By Daniel Kalembe
WE REMIND US EMBASSY AND EU OF PF GOVERNMENT’S UNPARRALELD RECORD IN PROMOTING A DIVERSE AND PLURALISTIC MEDIA IN ZAMBIA, AS WE QUESTION THEIR SELECTIVE CONCERN OVER ONE PARTICULAR TV STATION
INTRODUCTION
As the youth, we question the US Embassy and local EU delegation’s selective concern over the 30 days suspension of Prime TV Broadcast Licence.
We wonder why they have issues only with the Prime TV suspension. Why haven’t they equally raised dust over the other two revoked licenses for radio stations as they broke the law?
The broadcast Licence for Valley FM of Nyimba was also suspended and Valley FM received a suspension double that of Prime TV – for sixty (60) days as they broke law; so why then should Prime TV be spared when they also broke the law in an even more serious manner than Valley FM?
The Licences for Luanshya based Ngoma radio and Kafue radio received much tougher sanctions as they were completely revoked; why isn’t the US Embassy and EU Delegation fussing about the 60 day suspension of Valley FM and the total revocation of the other two? Why should Prime TV be above the law?
PF GOVERNMENT’S UNPARRALELD RECORD IN PROMOTING A DIVERSE AND PLURALISTIC MEDIA
At the same press conference where the 30 day suspension of Prime TV was announced, the IBA also announced that it had given new broadcast licenses to twenty two (22) radio stations around the country. IBA further announced that nine other radio stations had been allowed to expand their broadcasts beyond their initial coverage areas.
Isn’t this a commendable and productive development for media freedom in Zambia?
It appears Prejudice and blind solidarity has clouded the view of these people. Let them be reminded that since the Patriotic Front formed government in 2011, PF actualised the IBA act of 2002 that had remained a pipe dream under previous regimes; and through the same IBA Act under the PF government IBA has since its operationalisation in July 2013, issued more than sixty (60) radio and thirty five (35) television licences, INCLUDING PRIME TV!
The PF government continues to promote a diverse and pluralistic media through issuance of licences, when frequencies become available, not just for the sake of fostering fair competition, but to also have a diversely informed citizenry and guarantee that all parts of our nation are serviced in terms of broadcasting.
LEGISLATION GOVERNING THE BROADCASTING INDUSTRY IN ZAMBIA
The broadcasting industry in Zambia is governed by The Independent Broadcasting Authority Act.
The Act provides a procedure for appeal to the Minister and the Courts if need be… so one wonders; why is the US Embassy and the EU undermining Zambian laws?
Zambia is a country of laws; not hooliganism or selective justice.
When Prime TV was awarded a Broadcasting Licence in 2013, it came with terms and conditions to operate within the parameters of Set Broadcasting Standards in accordance with the IBA Act.
Sadly, the inflammatory, alarmist and aggression inducing nature of the Prime TV news broadcast of Saturday 9th February was a recipe to ignite and escalate violence between the youth of UPND and PF. Not only was the incendiary broadcast in breach of the IBA Act, but also of Prime TV’s own guidelines. Prime TV is a media house like any other that must follow the law. Freedom comes with responsibility.
Fifty five (55) years after Zambia’s independence, why should the EU Delegation & US Embassy so patronisingly spit on our regulatory laws?
Why should they condescendingly take us as being so primitive and backward that they think their opinions should override the Rule of Law in Zambia? Disregarding the law is promoting anarchy; we wonder is that the intention of the US Embassy and the local EU delegation?
We encourage them to put aside their pre-conceived ideas and take an objective view by first considering the facts of the matter and accordingly familiarise themselves with applicable Zambian Laws.
As youths we are of the conviction that maintaining the rule of law is the first step in maintaining peace and stability in our nation; and as long as it is not in the law, any other avenue is unlawful and illegitimate.
“Ubuntungwa twalipoka”!
The Author is Patriotic Front Provincial Youth Chairman for Lusaka
Watch CNN or SKY news and see how they report about their leaders and countries and you will know that Zambia and PF are under a dictotorship, Period. Thats what happens when you have a Malawian in state house, remember Kamuzu Banda, they come from the same piece of clothe.
Boss we watch them. They are factual and do not dramatize issues or are not easily influenced by politicians – not even the ruling class. But your Prime TV went over bar dramatising the assassination of the great leader. We have tolerated their choice of news but not the lies of the assassination which was never.
