By Kapya Kaoma
The Zambia Police arrest of KBN’s Journalist Petty Chanda for “destroying evidence”–the source of the leaked audio between State House Aide Levy Ngoma and Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Joseph Akafumba–is a major act of cowardice from the New Dark Regime. Aside from being implicated in this corrupt conspiracy, President HH is spending sleepless nights wondering what other information she may have. Who is the mole? With the entire house on fire, and pants down, intimidation is the machiavellian key to ensuring political control even when one is dead afraid. Yet Ms. Chanda exposed a crime, which in a noble nation should have earned her respect. But not in Ballycountry where the President claims to be democratic, but then leads an onslaught of vicious campaigns against freedom of expression. Ms. Chanda is arrested to bully her into silence, and to send a message to other journalists–don’t expose President HH’s corruption and expect to walk free. Yet in democratic nations, shouts for HH’s resignation will be heard across all political spectrums.
As with cadres, wako ni wako appointments, politically motivated arrests and prosecutions, the administration says one thing, and does the other. It is a waste of time to pay attention to what it says in public–one is better served to watch its actions to understand its deadly dark agenda. It is this truth that that audio revealed–the grand agenda of the global-trotting “democracy and human rights upholding” singing President, whose own home agenda is to corrupt the courts, the Police, and all branches of government, and ultimately to kill democracy!
Freedom of expression and of the Press are the pillars of democracy. A democratic nation ought to protect journalists as opposed to hunting them down. Autocratic governments only expect journalists to support it, and lock up those who oppose it. We are not far from it. Ms. Chanda’s leaked audio does not break any law aside from exposing the President’s true colors–he is corrupt! Hence I find the arrest uncalled for, and the violation of human rights. Ms. Chanda has a moral duty to protect her sources–thus expecting her to give the police this information is abusing her rights and professional ethics. But it is also a crime. The source could easily sue KBN if the agreement was that the name would not be revealed.
The police want to hide behind the Cyber Law–but unjust laws are immoral to be obeyed. Again, didn’t HH himself denounce that Bill? So why knowingly enforce something you know to be unjust? As for privacy, these persons are public officials discussing an issue of public interest–thus the privacy concern does not apply. Besides, if you have information about someone trying to kill me, would you keep it to yourself or would you inform me and relevant authorities? Assuming authorities are compromised, would you provide that evidence to them or post it on social media so as to make it harder for authorities to ignore? Moreover, the media industry is always in competition. Scoops or breaking stories first is an important credibility element in journalism–hence once the story is confirmed as credible, the Network is quick to break it first! These are some of the ethical judgements KBN had to make–they chose to provide the evidence to the public since the information was abuse of power, a conspiracy to undermine democracy and of public interest. So the issue of how the journalist got the audio is immaterial!
Importantly, President HH, and not the journalist, should be on trial! Levy indicated that he had discussed the issue with HH and Nalumango. To ask for Levy and Akafumba’s heads is unfair. Rather we need answers to the issues raised in the audio. When did Levy meet with the President and the Vice President? When did he meet with the Registrar of Societies and others? How about Mr. Nshindano? What does he know? How about the letter? Did the President abuse his power? We need answers to these questions–they are central to democracy. Unfortunately, we don’t expect HH to investigate himself. Neither the Registrar, nor other individuals involved in this scandal–they owe their lives to President HH. Firing them won’t give us the truth, but knowing what transpired will. This is the only way to stop the New Dark Regime from corrupting public offices while claiming to fight corruption!
I am afraid that President HH’s nepotism and cronyism is exploding. People with integrity are demeaned as “infected,” among them is a Mr. Nshindano, who without this audio would have lost his job for upholding our laws. Such individuals are losing their jobs, and replaced with criminals affiliated with the New Dark cartel. The cleansing of the Civil Service which has happened under the New Dark Regime is now explained–it is getting rid of the “infected”–the negative term that demands further investigation by itself. It is immoral to entertain the thought that some of our own citizens could be termed “infected.” Thanks be to God–the secret is finally out!
It is on all of us to hold President HH to account for his role in this scandal. We shouldn’t be fooled into viewing him as incorruptible–thanks to the courageous Journalist, we now have it before us. The President directed someone to knowingly commit a crime to enhance his political power. It is a clear violation of the law. The police shouldn’t be investigating the poor journalist or KBN–it is not a crime to expose the corruption of the President. We cannot investigate Levy and Akafumba, without accessing cellphones and computer communication of all accomplices identified in this scandal. Sadly, Ballypolice, Ballyacc, and Ballycourts only exist to torture heroes like Ms. Chanda, while criminals fly around the globe to take pictures with white people as with gods!
The good news is, we have one sound case for future prosecutions once HH leaves Power!
Our president is worthy 2.8 million lies. He’s richest in almost everything except TRUTH.
Ba Kaoma, what crime did HH commit again. What will the arresting officer Kapya Kaoma say ” HH you under arrest for……”.
At first I thought Kaoma was a PF cadre but after going through the LT archives I did discover that he even harder on PF from the days of Michael Sata up the last days of Edgar Lungu. Him and Pilato actually mean well for the country….
Of course he is a PF cader………..
Or more part of the tribal hegemonists clique group who belive only a bemba should rule zambia………….
To try take a meal out this story is so ridiculous………..
Ridiculous in that Harry Kalaba and DC are so insignificant , that even chilufay tiyali and Simon mwewa Lane have more chance if being a threat to HH……….
