The Delegation of the European Union issues the following statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Zambia
The closure of The Post by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) on 21 June, reportedly because of an outstanding tax dispute, is of the utmost concern – in particular as it occurred during the campaign period leading to the general elections on 11 August.
The EU Delegation and the Heads of Mission of the EU Member States strongly support the principles of freedom of expression and freedom of the press as cornerstones of any democratic society. Independence of the media facilitates the free exchange of information and ideas. This principle is even more important as Zambia prepares for the upcoming general elections which all stakeholders expect to be credible, transparent and inclusive, in accordance with Zambia’s democratic record.
While tax compliance is important there must be ample room for an agreement between ZRA and The Post, also in accordance with the equality in treatment that has to be granted to all media houses.
I vividly recall the days when I used to struggle to pay government taxes in my home Country, every month without fail, my ”evil” employers would tax 35% of my salary and remit it to Zambia Revenue Authority(ZRA) without fail – this went on for 15 long years!
I also recall my annoyance when I had to buy fuel at $2 dollar per litre and of course! The tax man had his long fingers in their two – shopping for food and paying over 14% VAT and never mind importing utility cars over the years that came with over 55% custom and import duties – this was not unique to me but applied to every citizen that had the misfortune of earning some money.
As for the cross border trader, I cannot even begin to understand nor appreciate their woes – Sometimes, my sister running an S.M.E is…
Mmembe was given a repayment plan sometime early last year mambala ran to the courts for injuctions. He has actually finished all the courts in Zambia. The closure of the post is not sudden as what these wankas wants as to believe. Its a long story which should be blamed at Fred himself. Post has nothi@g to do with press freedom. Its a political party in disguise. So just encourage them to pay or else we will be refusing to pay and we will see if the so called press freedom will develop Zambia and put food on the table.
AFTER THE ELECTIONS LUNGU SHOULDN’T CRY FOUL WHEN HE WILL BE MADE TO ACCOUNT FOR HIS BRUTAL ACTIONS AGAINST INNOCENT PEOPLE. HE WILL ALSO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS SUDDEN INCREASE IN WEALTH. THE LAST LAUGH WILL BE SWEETER. WE WILL ALSO PETITION TO HAVE HIM SENT TO THE HAGUE TO ANSWER FOR THE DEATH OF OUR PEOPLE AT THE HANDS OF HIS PARTY CADRES AND FOR BRUTALIZING THE CHILDREN AT LADY DIANA SCHOOL. HE WILL BE MADE TO ANSWER FOR THE BURNING OF GBM’S MILLING COMPANY.
EU keep your mouth shut. Do not interfere with Zambia’s internal affairs. Your moral stance is not sound and so leave us alone before you may begin telling men to marry men calling it human rights. You are responsible for impoverishing Africa and other developing countries.
THE CLOSURE OF THE POST IS POLITICAL….LUNGU IS ISTRUCTIONG ZRA TO FOLLOW UP ON ALL WHO CRITICISE HIS MIDIOCRE LEADERSHIP….ZRA followed the Chief of Bling (Chief Mukuni) too for belitlling a K15,000 chief subsidy…Lungu lisaka saaana
Very balanced statement. The last sentence is the message.
True
Stop meddling in our internal affairs and take that weak message to the compromised Middle Eastern states where you in the company of US minions rob them of oil wealth in broad daylight.
This is not Kenya, Greece or Turkey.
In Zambia we don’t interfere with the professional job being done by ZRA, ECZ, Judiciary or any other wings.
If you want you can foot the tax bill for the Post. Stop blowing hot air
Then tell your PF to pay them the Ka $10 Billion you owe and ask them to vacate the country!
Mr. Kudos, Go and take your ARVs than wasting time here..you kids will have no dad if you continue missing on scheduled medication
Chi kudos but you want their EURO,S to fund your road projects,ARV,s relief food and so on and shout ATI SONTA !cant you get scenes in anything sensible wecipuba using violence or a heavy hand on a mosquito that is playing around your (amapuli) will only teach you that violence is not the solution to sort problems out.
Imwe ba EU sibazana noti zabanzanu.
