STATE HOUSE has complained that the high level of misinformation is not only causing unnecessary anxiety but is having a negative effect on the market. In a live interview to curtail a false statement suggesting cabinet reshuffle, Presidential Spokesperson Amos Chanda clarified that he had not issued any statement announcing cabinet reshuffles.
Mr Chanda further wondered why ZICTA seemed to be doing nothing to bring to an end the high levels of misinformation especially with regard to the presidency.
“I share the sentiments that many have about the capacity of ZICTA to deal with these things. Many people have told me that capacity exists within ZICTA and questions are being asked why ZICTA is not acting,” Mr. Chanda complained.
“Unfortunately I have to speak like this on the national broadcaster but these questions are coming to my office and experts who are not working for ZICTA are saying that capacity exists within ZICTA to deal with this mischief.”
“Why are they not dealing with It? Your guess is as good as mine.”
Mr. Chanda said there was need for a reaction to these misinformation and urged all responsible agencies to deal with the misinformation.
“All WhatsApp groups, WhatsApp message is linked to a phone number, ZICTA has got the registration of every phone number if someone sends a false statement on WhatsApp group a WhatsApp messenge can only come from a sim card,” Mr Chanda observed.
“So why can’t ZICTA move and stop that mischief?”
He further complained that the misinformation was making governance very difficult.
He added that despite his offices frantic effort to curb misinformation such as recently observed with the Presidents vacation trip to Luangwa, some political leaders had no decency and want to peddle lies.
“I was on Hot FM I announced the President was on vacation but there is a politician insisting he was not on vacation. There has to be a level of common decency, first of all among political leaders they must exercise a level of decency,” he said.
Kikiki what can Zicta do ba chanda?The guys have no skills of ICT professionals.in short they lack qualifications and experience .We told u to invest in education especially in ICT and engineering to move forward as a country.We are lacking innovations in this country no wonder we just depend on Chinese guys coz they study hard.Corruption has killed the the education systems and innovation bcoz it doesnt pay.It easy to make billions thru corruption than spending years working hard.please invest in systems of monitoring which would stop people from stealing then you gonna see how pipo will start working hard.At the moment kuwayawafye.why should i suffer studying or researching when i can get free money thru kick backs?
Tongas have watsup groups were they encourage each other to react to anything against the progresses the govt is making. They contact each other to vote down any comment supporting govt move. Its funny when you they report back. One such group is were mushipe belongs. I read all the nonse on my tonga boyfriends phone. Its a big network of *****s.
The proposed cabinet makes a lot of sense compared to the mediocrity present
Amos is a good leader. He always provides objective news which serious-minded persons can use and be well-informed. Unfortunately, many TRIBAL UPND cadres object to his advice because they think he has nothing to offer them because he is not TONGA.
All this is as a result of your government not telling the nation what is happening. there is no truth in state house. when you fond of hiding even unnecessary things you leave room for speculation. everything starts and stops at plot 1.
Here is a classic case of economic sabotage;
After securing the ‘tender’ from vice president Inonge Wina, ETG started importing cashew nut seeds from Tanzania and imposing them on the people on Barotseland to plant them instead of the indigenous crops that are naturally adapted to the sand in Barotseland. What this means is that, apart from taking away the money from the local people, the PF government led by Inonge Wina have successfully managed to wipe out the indigenous cashew nut from Western province and replaced it with a foreign crop whose side effects make take time to notice.
There is nothing wrong with the indigenous cash nut in Western province and it is not in short supply. So why are they replacing it with the Tanzanian variety?
Can Parliament look into these issues that…
A UPND’s brain is like a sweet potato which cannot be straightened.