Ubuntungwa mwalipoka nomba ndelombako ubwafwilisho tamulaleka.
Does SKY news also cover Jeremy Corbyn dodging live bullets for 8 hours?
If RB was like this coward Lazy Lungu PF would have not existed…
@Matumbo. If they were factual, Trump wouldn’t be continuously calling them as “Fake News”. I never supported Prime TV, but I feel that closing the station has actually decampaigned the Government.
Ati “Ubuntungwa twalipoka”
Please speak for yourself. Some of us are NOT yet liberated. Just because our oppressors are the same colour/race as us it doesn’t mean we are free.
Try putting on a UPND T-shirt and see how you’ll be beaten or even killed.
Spaka whatever your real name is,I like SOME of your comments here and they are to the point. The only problem you need to work on is to try and control your bitterness towards the president and the PF. Am PF and I don’t agree with everything PF does but there is a better way of expressing yourself with respect to the head of state. Trust me you’ll win a lot of hearts . I feel like you hurting yourself with so much hate. Please put your points across without insults or bitterness. Am sure you have a heart for the country. Show the love you’ve for the country towards us in power because one day you be in power and you’ll expect the same in return. Peace to you mate.
The complaint should have read:
We wonder why they have issues only with the Prime TV suspension but ignore the continued gagging of ZNBC
When you go to watch a boxing event, you will watch so many title fights but at the end of it you will only remember the main event, we recently had a Wilder vs Fury heavyweight champion fight, ba kalebwe do you remember the supporting bouts? Prime has taken center stage because of their reach out in terms of coverage, its my first
ttime to hear some radio stations you mentioned, but prime TV’s coverage is nationwide.
It was Prime TV;
PF Secretary General Davis Mwila has told cabinet ministers and PF members of parliament that they will go to prison if they don’t work hard to win the 2021 general elections.
Speaking during the Luapula Province party mobilisation launch which was broadcast on Prime TV, Mwila said Luapula Province should save ministers and members of parliament from going to prison.
“Here in Luapula, we have a lot of support. We have 100 per cent support, but you bring five constituencies with 90,000 votes. Our friends (UPND) one constituency is 90,000 even if it’s in the village. Why are you not voting? That is why I am telling you that if you play, you will cry,” Mwila said.
“… All the cells will be full. All these people you see behind me will be in cells. Abena Chitalu (health…
Continue
Abena Chitalu (health minister) (you) will not see him. So you ministers and MPs, don’t think this is a joke. This is serious business, are you listening you ministers. This battle we are in is not for playing, that is why them (UPND) when you see they are telling lies and you listen. So you MPs, councillors stop being selfish.”
He said the party needed serious mobilisation to maintain its strength in Luapula.
Mwila said the to do this, the party had given 120 bicycles to each constituency in Luapula with additional school books branded with President Edgar Lungu’s portrait.
But UPND deputy secretary general Patrick Mucheleka, in a statement, stated that the confession by the PF leadership in Luapula Province just confirmed that they were “dead scared” since they were…
It was Prime TV
A video in which United Party for National Development(UPND) Kalulushi Candidate Evaristo Mwalilino’s driver is revealing how Hakainde Hichilema and Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba’s Kalulushi Constituency votes where concealed has gone viral after it was aired on Prime TV.
In the video, Wanna Chiyanga is confessing that his boss Mwalilino was given K21000, K360 000 for 21,966 votes and dropping the election petition respectively.
He disclosed THAT President Rupiah Banda, Information Minister Kapamba Mulenga and axed PF Deputy Chairperson for Elections Kelvin Fube Bwalya(KBF) and Mwalilino were heavily involved in the scheme of things.
PF the problem with you is the double standard if Prime TV did something wrong by all means close it down. However then close down all your propaganda ZNBC and the newspapers.
PF dont have the know how to fight opposing views r critical views because its 98% true.
@ Bantu don’t foster lies , CNN was almost shutdown by Trump administration over the issue of Hala Golan who put pressure on how Russians meddled the U.S electoral college.
Up now CNN is operating over terrestrial satellite supervisory.In some NATO states you can’t access CNN,eg France, Canada,Australia ,Switzerland .PRESS TV, was reviewed and removed from EUtel broadband when the U.S government pressured the satellite owners around the global to it closed down because of their beef with Ayatollah chamanei.
