Police in Lusaka have recorded a warn and caution statement from Phoenix FM Journalist Logic Lukwanda regarding a story he published over the purported 80 missing Black Lechwes.
Speaking to Journalists at at Police Headquarters, Phoenix FM Managing Director, Muzaza Musulwe described the whole incident as intimidating to the media house.
“Yes, it can be very intimidating because really to find yourself here and being questioned like that, it is not very good but I think it is part of our profession,” said Musulwe.
Logic was accompanied to Police Headquarters by Phoenix FM News Editor Patricia Mbewe, a MISA representative including Lusaka Lawyer Gilbert Phiri.
Last month a Conservationist working in the northern circuit,Nsama Musonda Learns reported that 80 Black Lechwes had gone missing in the Bangweulu Wetlands in Luapula Province.
Ms Learns said the animals were captured from the Bangwelu Wetlands during the now banned exercise where the Department for National Parks and Wildlife began capturing wildlife species from their natural habitats to private ranches.
She has appealed to all concerned Zambians, Civil Society Organisations and Media and Human Rights activists to help locate the Lechwes which are endemic to the Bangweulu Wetlands.
Minister of Tourism and Arts Ronald Chitotela on 2nd October 2019 announced the suspension in the movement of animals from National Parks to Private ranches.
The suspension came a few days after controversy surrounded the movement of animals in Mfuwe where trucks were turned back by residents.
He said it was alleged that one of the Directors at the Ministry of Tourism and Arts signed a certificate of movement of live animals from one national park to a private ranch.
Bangweulu Wetlands is the only place in Africa where the Black Lechwe still occurs in significant numbers.
The population in 2005 was estimated at 35,000 but the area has the potential to carry up to 350,000 Black Lechwe.
Ministry of Tourism and Arts has refuted reports that 80 black Lechwes are missing in Bangweulu Wetlands.
Tourism and Arts Permanent Secretary Amos Malupenga then disclosed that former Tourism Minister Charles Banda in March 2019 issued a capture permit for 50 Black Lechwe to Langani Game Ranch in Kazungula and 30 Black Lechwe to Kwisoko Game Farm in Lusaka.
Mr. Malupenga said that the animals were captured and translocated to the two farms on September 10, 2019 following the authorization.
On 31st October 2019 around 12:31hrs, Ms Learns then received a phone call from +260953892614 where a gentleman calling himself Mumba asked her why she had opened her mouth on the story of the black lechwe when she knew it involved the minister.He said they are aware that the opposition were paying her to destroy PF in Luapula and if she said anything more on the issue she would. A woman in the back ground was screaming on top of her voice that they will hunt her down and break her legs and make sure she lived in a wheel chair
Ms Nsama Musonda Learns says she will no longer respond to police summons over the matter.
Mrs Learns said she has now left this matter with her lawyers and that she will not respond to any police summons until they record a statement from the complainant and explain to her lawyers what charge the complainant has laid against her.
“If conserving nature in line with the legal and policy frameworks on environment and natural resources is POLITICAL and tantamount to treason, I need serious guidance so I am writing to the Anti Corruption Commission for guidance on the whistle blowers policy and protection of citizens.”
My fellow PF, Let’s take it easy. This is now embarassing
“Stealing is in their DNA.”
Given Lubinda
And who do they anticipate killing with such guns and so much ammunition….misplaced priorities and all those Police officers don’t even have mealie meal and running water at their houses and no electricity…PF is control
The PF’s reaction is what raises eye brows.And they claim the State hasnt been captured?We told Lungu to get better advisers, they are literally burying him because of their incompetence…..
Politics does not operate in a vacuum. It is informed by people’s culture. PF is a reflection of what is wrong with our culture – intolerance and abhorrence to constructive criticism. The problem with Zambian politics is its absoluteness (totality). By absoluteness I mean you either agree 100% with EVERY MOVE your party makes or you are out. It should not be like that. Even people from PF should be coming out to condemn harassment of people who are courageous enough to hold politicians accountable for their actions. If you follow Brexit, you will know that PM Mrs. May faced the most opposition from her own party. It is the same in developed economies, Politicians are allowed to think individually for what they believe is good for the nation. But in Zambia (not just PF, this is a…
… national trait) if you are a party, you have to agree with everything the party does or you are an enemy. This is where the Religious Minister could come in and condemn this behaviour as unchristian, even if we have a Christian declaration.