Who would waste their energy trying to destabilise HC or DC ????
Pathetic……..
No foul language in this article, seemed balanced enough and factual without sounding bitter about being gay in a foreign country.
Kudos Kapya!
Animal farm
This does not make sense at all. You cannot use your Pen to destroy others in the name of journalism. You have to be held responsible for your actions.
Kalaba will be embarrassed when the truth is out.
The one who recorded that conversation should be sternly dealt with. It’s like secretly filming two people having sex. It’s an invasion of privacy
The bitter author again. People are talking about a phone conversation that does not even exist, total fabrication, DP has no chance of winning anything in Kabwata looking at their lamentable failure in the last elections. So how can people even discuss them, please arrests the culprits who dramatized that fabrication called the audio clip, it could be the DP guys themselves together with the PF remnants
What was condemned by HH when he was in opposition is now okay.
The Cyber crimes law is now being used to pursue journalists and it’s fine with HH.
The major problem with upnd is hypocrisy and lies.They say one thing and completely do the opposite.
upnd is rapidly eroding it’s credibility and losing People’s confidence.
Please walk the talk and stop harassing citizens. It usually doesn’t end well for regimes that harrass citizens. They get kicked out of power.
I don’t actually care about what this Kapya guy has said. My worry is how president HH labels this as heresay. How can what was recorded be false? The UPND must be doing it as it preaches.
Kapya Kaoma is only giving us his personal view on the matter; it is up to HH and his cadres to be magnanimous enough and avoid blowing bubbles.
This is a dilemma brought about by the Cyber Laws that the current government promised to repeal. On the one hand it is illegal to do certain things (and the law makes sure it is as vague as insulting laws); on the other hand it is nice to know that illegal things are going on by those earning tax-payer’s money as salaries to serve the country. So ladies and gentlemen, what you don’t know CAN kill you. We have a right to know and I commend journos going about exposing these sorts of things.
President HH should have vehemently denied ever having a meeting with his political advisor over this matter instead of waiting for the authentication of the audio. Just such action would have put matter to rest.
the emperor BMW is naked. The president must fire his two subordinates, failure to do that will qualify him as an accomplice to the plot against DP.
Harry Kalaba has even found oxygen to start appearing in the news over hearsay…………
Anyone from UPND can say the president is aware of such or this was discussed with the president………..complete hear say.
HK is a none entity……….same as DC party who don’t want him inany case…….
The story of anyone viewing HK and DC as a threat is as ridiculous as lungu spending more than $100 million on a defensive system for his overpriced gulf stream jet with the illusion that people would waiste energy and missiles to target him………..
Ridiculously Pathetic………..
kapya ati “Ms. Chanda’s leaked audio does not break any law”. Really? The cyber law your pf bulldozed last year is not a law? Are you serious, or just a complete pf *****? When the cyber law was being enacted you said what or did you actually say anything against it? Now want the upnd to ignore the law so that what? You then stand and say the upnd and hh said they will be a government that follows the law so they lied? The little I know about journalism is that there is normal and jungle journalism. I did not know there was “Stupid” journalism!
What is in state house that makes seemingly saints act evil once in their. One my not be miles from unearthing theoretical assumptions that baal showered his moron cadres and Zambian youth.
Like the father of lies, when speaking on national television, you may think you got yourself a saint; but wait, fruits. Yes, you shall know them by their fruits. Baal’s fruits have maggots inside. The rot can never be missed. No matter the good rhetoric smear we get on TV, decomposing baal’s rot started way back in the 90s. Problem is that punkas have no shame. The stink from baals fruit is appalling.
This fella is always critical of the government and our assumption is that he is opposition and hence PF cadre. Therefore, everything he says is nonsense. Why should he be criticizing the GRZ day in day out without offering proper checks and balances. Am sure he misses freebies from the fallen PF regime.
What type of journalist is this? Does he want the police to ignore the law when their mandate is to enforce it? It is not the duty of the police to make judgements on whether to enforce the law or not. They HAVE to enforce the law. We can argue about whether the law is fair, but this journalist has not made a single argument as to why it is ‘immoral’.
It is immoral to listen to a private conversation without consent. Even police have to obtain a warrant to do so. In fact, this leak is itself inadmissible in court because of how it was obtained.
And I’m not even on the side of those guys who were scheming! They should be fired, and then investigated. But that does not mean KBN did the right thing. You can’t break the law and hide behind ‘Media Freedom’. If KBN can tap into a…
…phone, I should also be allowed to.
Deja vu – Your lens are colour tinted thats why you can’t see him in any other image…he’s very objective just yourself..really laughable
Its not imorral to eavesdrop. Show me any doctrine that says so. If anything because of eavesdropping we have ended up halting many an attack personal and national. The ears hear what iassaults them
Can someone sheared the link of the leaked video?
Zambia, Oh Zambia and Zambians! Gossip and Conspiracy Theories rule the minds of many a Zambian! Well and good that Kaoma thought he’d struck gold and in excitement threw to the wind what makes one a journalist of repute, a star of himself he saw as he went ahead publishing without investigating and verifying with his sources and having authentication! Aren’t mimics not part of those that can be likened and linked with photoshopping? Journalist of substance are not cowards and they fight the fires and battles they start without playing the sympathy card.
Pure24. Its not all laws that made with ethics and morals in mind. A wrong is a wrong. We should be reminded of Boxer in the Animal Farm story by George Owel where according to Boxer Napoleon was always right. Analysis is always important before we comment.