If is SKY NEWS ,it’s the worst traditional media around the global.So bane don’t come with cheap thoughts on blogs.
You just preach to your ignorant PF kaponyas….trump has no power to shut down any private station in the USA , unless it is deemed supporting terrorists, even that will be a long process …and what do you mean operating over supervisory ? You don’t know what you are talking about.
Press tv you mention is an Iranian station blocked in many western countries, it is not a western tv station.
Badala you are one ignorant lying rat , where can’t you watch CNN in France, Australia etc etc ……????
Mr. P–Why are you used to telling lies? Can Trump shut down CNN? You think other countries are like Zambia where the semi human Mwila can pressure people to close institutions. Just continue living in oppressive countries.
Mr. P… stop lying. Trump has no power to shut down private TV stations in America. And CNN is accessed in the countries you mentioned. You must be some PF propagandist, only here to fool the gullible.
PFoools trying to justify stup!dty is very difficult, maybe u cam justify it to dander heads in your ka stup!ty party coz most of your members are uneducated dander heads, so most of you in that ka stup!d party think in the same line or have the same ceiling of understanding due to very low IQ…. 0 to be precise
Imagine Lazy Lungu era with Post Newspaper at 100% that coward would hang himself in State house
Keep IMAGINING..We shall see where your hatred will take you. .. Lungu is president while your mmembe can now only manage to print 8 pages of mast newspaper!!
Really laughable…typing away whilst civil servants salaries are delayed
As JJ correctly says this lungu and his gang of corrupt violent theives would not last a week with post newspaper …..
United party for Freemasons
Stubbornness is causing this. History repeats itself. PF under Edgar lungu has history of not listening to citizens. It took the international community effort to rescue HH from prison. Now is Prime TV! Don’t rush to blame the US Embassy and EU.
Simply issues like Chitotela issue where the lazy man messed up…what is positive news from there?
Which youths are these? PF Youths or What?
Media outlets promoting hate and propagating lies get shut down in US and EU and all over the World. The means and process of shutting them down differ but cause is the same.
So abash EU and US. Free Assange and Snowden. Stuff your lectures up your.
Surely which civilized Zambian in this era can allow themselves to be deceived by a media which starts broadcasting and dramatizing stage managed events as we saw in Sesheke? In fact it was PF cadres who were badly butchered by UPND cadres in full view of Prime TV journalists who chose to report the opposite. It makes one think that Prime TV is a branch of UPND.
I have also tried to look for videos on social media to watch HH being pursued in the bush for 8 hours by PF cadres but all I see in the video are UPND leaders with HH chatting and laughing as they walk flamboyantly while walking from one village to another, knowing for sure that at the end of the day they would scoop the parliamentary seat with ease, Sesheke being UPND stronghold.
You must have been looking on ZNBC , we all saw villagers and citizens gassed and by PF caders, gasping for air on the ground ……and gun wielding PF caders assaulting UPND. Those images went viral, that is whst annoyed PF.
Sparks tell them, these guys dream up stories to support their bad decisions, how can a lawyer surely listen to a school dropout and expect that decision to be the best. PF is destroying our country economically and socially, looking at the rate the shutting down expanding stations leaving many unemployed and only allowing stations that televise hatred and insults against opposition leaders which is very shameful for a supposed Christian national.
Mbeba abash US and EU my friend you don’t know the repercussions of your words. Most of the infrastructural development you sing about is as a result of them, can’t you see lungu trying to beg them. PF please cut down on this pride of yours and not listening to people. Prime tv serves many people and it’s also a voice for others so shutting them down is silencing many. You also curtailing our economic growth with your oppressive decisions bounds to scare away investors
am very disappointed with the UPND as usual.
Why are the UPND debating Lungu instead of the facts in the article above.
FACT:PF has give more TV and Radio licences than any other govt in the history of Zambia.
Why are the tribal and dull UPND bloggers allergic to facts.
20yrs of opposition yapping has made them numb to truth.
Daniel Kalembe, we need to hear more from you lot. You have put it as candid as can be. Julius Malema rose through the youth ranks. We can’t be hearing rubbish from washed up 1d.i.o.ts like CK everyday. Keep it up my man. “UBUNTUNGWA CHINE TWALIPOKA!!”
Yaba nabo aba a Lazy Triba.l Jay Gay, total emptiness, no wonder trib.al was able to fill up the empty space in their brains… trib.als!!!!