The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia strongly condemns the storming by Patriotic Front (PF) cadres of Feel Free FM Radio in Chipata in an effort to stop a paid for radio programme from airing which was featuring a National Democratic Front (NDC) official Samuel Ligomo Phiri today 4 January 2018.
MISA Zambia is concerned because these type of attacks show that some of the Patriotic Front cadres (supporters) think no one has the right to express their views about politics or national issues in this country except leaders from their party and strongly hold the view that only good things about the PF should be expressed by all citizens.
MISA Zambia wishes to remind them that Zambia is constitutionally a multiparty democracy and the people of Zambia regardless of political affiliation have the right to express themselves and have the right to freedom of Association. To this end the NDC members have the right to belong to the NDC and are entitled to express themselves on radio.
Further on, the media has the right to feature such citizens as they are promulgating the right to freedom of expression in addition to playing their watchdog role.
We are saddened to state that it is a shame that some of these violent and non-democratic PF cadres can today carry out actions to prevent opposition political party politicians from expressing their views on radio station when their Late founding Leader Micheal Sata often and many of its leaders who are still alive today can attest to suffering the same fate while in opposition.
The PF leaders while in opposition had difficulties to feature on various media in Zambia and they therefore pledged to respect both media freedom and freedom of expression in their manifesto which some of its cadres are wantonly ignoring today.
We urge these PF cadres to desist from this habit as it is against the democratic principles and Law Zambians gave unto themselves through the Constitution. We urge the police to arrest and charge such cadres as this trend seems to be on the increase. Feel Free FM is the third station within a space of three months to have suffered from these attacks but to the contrary no cadres so far have been brought to book; that is being arrested, charged and appearing in court to answer for their actions.
While we are grateful that Police in Chipata made at effort to go to the station to halt the situation, we are unaware and are concerned that there are no reports of arrests as Feel Free station manager has confirmed that the people who stormed the radio are PF cadres and he can identify them.
We hope the PF leadership will take a step to address this matter as this is the third statement we are issuing within three months on the same matter of PF cadres’ intolerance towards divergent views. We wish to state that we have also written to the PF Secretary General to report these incidents and request for his action.
Issued by
Ms Hellen Mwale
MISA Zambia Chairperson
“which was featuring a National Democratic Front (NDC) official Samuel Ligomo Phiri today 4 January 2018”. What kind of reporting is this ? is Today 4 th January 2018
I have heard of these radio disruptions so many times before, nothing has changed, when will thinks change???. Pointless to stand on top of the hill and condemn the attacks.
It is the PF police that stand and watch….what are private citizens supposed to do , arm themselves to protect freedom of expression ??
correction
When will things change
Let’s condemn any harassment regardless of who’s involved. It works against our democracy. And those featuring on these radios must be civil as they discuss issues. The other I accidentally switched to Prime TV and this was openly saying ” Edgar Lungu is a thief etc “. MISA must educate their members on how to conduct themselves because it’s that kind of language that infuriates cadres of our parties.
He is a corrupt theif……he does not deny it….
#4.1 He’s president so he cannot be answering every desparados like you and HH.
He is president but he has to set the record straight as a leader and say that he is not a thief otherwise people will believe what the desperados say.
And what is the correct thing to do if someone calls you a thief? You break the radio station?
@ Ndanje khakis
Firstly, when somebody is accused of stealing and the High Court finds him/her guilty and that person accepts to refund stolen money, how you cal that person? Thief, anointed, vise, visionary or humble?
Secondly, why you always must mention HH? Are you having wet dreams whilst thinking about him? Are you gay?