Information and broadcasting services permanent secretary Amos Malupenga has accused some opposition political party leaders of having hijacked the issue of the reduction in the transmission radius for UNZA Radio to pursue their political agenda.
Mr. Malupenga said that there was totally nothing political about the move stressing that all what the Zambia information communications authority (ZICTA) has done is to regularize all community radio stations in the country.
He said that it is unfortunate that politicians have decided to take advantage of innocent students at the institution to mislead them into believing that the move is politically motivated.
Mr. Malupenga said that the licenses given to community radio stations clearly stipulate that all community radio stations in the country are supposed to operate within 500 watts and not beyond.
He said that if UNZA radio management feels they have the capacity to broadcast to a much wider radius, it will only be reasonable for them to apply for an extension of coverage area.
He states that what should be understood and appreciated is that the issue of radius transmissions is not about politics but about policies.
And Mr. Malupenga has clarified that the radius transmission of UNZA radio has been reduced to 500 watts and not 260 watts as reported in some sections of the media.
He told journalists at a media briefing yesterday afternoon, after being prompted by a group of UNZA students that marched to the government complex to seek redress with him over the move taken by ZICTA.
The permanent secretary however preferred to have a meeting with some members of the students union and officials from ZICTA, which however proved futile as the students representatives had to abandon the meeting to address the impatient waiting students.
QFM
Chi Amos Shut Up!!
Wapya munzi
Uyu umwaice is an intellectual lightweight. He does not understand media theory and global trends in both media and ICT. His mission is just trying to please Ukwanites.Â
I have been following Malupenga’s statements and the way he’s handling issues. I have to say he’s acting like a spineless fellow who issues statements and does things to please his master. He has been falling all over himself on UNZA radio. Just yesterday he changed his statements so many times. “No, we are just correcting the error on the license which allowed the radio station to broadcast at 1000 Kw because regulation is that all community radio stations should not go beyond 500 Kw; No, it’s not the ministry but ZICTA that independently acted to reduce the coverage of UNZA radio; No, the issue has been hijacked by politicians”. Which is which bwana PS? Just say what you want to say in one simple sentence; not kuzilumaluma.
By the way Malupenga needs to be reminded that his master, Mr. Sata is on record pledging, during his campaign trail last year, to allow radio stations with the muscle to expand their coverage beyond their current limits. Has that time not come yet? Or you have just realised you still need to keep people uninformed fearing they would know the truth about PF’s lies? Don’t lose your head over that ka job bwana. The sun sets for everyone.
iwe chikala if unza radio station has the muscle to expand their coverage beyond their current limit.let them apply.not to broadcast beyond the radius for which the hold the licence.why support illegalities.itole
A failed leadership will translate in those being led to find better leadership, which will be in the opposition. Its a citizen’s right to choose the leadership they think is inspirational and has their interests at heart. No amount of gagging of the means of communication will change people’s thinking if the tide has turned. Its an effort in futility! The PF government must understand that the slide in popularity started with the first show of ineptitude by the leadership.
WE
You foolish students stop this nonsense you are behaving like thugs.UNZA is not a private undertaking .It was established using TAX payers money.Go back to school.The Radio station is not for cheap politics.When are you going to grow?Here in the UK such faculties are used for teaching  purpose only , not meant for political campaigns .Police cage those ooliish students who are taking advantage of the situation,they have embarrassed us.It’s high time the Govt . Stop paying students allowances they don’t deserve it. I suggest that any trouble maker should.  not get any allowanceÂ
Just shut up and concentrate on wat ur doing there, dont utter words foolishly. Some of us are a product of free Bursaries so why shuldnt they benefit??? This is student movemental so do bark anyhow.. Rubbish
Sorry, pressed wrong button. Meant to say we are living in incredible times.
Where would this guy be if KK had banned the weekly post at the time
This is another attempt by PF to struggle the independent media, how can he claim that students are being used??? he now even intends to clump down on some internet bloggers supporting the opposition all in the name checking “internet abuse”. what PF is not realizing is that the same people they are steeping on are the same people who vote. its very disappointing to see malupenga who championed democracy during his days at the post now  fighting the same thing he advocated. anyway am sure as Zambians we are watching and seeing what is happening.
Who knew that the heavyweights from the Post could betray us like this? The paper that dug deeper sure? Times are a-changing indeed. Do these guys look at themselves in the mirror and see what they see? Surprises will never cease to amaze. Solomon was right that there is a time for everything. I will add one thing he did not say though and that is that ‘There is a time for telling the truth and a time for lying’. Our friends once told truths, now they are perfecting the art of telling lies.
If this didn’t follow the hone radio saga so quickly one would give this moron the benefit of doubt but we all well know what these guys are up to and how the deny having a hand in everything when infact it’s the PF hand issuing instructions left right and centre.
Thats the problem with us Africans we don`t like following protocol.The guy is just stating what is in the law.I don`t see anything wrong with what he has done.Unza has an option and that is to simply apply for the right licence.It is as simple as that.
Remember that a right thing done for the wrong reasons becomes wrong. don’t judge an action but judge the motive behind.