If when you are in Zambia you are consistent with following all our issues, you will realize that the issue of Post and ZRA started way back when RB was getting into Government when the Post fearlessly decampaigned him. Since then, this matter was in Court coz our ZRA had to abide by the Judicial process. If it was politically motivated, Post would have been closed long time ago. So, kindly study matters closely before you say anything coz Zambia is not Turkey, or UK where Press TV has been banned.
RB said ” mambala esila makoti onse” Kikiki. Fred was running to courts instead of running to the banks. Damn I forgot that alifwasisha kuma banki nako. Nikamambala aka kamuntu.
The Zambian economy is broken. Right now the Lungu govt is spending money on political campaigns. By the end of the election period the fiscal position will be precarious becoz govt is spending money it hasn’t got. After elections the new govt will need financial assistance and advice from IMF and other International Financial Institutions. Foreign govts and Aid Donors will also chip in. This can only be posible if Zambia has elections that are declared free,fair and credible.If Zambia has disputed elections this financial assistance will not be forthcoming and that leave the Zambian economy in dire straits. These issues are food for thought.Rigged elections results can lead to social strife and uprisings.Up until now the Zambian economy has been growing becoz of the prevailing peace…
Agreed, and to the point!
Fikaisova. . . Iwe ka Andrea mwaiche don’t worry be happy . by hook or crook ifintu ni lungu
Why hate the Post. ZRA should tell the nation if the Post is the highest in terms of tax dues. If not, they playing kangaroo games.
Exactly
EU, Freedom of Expression hardly permits the evasion of tax. Is this what you promote. Stop misleading us. You are the same chaps who mislead MMD in the privatisation programme, when we were not prepared for it and it paved way for HH to con the Zambians. Don’t poke your long nose in our internal issues. The Post has been singing on top of voices that the Government is broke when they owe ZRA all this money. How do you surely start defending criminality. Shame EU.
The post was closed by ECL, it is not sbout taxes, intimidation.
ITS A TRICKY SITUATION THE POST HAS FOUND ITSELF IN AND ZRA IS CAUGHT UP IN A WEB. THE TIMING IS WRONG ON THE PART OF THE ZRA AS EVERYONE SEEMS TO BELIEVE THAT THE ACTION IS MEANT TO SILENCE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION AND THE DONORS AND WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE ALREADY IN SUPPORT OF THE POST. THIS WHOLE ISSUE NEEDS COOL HEADS BECUASE ITS BECOMING MORE POLITICAL THAN DEFAULTING ON TAX OBIGATIONS AND THE POST SEEMS TO BE GETTING AWAY WITH IT. WHAT NEXT BA PF GOVERNMENT? THE ZAMBIAN MEDIA CHASE BOARD OR JUST ANOTHER PUZZLE PF HAS TO CONTEND WITH?
What is the right play here? Govt should till the election are over or the post should just own up pay there obligation. ?
We believe since the Ministers are working especially the Foreign and Justice Ministers, they will respond responsibly and do justice to this issue. The matter these trouble makers are failing to recognize is that this has for a long time been a legal matter that started some time ago which has matured now! They want they want the Post to be treated like Times of Zambia,Daily Mail and ZNBC or vice versa.But these are public media belong to all Zambians where GRZ is the major shareholding and not too long ago government agreed to assume some of their debts. So Post must just pay and then enjoy the Freedom they have always enjoyed to write what they want!
ZNBC, daily mail do not belong to zambians, they belong to PF.
A word of advice to the concerned parties. It appears, you are not identifying a problem concerning the Post Newspaper. The gist is that ZRA compelled the Post Newspaper to pay taxes that they were obliged. The Post Newspaper ran to the Courts of Law and this process took long. What we should bear in mind is that the time that Uncle Fred was spending in the Courts of Law was the time he could have been settling the tax obligations. If the EUD can think of the bills to accumulate to ZMW 53 million ++++, then it means that the firm has not paid tax for sometime. Therefore, the so called International Community should not just listen to half baked information.
There is no half baked info ,the shutdown is is meant to starve zambians of the free flow of information.
If not this GRZ ZRA should have waited until after the elections.
So the EU have decided to dispense with truth and decided to claim ignorance about what the Zambian Revenue Authority have done in the past.
