THE Zambia Institute of Independent Media Alliance (ZIIMA) has said that it is appalled by the police call-out issued to KBN TV, a private TV station in the Republic of Zambia, barely a day after exposing what is alleged to have been a conversation between a State House aide and a Permanent Secretary colluding to kill democracy.
In a statement released to the media by Wilson Pondamali, the ZIIMA Consultant, ZIIMA said that the IBA Act is very clear on complaints handling procedure, and the police call-out is in this case, a clear abuse of state institutions by the government.
Mr Pondamali said that ZIIMA also viewed the police action as an attempt by police to excite their paymaster using wrong dance antics.
Riding on President Hakainde Hichilema’s media freedom pronouncements, ZIIMA called for Zambia police to search their souls and withdraw that form of harassment, adding that the Government must know that there cannot be democracy without a free media, democracy also directs us to uphold the rule of law, and the IBA Act is not an exception.
ZIIMA further shed some light on the IBA complaints handling procedure, in case police were ignorant:
“An aggrieved person shall write to the radio or TV station, highlighting the complaint, and time on which it was broadcast. Upon receipt, the radio or TV station shall respond to the complaint within 14 days. Where the station has not responded within 14 days, or the complainant is not content with the response, the complainant shall write to the IBA”.
“Clearly this has not been done, hence our resolve that this is an act to intimidate the Media, it must be stopped!
“We also call on journalists and media houses across the country to be balanced, objective, verify information that comes their way, and avoid serving interests of politicians as they gather and publish news,” concluded the statement.
Meanwhile, Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba, who was at Police Service Headquarters to offer solidarity to KBN TV, has condemned the remarks made by President Hakainde Hichilema for stating that the “Clique” and “Corrupt” had hijacked the media, adding that such remarks frighten the media who would be forced to choose who to cover.
Mr. Mwamba said that this was a flagrant violation of freedom of expression and freedom of the press and also condemned the summoning of KBN TV Editor. saying the role of the media was to apply news judgment to the material they gather and receive, and air such news after processing.
Mr Mwamba advised the Police to concentrate on the details exposed by the Audio that demonstrate that state institutions were being abused to fight political battles and urged the Police to instead summon State House Special Assistant for Politics, Mr. Levy Ngoma, and Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Josephs Akafumba to answer to those suspected criminal charges.
The problem with Hakainde is that he reckons being a president of a nation is similar to being a president of a high school debating club. He likes debating on any issue. There is no time to debate mate, time to deliver.
We also call on journalists and media houses across the country to be balanced, objective, verify information that comes their way, and avoid serving interests of politicians as they gather and publish news,” concluded the statement.
I thought PF were the only party synonymous with media harrassment. What I didnt know was that politicians are made from the same cloth! They are equally vile!
#2 yeah… I thought that language REPORTERS MUST BE BALANCED went with Dora Siliya. You danced and rejoiced whenever the media peddled insults and lies against the PF goverment. You know you reap what you sow. You sowed hatred and you are reaping.
Ba MISA bafeekala you thought you had killed a snake not knowing it was just an ordinary one. Now you have a real snake to contend with. Learn to live with it. YOU ASKED FOR IT.
Its politics the earlier we learn the better. Only that we know how much damage UPND and PF had caused by convincing 2.8 and 1.5 million lies respectively. 4.3 million lied to in Zambia. Not bad.
Zambia police is still living in the past. They need to be re-training in the art of policing in a democracy.
As a qualified Journalist I think Hakainde has overstepped his boundaries and he needs to be impeached..this is no laughing matter…what was being discussed in that leaked conversation was more than treason
Baal and civil liberties claim. Freedom of the media yamukwela baal, he lied.
Remember what he told his Prime TV. Prime TV sorry, what happened to you will not happen again. In his heart he was saying KBN, I will strangle you. He lied. What a party of liars. You can’t trust baal. All he said and says doesn’t add up. Its double standards and Zambians fortunately know it. He lies 90% of the time.
Baal is now crying over media biasness only when it affects him.
Ba MISA…in 2019 Prime TV reported that goverment had fired or retired one thousand teachers from one school who were of a certain tribe. You did nothing to correct this eg which school can have that number of teachers and worse still from one tribe. Lawyers and doctors get barred from practicing if they misconduct themselves but I have yet to see of reporter or media house being disciplined. I don’t support the goverment but on this one I am glad you are tasting your own soup.
United party for national disappointed
We are in trouble….
Some people naively believe that we have a democratic president in Zambia. The police and in particular the IG was defending Criminals and thugs who he called were just masquerading as UPND, meaning that he had a position as a UPND cadre. The already known position of Vasco as a manipulator and conman are not new they were just confirmed by the recording which is of public interest. So there is nothing wrong in airing it.