POLICE STATE MANAGED BY STATE MAFIAS, WHO ARE BUSY INTIMIDATING THOSE THAT DISRUPT THIER GRAVY TRAIN.
Ever wondered where a bonafide ng’wang’wazi like Bowman Chilosha Lusambo got all those Millions of U$D he’s been throwing around like confetti, when we all know this ng’wang’wazi used to have no suit, but Blue MMD issue overalls. Even paid for Kalusha’s misdemeanors.
Chilosha is SO THICK as Pig mince, he’s just leaving so much evidence, that as soon as Panga Fraternity is kicked out of office, this one will surely be convicted!
Take a leaf from intelligent Politicians like bene Alex Chikwanda. Never see them being loud mouths, or flaunting the wealth they helped themselves from the treasury, not like ba kaponya, recording videos of themselves boasting ati “IYI NI DOLIDO”!!!
And yet Dora is busy yapping about freedom and protection of the media and journalists, hypocrites of the highest order indeed. My advice to the journalist is keep doing your job without fear nor favour Chitotela can’t intimidate you because he is a thief whom the corrupt courts wrongly acquitted his time is fast coming. And ba ZP I want a report on the warn and caution for Stardy Mwale what are you PF security guards still doing about it huh.
So now they want to kill the story of how black lechwes were given to Findlay because of his connections with plot 1? We won’t forget even if you remove it from the news just like we haven’t forgotten the fire tenders, dual carriageway, ambulances, toll gates , presidential jet etc etc even if they are not in the news anymore.
The leadership nonsense is beyond annoying. PF needs out of government now, not tomorrow.
Journalists all over the country must protest. Where on earth can you be warned and cautioned for reporting this? Only in a banana republic
Journalists all over the country must protest. Where on earth can you be warned and cautioned for reporting this? Only in a banana republic
Journalists all over the country must protest. Where on earth can you be warned and cautioned for reporting this? Only in a banana republic
Why is the police involved in this? Intimidation at it’s worst, through purchased security forces. PF bandits using State apparatus to threaten exposures
Very stupid government. Why arrest a journalist? A journalist of all people!
Waste of space. Nsama is an alarmist filling valuable space with nonsense. Just like Chitotela or the 48 houses-so much noise and funfair was raised calling the PF leadership all sorts of theories and names. At the end of it all, total nonsense, hogwash. Politics of alarming and exciting the population is clearly not working for the opposition, results in recent by-elections should worry them as prospects for 2021 are looking bad.
Unlike the UNIP era where information was controlled, Zambians are now well informed and exposed. Opposition should be hitting the grassroots with ideas and policies that people will appreciate. Parties with seats like upnd should be setting developmental agendas in their constituencies by using GRZ and people will appreciate this. Rushing to the media to report unsubstanciated matters (the post/Mmembe method) is not working.
What a failed s**h0£€ country this is! Why are they trying to arrest a journalist who is merely doing his work of reporting? The amount of corruption is astounding… ethey are not ashamed anymore and can’t even pretend to hide their tracks. They are now stealing live animals, surely how could you hide such theft. I recall the stiff punishment that used to be unleashed on ‘masholi’ who used to steal cattle/cows when I was growing up in the village.
Man I really just don’t understand how someone in their right mind could continue to be associated, let alone rhese corrupt, thieving ‘Kawalalas masholi’ PF. It defies logic even if you were a direct beneficiary… where is your conscience?
Upupuba bweka bweka mu chalo cha Zambia.
..Dora slit should come out and explain why a journalist is being warned and cautioned for reporting an irregularity which is in the public interest.
Journalists represent our freedom of expression. When they get arrested it means the country has no freedom of speech! Have you ever heard of a British journalist arrested by British police?