This is coming from EU in Africa before I cast my vote for UK to Leave or Remain in the EU. What a timing.
This is a strange World. Mmembe has been arrogant to the level of insulting all established institutions in Zambia, rudely refusing to pay back to his debtors by dribbling around his way through the Courts of Law. Yet MISA and other international organisations NEVER had the courage to advise Mmembe the culture of being civilized.
Why are these “foreign institutions” raising dust now when ZRA had gone through hail to demand for financial redress? Let them honestly tell us if any of the European Govts would tolerate the culture of tax payment avoidance.
Not the extent of shutting down media of opposing views to the goverment just before elections.
If it looks and feels like banning freedom of expression, then it must be banning freedom of expression by the
PF GRZ.
@Splaka… Please shut up! Why do you people have such a knack for FLIP FLOPPING? You think if a business or individual behaved the way M’membe/The Post has been acting on Taxes, anywhere in Europe, the EU would be issuing such silly statements? Why do these “BAZUNGUS” think African Countries’ Laws don’t matter? And why should the EU think they have some sort of God Given Right to poke their noses in other Countries’ internal affairs? Just because they provide some AID does NOT give them the right to interfere with the Judgements of our Country’s Courts and Tax Laws.
M’membe is a criminal for deliberately ignoring to settle his Tax Bills. He took this case to Court and lost. So what else is there to argue about? Press Freedom should not, and can not, be used for COVER to…
EU if it were you can you allow such thing to happen in your countries. Useless EU no brains
HOW MANY PEOPLE/FIRMS HAVE JAILED IN THE EU COUNTRIES FOR NOT PAYING TAX REGARDLESS OF THEIR STATUS???? WHAT IS THE RIGHT TIME TO ENFORCE THE TAX OBLIGATION?????? ADVISE US ZAMBIANS BECAUSE WE DON’T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING. IT IS YOU TO TELL US WHEN WHICH COMPANY AT WHAT TIME.
You EU Id.iots read the judgement which states clearly that ZRA and the Past entered an agreement for payments in instalments, but your stooge abrogated the instalment payment. In you stu.pid countries, you jail business men who evade tax. So just tell you fellow fo.ol to PAY TAX and don’t talk of election as if we have stated voting today. The fact that he support inserting of male organs in male sewer systems should not warrant support from you foo.ls. If you are so worried bail him ougt with 6 million dollars stop yapping
EU can go to Libya and fix the mess they created
WHAT EVER RESULT WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON OTHER PAYERS OF TAX. IF POST DOES PAY TAX OTHERS WILL START FEARING ANDTHEY WILL BE PAYING AND IF IT DOES NOT OTHER WILL STOP PAYING. THE WORD OF GOD TELL US NOT TO AVOID PAYING TAX. IF JESUS PAID TAX WHAT OF THE POST. fOR THESE WORDS DR NEVERS MUMBA MAN OF GOD TRIED AVOID THIS SCRIPTURE BUT CONTNUES COMINGTO HIM I FEEL.
If you don’t live by their rules like not shutting down papers critical of goverment at election time don’t go begging for bailouts to their IMF and don’t accept their aid money. Simple.
Or pay back the aid received this year and last year alone.
That is not aid. It is what they owe us for slavery and colonialism
Still have the colonisim chip have we?
You are over 50 years old as a country and you can’t stand on your own feet with out aid because of your corruption.
WE are not the EU. We are the AU so keep your neo-colonial advice to yourselves. Why didnt you advise The Post against signing a pact with the PF if you are really interested in democracy?
That said this is a political move because it occurrs during the campaign period leading to the general elections. That said the Post must pay what it owes the Zambian people. This is what happens when you go into illegal deals with ruling parties so that they can ignore your tax obligations. Sata is no longer here to help you. The lesson if you are a newspaper dont take political sides.
So a blind eye should be turned to corruption and missmangment ???
If what the post writes is not true, prove that in courts of law or explain why they are lying in fact the PF have been challenged many times to deny cases of corruption by the post but fearing more corruption revelations the keep quiet and continue stealing.
You gladly accept their aid money so they have the right to criticise you.
