The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia has warned information Minister Chishimba Kambwili to desist from terrorizing the media.
MISA Zambia Chairperson Hellen Mwale said in a statement released to the media that Mr Kambwili’s threats to revoke the broadcasting license for radio Phoenix amounts to violation of media freedom.
Ms Mwale said that it is the duty of the Independent Broadcasting to act with utmost independence and professional autonomy to review any such situations without undue influence over the process by the Minister himself.
Below is the Full Statement
MISA Zambia is displeased that the Minister entrusted with the affairs of the media in the country is the one taking the lead to harass and terrorize media houses.
The claims from the Minister of Information against Radio Phoenix that there is influence of the opposition at the station is testimony that the PF government does not want to be criticized and does not encourage space for participatory democracy.
The threats of withdrawal of the station’s operating license qualify as violation against media freedom as it is clear that the radio station is being targeted with special influence over the process by the Minister himself.
We believe it is the duty of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) to act with utmost independence and professional autonomy to review any such situations without any undue influence from the powers such as the Minister of information and Broadcasting.
It is also saddening that it is the same Radio Phoenix whose nationwide license was withdrawn previously with the government claiming that such a license was a threat to national security and would further allow opposition leaders to continue featuring on the station’s programmes to attack government.
Democratic tenets dictate that there should be guarantee of media freedom with deliberate moves to ensure media diversity, pluralism and independence both editorially and operationally.
We also note with concern the growing trend of threats from the Chief Government Spokesperson against various media outlets and the media fraternity as a whole.
We wish to remind the minister of information that one of the duties of his portfolio is to help foster media development and diversity through the creation of a favourable environment for the media to flourish, as opposed to suppressing media outlets that are seen to be critical of government.
MISA wishes to reiterate that the media in Zambia does not need a terrorist for a minister but rather a person that understands and appreciates the role that the media plays.
Through his behavior, Mr. Kambwili has vindicated our statement earlier this year when we said he was a wrong man for the job. MISA Zambia is closely monitoring recent developments and engaging the parties involved for consensus building to help propel the media fraternity forward to reach greater heights.
We wish to warn Mr. Kambwili, who is also the Chief Government Spokesperson, to desist from terrorizing the media as his behavior is painting a bad picture of President Edgar Lungu’s leadership.
Issued By:
Hellen Mwale
MISA Zambia Chairperson
Can you please translate into Bemba as the Bafoon may not understand.And just a point I have to differ with you.For those of us who don’t want Jameson in office after 2016 Kambwili is the right man for the job as our dull oppositions job is being made easier by this Bafoon who does not realise that he is destroying the little goodwill left of PF.
What is painful is that this hippopotamus of a man does not even give the opposition a chance to feature on ZNBC the purported public institute-what are the people of Zambia paying television licence for? Please educate me if this licence fee has long been withdrawn…
First imwe, does it mean it against the law for any person to open up a media station that will espouse any form of propaganda they so wish to disseminate. secondly, when erol hickey started radio phoenix, was it anywhere in the documents signed that the said station will operate to give information approved by the government of the day?
What i dont understand is the restrictions on what a free media house is allowed to disseminate. In a society with total media freedom, i should be free to open up a station that disseminates information that Jesus is not lord and that the christian, muslim,judaic God is nothing but a big lie. its my freedom to say that!!!
Kanbwili, stop it. stop terrorising the Media. Remember you’ll not be in power forever. So stop it for the good of mother Zambia
This *****will never stop unless somebody stops him.
CK is a retard. He says “efyo twangala amapolitics”. He doesn’t know that he plays with other people’s issues of bread & butter, issues of life & death.
To him being insulted or ‘warned’ as Hellen is doing comes with the territory.
So this warning is just sheer waste of energy & breath. Just decampaign him.
Let kambwili continue his harassment it makes the opposition ‘s work easier. People are seeing clearly what sort of leadership is in PF. Who can trust such leaders?
I think the media should not take Zambians for granted.What Kambwili did was right. Why should Radio station fire an employee if he was performing her/his job. Furthermore look at the political campaigns being done by the post. Is that really media freedom, entering in peoples homes getting information if there the performance of the media in Zambia is below par and all of them they need to go to an ethics school more especially uncle Fred Mmembe who wants to impose his will on the people of Zambia.