATMENT ESPECIALLY FROM ZAMBIA …. SIT DOWN!
Zambian journalists deserve to be sujected to that type of protocol (treatment). In Zambia, as Nostradumus says, to tell if a journalist is genuine or party vigilante, like Edgar Chagwa Lungu is hard to be believed as head of state. His posture, language, come-up-from-nowhere as head os state tells it all. Zambian journalist including E C Lungu should not even try to decide to visit USA, UK or Europe without cause will be denied entry and humiliated. South africa knows ECL as patient and is spot on, so what is this Zambian journalist mantra – no credentials.
Government should not hide the recruitment amendment act that president lungu over~turned,its not fair were pipo are ar told that there no police recruits at the moment.