NOT REMMITTING PAY AS YOU EARN TO ZRA IS DOUBLE STEALING. YOU HAVE TO TOLD YOUR WORKER AM DEDUCTING THIS MONEY TO ZRA. THIS MEANS YOU HAVE CHEATED YOUR WORKER OR STEAL FROM YOUR WORKER. UNLESS IF YOU DO NOT REMITTED IT YOU BETTER GIVE IT BACK TO THEM bECAUSE IN THIS SITUATION THE ONE WHO HAS NOT PAID IS THE WORKER.
Who made this useless statement from the EU? European countries are tough on it’s tax defaulters and therefore, I smell a rotten rat in this claim that the EU put up such a statement over the Lucifer’s file as regard the payment of tax. We must first address Mmembe’s lack of respect for authority and arrogance in the work of his continuous printing of his File despite ZRA’s intervention. The law of negotiation demand for humility on the part of the victim and not arrogance and disregard for authority. No one is above the law and the File is not the only private newspaper for crying out loud. Who from the EU is challenging our tax collector from performing their duty. I implore all Mmembe’s sympathisers to bail him out.
It is the timing of the closure of the post that smells like a dead rat.
Iwe ka Spaka like itole – – There will never be a better time than this . Speaking Zambiapolitically this is the best time for ECL to inflict maximum damage on HH . No evil mmembe with his evil mouth piece. I believe by now all bank accounts are ceased, all income generated by the evil post must be remitted to ZRA… Vafwata kwasila. . .
Lesson 1: never take the tax man to court for stupid reason …. taxman will always collect just like it will rain in Lusaka sometime this year . . .
Stupid comments, Zambia is broke, where will you go to borrow loans to survive? You only know EU and USA when you need money to borrow, but when the tell you to run your country properly, you get arrogant. You say Zambia is a democracy? Well then there is principles that governs a democrac government, eg. justice, free press, fairness, transparency, rule of law, etc. You can not run to close a an important press like the post just because the revealed secrets about the government. The taxes in question are in dispute at the courts & with court issuing an order not to close the paper, but we have a government that does not respect the court, these things will backfire in the future.
Exhibiting ignorance
If the EU and USA encouraged African systems to function as intended, maybe we wouldn’t need their AID. But you can bet your @ss on it, no Western Country wants to see African countries completely independent of their influence. And FINANCIAL AID is one such “carrot” that these neo-colonialists have used to control Third World Nations. WE MAY BE BROKE BUT CERTAINLY NOT MORALLY BANKRUPT as to allow Tax Fraud!
I don’t see any reason why the EU or USA would be against enforcing a Judgement rendered by our Country’s Courts. That would be very HYPOCRITICAL OF THEM. In the USA or Europe, Courts and their rulings are held in very high regard, so why should they expect any less from Zambians regarding their own Courts? Is it because they think we are just Africans who don’t know any…
Si ndalama zanyoko
EU KEEP QUIET OR GO HOME AND MAKE NOISE THERE. PRESS FREEDOM IS NOT LICENCE TO TAX EVASION. POST NEWSPAPER GO BIG HEADED TOO MUCH. FRED BECOME OVER POMPOUS. SO IF YOU THINK YOU WANT TO PROTECT PRESS FREEDOM YOU ARE WRONG ON THIS ONE..YOU ARE IGNORANT ABOUT THE POSTNEWSPAPER-ZRA ISSUE. YOU SHOULD HAVE STUDIED THE MATTER FIRST. GO AND RESOLVE YOU HOMOSEXUAL AND LESBIAN IMMORALITIES FIRST BEFORE YOU CAN BE ELIGIBLE TO TELL US THINGS
EU KEEP QUIET OR GO HOME AND MAKE NOISE THERE. PRESS FREEDOM IS NOT LICENCE TO TAX EVASION. POST NEWSPAPER GOT BIG HEADED TOO MUCH. FRED BECOME OVER POMPOUS. SO IF YOU THINK YOU WANT TO PROTECT PRESS FREEDOM YOU ARE WRONG ON THIS ONE..YOU ARE IGNORANT ABOUT THE POSTNEWSPAPER-ZRA ISSUE. YOU SHOULD HAVE STUDIED THE MATTER FIRST. GO AND RESOLVE YOUR HOMOSEXUAL AND LESBIAN IMMORALITIES FIRST BEFORE YOU CAN BE ELIGIBLE TO TELL US THINGS
Then don’t beg them for money.
