The Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has advised President Rupiah Banda to directly intervene in the continued attacks on journalists by MMD cadres.
AVAP Executive Director Bonnie Tembo says the President’s intervention in the matter is critical saying he is the president of all Zambians and needs coverage from all Media organizations including those with divergent views.
Mr. Tembo said in Lusaka yesterday, that in a multi democracy such kind of cadre ship behaviour poses a threat to freedom of expression ands sharing of information.
He explained that this is why President Banda must take a lead in sensitizing party cadres when it comes to state functions.
He expressed disappointment that the Police failed to control the situation at the time the Post Newspaper Journalist was being beaten by MMD cadres yesterday.
Mr. Tembo pointed out that despite the republican constitution outlining the functions of the Police such as to protect life and property, preserve law and order among others they failed to protect the journalist.
He noted that AVAP wishes to remind the Police to promote and uphold their functions adding that even Lusaka division commanding officer Greenwell Nguni did not intervene when the journalist was being beaten.
The AVAP Director further demanded that Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde should order the arrest of MMD cadres that continue to attack journalists and also that Mr. Nguni to explain to the nation why he failed to uphold the core-function of the Zambia police.
Mr. Tembo has since urged Post Newspaper reporters and many others who are under threat from desperate politicians either ruling or position parties to stand firm and defend the noble cause for good governance.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tembo has appealed to government to exhibit political will on the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) if Zambia is to follow the footsteps of Ghana.
He added that the removal of Ms Tamara Kambikambi and Mr Amos Chanda from the National Governance Council (NGC) as Chairperson and Spokesperson respectively raises a lot of concerns.
He explained that abrupt removal of the duo from the NGC is an indication that the APRM process is undermined and not Civil Society driven like the way it is in Ghana.
Mr. Tembo stated that Zambia may not be ready to be peer reviewed in January next year as it is yet to clean a number of governance component.
He has however appealed to government not to interfere with the operations and administrations of the NGC if the APRM report is to reflect the reality on the ground.
ZANIS
Numero 1!!! What intervene???? What a Country always talking rubbish
zo ona takwaba. What is going on in Zambia kanshi? The media should just stop covering Bwenzani and his thugs. I mean who cares about him and his thugs. They are not photo models at all, so just leave them out and let them enjoy looking at naked MMD prostitutes like the one in Mansa, rolling over as though she had seen Jesus, as well as enjoying escorting pregnant cows as VIP’s while our pregnant women are treated as third class compared to pregnant cows
The Police can not do anything for fear of being fired, that we all know. Solution is to have a new govt that understand democracy. How do we expect someone from period of Kenneth Kaunda to understand democracy? RB is suffering from a disease called dictatorship and this disease is like cancer or AIDS that has cure. Who is going to cure Banda’s disease of dictatorship, not even God I am afraid
this disease is like cancer or AIDS that has no cure
Zambia Police are there just to serve the president and not the rest of Zambians, it’s as simple as that. It’s a police state. Journalists, for your own safety please keep away from Rupiah Banda and his corrupted police and MMD thugs.
How can he intervene when he is the mastermind behind all the attacks.
Ba kamu ponona na ena nga a fumapo
There is a mindsets that apply to different generations. A child falls while running across the road. On generation of parents will sympathise, pick up the child and cuddle and kiss. Another generation will yank the child up, shout ‘Serves you right! Why were you running?’ Smack! From what the President has said about violence against journalists, he seems to be in the later generation.That mindset that says ‘You deserve it. It is your fault!’ I quiet like RB but his silence on this issue is unsettling. If I could find his ear, I could say to him, ‘Please sir, Zambia has changed. We are not in UNIP days where mayusi went about harrassing people anyhow. Stop the rot and claim a wonderful place in Zambia’s political history as the one who brought sanity!’