FTJ once said Dont trust politicians.Amos is doing what a PS is suppose to do.Those UNZA chaps are supposed to go to classrooms.I was looking for my son in that group, if I saw him he was going to be dead person.I helped PF to be in GOVT what is going is Heap of kak.YOU chaps get your degrees then you can leave this country and go else where, to enjoy your knowledge.
Mo taim (14): The licence will not be granted, because they themselves, the pf have already used the station to violate the broadcasting conditions when in opposition, so they will simply say, the station has high affirnity to broadcast political programmes, and turn down the application. The best they could have done to regularise the error was to amend the licence while operating at unlawful Wattage, for a very short time; say one week while the govt of action speedily processes the application – after all they operated for year(s) without anyone dying, so why not 7 more days!
@Mo taim. You are right that Malupenga is just implementing what the law says and I know that most of the radio stations were and are given 500kw limit. The question you should be asking yourself is how far can that go? If it ends within the confines of the UNZA campus then there’s a big problem because all the community radio stations around the country will just be reaching people within a space as big or small as UNZA, mostly a part of the CBD. Then what’s the use of the radio station. As per the PF campaign promise (or is it lie) Malupenga and team should have been taking stock of how the citizens are benefiting from these stations and build up on that. Mind you information is power, and let people be informed so they make informed decisions including voting out incompetent govts.
HIDING BUT EATING WELL BOTH IN GOV AND POST,WHEN THERE ARE ALOTE OF EDUCATED PIPO TO FILL THAT POSITION IN GOV.MUZAONA KUSOGOLO
some people are surely dull ,you like to condeming without the facts,unza radio when they applied for the license they stated that they will use the station as an educational radio station like that program which comes on radio 2 znbc learning at taonga market, but they used 90% of their programming on politics which is against the law.so mr malupenga and the pf Govt are here to correct the wrong things these community radio stations are doing.
# 16 KMB, lawlessness should not be encouraged even for 1 second! It does not matter that no one died while UNZA radio was operating at unlawful watt, but they were breaking the law and it is time this country is governed within laws at all levels and times. UNZA students have become a pain in the back-side of us tax payers. These chaps demonstrate for all sorts of unreasonable things! Let the department of mass communication assess its capacity and apply for the correct license if they want to be used by the politicians. Why should we continue condoning lawlessness just because it is UNZA? Last time these same unruly students nearly killed me when they made a fire on the GER as I drove from Avondale. UNZA students stop being morons and study, finish your degrees and come to reality!
I cannot believe that this is the same Post Managing Director- advocate of free press. Cameloen is better than man.
THE REASON WHY I WILL GIVE PF MY VOTE IN 2016 IS THATTHEY ACT.
I wonder what has become of UNZA. Its no longer an intelligentsia community but a drop outs who bought their way into the University. The matter is plain simple, apply for wider coverage license and not waste studying time. I am very sure serious students did not take part in this so called demo. Â
Ye the PS is right.
@Daka #20, In the states where you appear to be, are laws flouted in the name of press freedom? Look at yourself. One thing about PF is that they are strengthening existing laws which is the backbone of a solid society. Viva PF. 2016 I will stand on your ticket and be part of this progressive party.
Here is another progressive issue the PF has started strengthening, opening and closing time for bars. I have traveled wide and far and everywhere I go where people respect laws, bars do not open before stipulated time and close on time. I had a rude shock when I traveled home to see a chain of bars in a market that open at 7 am and close until the last customer leaves. Each bar had big speakers outside playing different music at the same time. Tujilijili where is circulation then and everyone was drunk as early as 6am. Thank God for the PF sanity is slowly coming into play.
Late Mwanawasa’s Govt had a slogan, Govt of laws and not men, but we never saw anything like that until now under the PF. God bless Zambia. We are on the right path and only the powers of darkness will be against this Govt.
UNZA Radio must follow the law – STUDENTS are intelligent enough to understand that when something is being done against the law, they must stand on the side of the law. The PF will NOT and they WILL NOT close UNZA RADIO. But the radio must operate within its mandate and within the law full stop. How difficult is it to understand that eh? When people say a man is free to marry another man because of their freedom of expression – you want to burn them because it is not lawful in Zambia. But When other people say if a radio station is registered to provide education it should not become a political propaganda tool becos that is unlawful – you scream FREEDOM of expression is under attack. The law is the law. You cannot be selective.
If i were President, i wud have proudly broken the law by INCREASING MALUPENGA’S SALARY WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT. Thats what we call working.
UNZA Chaps should know that us Parents feel the pain when
1) Students waste their valuable time being USED LIKE RUGS by politicians.
2) They feel they are the UNTOUCHABLE and they can,not heed to any advice.
Its very embarrassing to see Intellectuals like UNZA Students going to the roads whenever they are faced with a problem.
3) Wasting my Pay As You Earn Money
I SUGGEST THAT:
Any students caught idly demonstrating should have their Bursary Choped
Any student caught misbehaving on the
PF started the idea of using unza radio station for political reasons. let others do the same.
Shut up Malupenga you used to to the same even worse with the Post, a taste of your own medicine. You and your boss thought it was easy to rule just steal and appear in court when your term is over.
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