Sindala za awoso olo anyoko — We will beg from non EU – Countries like Great Britain for ex colonialists or our good corrupt all weather friend = China.
Mmembe has not refused that he was not remitting the PAYE he has been deducting from his employees, the VAT charged on news papers etc. Why are we attacking ZRA when the person involved is only saying they should not only target us, we are many who are doing this. So if you catch a thief and he has admitted stealing from you, would you accept letting the thief go upon knowing that there are more thieves out there, so that you can arrest them together or at the same time. Not at all. You will deal with the thief you have arrested and later go for the others. We read today that even is it G4 security was hammered K19 million by ZRA. No one is talking about them. Is the Post more a company than the security company. Lets also be fare in our comments.
Go back to school baba . . .you need better tools of analysis
please stop astop stop interfearing in our affires and if u fell sorry for p[osy EU AND USA than u play the tax like bob next door tols briatians u run ur shamba and i run my ok
please stop astop stop interfearing in our affires and if u fell sorry for post than EU AND USA than u pay the tax like bob next door said one time to brithish u run ur shamba and i run my ok
I for one dont care what EU , USA or any western foreigner thinks about this closure of the Post. Because i know that they cannot mean what they say. They cannot be serious, they are just playing to the gallery to show Mmembe some solidarity.
They just have to.say.something. How else can.you explain.the whole EU issuing such a lame statement when they have
been.in this country so long? They know that Mmembe simply refused to.pay his taxes for a long time because he thinks that he is a god. As i.have told their US colleagues, help.them pay their tax and then we can see whether this is a matter of stifling press freedom.
I propose the following solution:
EU/US to settle Mmembe’s debt by giving him.a grant. Then turn the Post into an NGO for press freedom to be supported by.the EU Delegation to Zambia
That.way no.more tax problems with ZRA
Neat.eh
Otherwise EU know that the people of Zambia consider Mmembe their enemy number 1.
Spaka like chililo funeral. Bushe bali kwanina amano aba bene?
After all is said and done the dust will settle and it will be business as usual. Fred instead of playing the trumpet identify your sympathisers from the comments. Quickly go to them kneel down get the 53 or so million and pay ZRA. Thereafter exercise double the freedom of expression you had before 21st June and achieve your goals. Then you will laugh last.
But remember your donors after because you can end in 4 times the trouble you are in.
To the sympathisers, its not time for the blame game. Lift up the drowning man if you still need his services.
In the US once the Supreme Court rules the rest is implementation. In this case the High Court and Supreme Court have both not only ruled but also observed that Mmembe has several times over the years either abused or disrespected the payment terms agreed over his tax debts.
This case has nothing to do with freedom of the press but everything to do with abuse of the freedom of the press by Mmembe and his supporters. The only option left is Pay or Close.
I think.that both the US and EU should not be taken seriously, but just playing to the gallery.
Mmembe’s “supporters” and “sympathisers” ALL KNOW THAT MMEMBE HAS FU.CKED UP THIS CASE HIMSELF AND HE HAS LITTLE TO NO CHANCE OF SURVIVAL, election or no election.
If the highest court of Zambia gave The Post an opportunity to defend themselves, but lost the case why should the International Community be pressuring the government? The due process was followed and the action taken by ZRA is legally correct.WE CAN`T BLAME ZRA for taking such an action.The Post delayed the case hoping for change of government after the forth coming elections that was going to write off their debt.THAT’S CHEAP AND NO UNBIASED PERSON CAN SUPPORT THEM.ALL ZAMBIANS WHO EARN INCOME EXCEPT MARKETEERS PAY TAX. WHY NOT THE POST. TO DRIVE ON ZAMBIAN ROADS WE PAY ROAD TAX. ZRA COLLECT EVERY NGWEE SO THAT GRZ CAN BUY MEDICINES FOR OUR HOSPITALS.