”The administration of this country is in wrong hands. This country has been personalised by State House and you can see the arrogance when they are answering to issues of national character. First of all, we have the most difficult and challenging President, who does not communicate with the electorate for whatever reasons. Then his Spokesperson has also over the years grown so big-headed. You monitor his language, the way he describes other political players, it’s like he’s describing filth. The people in State House have grown so big-headed that they have forgotten where they are coming from. It is not Amos’ role to attack political players, his role is to speak for the Presidency and the President to some extent. But he has taken a dual role, he speaks for the President of the…
Office of the president should not be like a public toilet such whenever UPND BOARS feels like , they can go through.If ZICTA today censor misinformation puddles on Facebook and whatupp 90% is coming from Tongas/ UPND. If systems is curbs, same tonga boars will open their loudest mouths yelling like puppies.
Go on ZICTA curb the sinisters of UPND.
Tribalists like you Mr. P are blinded by hate. When you are full of hate, you can’t reason well. One doesn’t have to be a certain tribe to have capacity to criticize.
Mr P illock with IQ of 6″ has made another contribution!!!
Another ***** who uses his legs to think MR P, foolish man
@ mr p so in other words you are acknowledging that Tongas are much more intelligent than your tribe as you seem to label any intelligent blogger to be Tonga or UPND, stop this tribal crap. Just goes to show where you earn your bag of mealie meal from. your days of reckoning are fast drawing close, you know not the hour or the minute. Keep Zambia s slogan og ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION.
Stupid Tribalist.
@Dave just like upnd are full of hate, that’s why they don’t think straight. creating fake whatsapp group to discredit the government and promote hh and his upnd.
“Your days are numbered,” meaning “When HAZALUZA HAGIAN comes into power!” The hate that UPND tribalists have is repulsive. One Zambia One Nation but your attacks on government to any sane person is not based on rational reasons but irrational and tribalism. Mr. P. is right.
Amos and your friends seem to be scared of something very big, why are you hell-bent on trying to suppress media freedom, especially considering your background. Do you think you will be in that position forever? Ask your kurupt friend Richard Sakala for more details about life after that position.
A bad carpenter blames his tools.
At Congo Dr., have the tracks began to move? How many points is each driver made to pay the revenue authorities in CONGO DR? Ha you from NAMWALA? When ha the H-elections coming up in UPND and Congo? I think HAZALUZA HAGAIN!
Anything that you read on social media do NOT take it as the Gospel truth(especially Government matters) till you hear it from ZNBC
Are you official jester or clown at Plunderers Federation court?
Another dull person on a high position…this one needs to re-do his communication skills.
Ba Chanda wesu FAKE NEWS is now a reality. It now has space in the dictionary. So there is nothing you can do about it. FAKE NEWS is all over the world and the onus is on recipients to sieve FAKE NEWS from substantive news. There is nothing ZICTA nor any other State agency can do about.
In one of your bulletins you have made reference to Dr. Kaunda era. You may recall that during that time we had FAKE NEWS bulletins which Dr Kaunda referred to as KACHEPA. We also had KADANSA who held “Press Briefings” along Cairo Road by Bank of Zambia a day before Dr Kaunda’s? Remember that? Did Dr. bother about that, really apart from making fun of it? Simply ignore FAKE News…my humble advise!
Fake new, although it will not be controlled people must be educated on how best to deal cautiously with the fake news which is a reality. Coming with the fake news, are fake politicians who are exploiting and in most instances perpetrating fake news. So like Mwashibukeni, people must be enlightened about the advent of this new cancer (fake news) and its side effects.
Why cant the president ever hold a press conference, people did not vote for Amos Chanda, so why do we have this chap blabbing when there issues that have gone wrong, where clear a president needs to hold a press conference, we had riots on the copperbelt the chap was just quiet. the only time this chaps talks is on the run way on his way out of the country. you PF members maybe tell us why this man can not speak to the people that voted him in, does he leave in another world with no problems altogether because as a common man on the street all I see is problems and no comfort from the president
tHIS SAME aMOS SAID NEWS ON THE PRESIDENTIAL JET WAS FAKE, NOW WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT MR CHANDA SINCE THE JET HAS LANDED IN zAMBIA?
