The United States Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz yesterday paid a courtesy call on Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Hon. Kampamba Mulenga in her office at Government Complex in Lusaka to discuss various governance issues.
The matters discussed during the meeting included press freedom, digital migration, media capacity building and the role of the media in national development.
In her welcome remarks, the Information and Broadcasting Services Minister and Chief Government Spokesperson said Government under the leadership of His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, values a free press.
Ms. Mulenga said Government recognises the role that a free press plays in national development.
Ms. Mulenga said Government will soon bring both Government and Privately owned media to a round table to dialogue on how the media in the country can play its full and rightful role in national development as well as national reconciliation.
“As Government, our mandate is simply to promote press freedom so that the media operates freely. We have levelled the media playing field and we will soon be having an indaba where we will call all media in the nation to discuss the role that the media can play in this environment,” said Hon. Mulenga.
The Minister called on the US Government to assist Zambia in building capacity amongst media practitioners.
On Digital Migration, the Minister said Government was making steady progress in its quest to complete the second and third phases of the migration process within the next 18 months.
Ambassador Eric Schultz stressed the significance of a free press in a democracy.
The Ambassador said the media have an important role to play in bringing people together to foster national development as well as national reconciliation.
He said the US Government is keen to supplement Government’s efforts in building capacity in Zambian media practitioners for purposes of fostering national development and national reconciliation.
“We have observed that some journalists in some media outlets lack Journalism skills. We have assisted the Zambian Government in the past to build capacity in media practitioners and we would like to continue along this path so that the Journalists can continue to gain the necessary skills to contribute effectively to national development,” said Ambassador Schultz.
Ambassador Schultz also commended Zambia for maintaining its status as a beacon of peace and democracy in Africa.
The Donald doesn’t like fake news. ZNBC just has to praise him and call him God’s gift and they will curry his favour…
In the meantime Eric, the clock is ticking. Doesn’t Donald want you guys to vacate today? Maybe you might be one of the lucky ones AKA there’s a reason why you are still around… would love to have been a fly on the wall as you plan your week…
This has been the worse USA ambassador to Zambia. Always singing songs to PF instead of challenging PF on its human rights violations resulting in closing the media, harassment and killing innocent opposition. Let Trump send in a better ambassador
All you want is him to condemn the government even without reason. Look at Gambia where something was not right, the whole world rose on behalf of the “opposition ” president and ensured the incumbent Yaya vacated the presidency. They could have done so for HH, but they didn’t because your man just lost the election.
It’s unfortunate that the most useless and fake news today on LT is about the Minister of Information
She is on a right track so far so good.
IF U HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THESE PROMINENT AMBASSADORS, YOU WILL REALIZE THAT THEY DON’T JUST DO THINGS AIMLESSLY LIKE MOST OF OUR LEADERS. FOR HIM TO HAVE VISITED U MADAM INFORMATION MINISTER, THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG. LOOK AT THE BEHAVIOR OF OUR PUBLIC MEDIA, THEY LEAVE MUCH TO BE DESIRED
He actually lost his job once Donald was sworn in so he can pack his bags have one more glass of red wine at the home of HH and then board SAA via jnb then back to his home town to put America first