He is waiting for HAKAINDE to hold the H-elections.
In the ICT era its a non-statrter for ZICTA to go on witch hunt for FAKE NEWS peddlers. It is again on one hand difficult for the gullible mind to ignore fake news which can prove detrimental to the security of the country. Improve on information flow from State House and the truth will definately diffuse the lies. Truth always prevails no matter what.
I agree with you Amos, people are lying with a very clear concience, and on a path to destabilize the country using on-line media houses who don’t know that one of the pillars of a media is to report the truth.
Is ZICTA supposed to be chasing FAKE news? What are they mandated in terms of the constitution? In any a case do they have the technological capability to stop the flow of fake news , let alone monitor the flow of information.?
Chanda, your governments attitude has turned many citizens against you….look at how you are harassing Harry kalaba ??
Lungu turns a blind eye when even area MPs that are percived critical of pf are not allowed to meet their voters , what nonsense is that ??
Thugs in PF are doing you a disservice by harassing opposition. Because they have no plans apart from violence , they think by harassing opposition they are being helpful to lungu, the opposite is true.
Anyways PF is built on a foundation of violence and intimidation. Look at that bone head lusambo, because of his violence and bootlicking, he is minister today…
Mine is not with ZICTA but Lusaka Times. We have seen a lot of people who post hatred and their in-borne bitterness towards others. They are either insulting, calling others names, exhibiting their hatred for a particular tribe, calling our leaders all sorts of names and you continue to tolerate them. why not block them?
I think one of reasons people resort to alternative news sources is because of waning credibility of ZNBC. When you deny space to alternative voice on ZNBC then people resort to other sources to get a balanced view rightly or wrongly
If upnd was in the USA, they would have been declared a terrorism organization because of the appetite to spread fear and uncertainty in the country through many dangerous lies. Some ignorant upnd cadres were for a long time made to believe that HH will be made president by the UN who according to the rumor mongers in the part was coped in Namibia. They went on until their lawyer admitted that there was not presidential petition. Burning market, civil disobedience, economic sabotage, inciting violence, parliamentary walkouts and many more. I thing these can not be tolerated even in acomplished democracy like USA.
And if Zambia had any oil or was of any geo-strategic importance to the west , lungu would have been decleared a despotic dictator terrorizing his people, with memories of Rwanda genocide still fresh in the west…….
We all remember how lungu watched and encouraged a senior minister in his GRZ , CK to go on air , ZNBC and radio and unleash tribal lies and hatred against Tongas…
Fire the bloody head of ZICTA simple
Yes ZICTA needs to do something about the misinformation coming from state house like when they say the president is in luangwa when he is actually in south africa.
While your esteemed president is busy espousing human “rights”, why
not take time out to address a human rights issue his fellow Zambians
are experiencing overseas due to an imbasillic policy requiring Zambian
nationals living abroad to return to Zambia for the sole purpose of renewing
their passports. These people by far are not wealthy. they are honest law abiding
Zambians he should be proud to call his nationals, yet for maniacal political reasons
he and his sycophants have put in a place a policy rendering their fellow country men
and women ( to include their children ) virtually destitute and persons ” SINE PATRIA”
What may we ask is the use of your diplomatic outposts if they are there to steal money from
fellow Zambians in the name of ” OBTAINING PASSPORTS FROM…
ZICTA as it is now is not adequate. ZICTA should be incorporated into Zambia Army where you can have a functional ICT barrack. Recruit result oriented people who can perform in these areas based on experience and not fake or non starter qualifications. Office of the President cannot cope up with major evolution in ICT not even ZICTA itself. With a strategic military approach, the issue of misinformation can come to an end. We have the Chinese at our fingertips they can provide the required infrastructure. I can assure you they are very good in this area. They started this a long time ago before ZICTA came into being.
Next ba Chanda azakamba kuti Mwanawasa is “not sick”