Information and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister Mwansa Kapeya says government remains committed to providing an enabling environment where people are free to express their views.

Mr Kapeya said government has put measures in place aimed at creating a conducive working environment for the media in order for them to catch wider views from all sectors of society.

He said the media plays a very important role in helping people understand the good policies it has put in place.

Mr Kapeya was speaking when he paid a curtsey call on Eastern province Minister Charles Banda in Chipata yesterday.

The Deputy Minister who is on a familiarisation tour of all public and private media institutions in Eastern province has since reaffirmed government’s initiative to support all media institutions operating according to their licences.

And Eastern province Minister Charles Banda said there is need to equip members of the public with vibrant information that will enable them make informed decisions.

Mr Banda said the media in the province has shown tremendous strides in disseminating information on various government projects closer to the people.

He further praised the media in the province for playing a key role in disseminating information on the recently conducted measles campaign.

ZANIS

President Michael Sata, today met 15 chiefs from Southern Province. This is according to a press statement made available to the media by State House.

The chiefs who held a closed-door meeting with the Head of State at State House include chief Mukuni, chief Nyama, chief Chikanta, chief Simwatachela, chief Singani, chief Macha, chief Sinazongwe, chief Chipepo, senior chief Monze, chief Hamusonde, chief Mwanachingwala, chief Simamba, senior chief Nalubamba, chief Shimbizi and chief Kaingu.

During the meeting the traditional leaders, who spoke through chief Chikanta thanked the President for the opportunity to engage him on several matters affecting the country.

“We would like to congratulate you Your Excellency for winning the 2011 tripartite elections and thank you most sincerely for what we consider as positive developments that your Government have effected in the last one year,” chief Chikanta said.

“We the 15 chiefs of Southern Province gathered here and on behalf of other chiefs in Southern Province do hereby state that we will work with the Government of the day and other stakeholders in promoting development and good governance in the country.”

The chiefs submitted that among the positive developments recorded during President Sata’s one year in office are:

(1) The streamlining of agriculture inputs and supplies to improve distribution to deserving small scale farmers.
(2) Creation of the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs.
(3) Increasing of chiefs subsidies [from K1 million – K4 million] as well as retainers wages.
(4) Banning of tujijili and enforcing of laws regulating beer drinking.
(5) Relocating of Southern Province headquarters from Livingstone to Choma and the creation of four (4) new districts namely: Chirundu, Chikankata, Pemba, Zimba and many others in the country.
(6) Making Livingstone a tourist capital.
(7) Creation of Muchinga Province.
(8) Intention to construct chiefs’ palaces throughout the country and providing mobile phone towers in all chiefdoms.
(9) Economic empowerment to all chiefdoms by giving contracts such as bush clearing along power lines by Zesco among others.”

In response, President Sata, who was flanked by justice minister Hon. Wynter Kabimba, chiefs and traditional affairs minister Prof. Nkandu Luo and deputy minister in the Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health Hon. Jean Kapata, assured the chiefs of his Government’s commitment in ensuring that development is taken to Southern Province.
“During the campaigns I promised the people of Southern Province that I will give them the Bottom Road immediately I am elected. Obviously, you have seen that works on the Bottom Road are moving very fast. Shortly, we will be moving to the Monze – Namwala Road once we organise resources,” the Head of State said.

“My Government is committed to address the problems facing our traditional leadership countrywide no wonder we resolved to give you a specific ministry [Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs] within our establishment.”

President Sata agreed with the chiefs’ concern on the need to have more interactions between the Government and the traditional leadership.

The President stressed that chiefs were a vital component in the governance of the country.

The United Party for National Development (UPND) vice president for administration Richard Kapita has also disclosed to the media that the Zambia Police Service has once again denied the UPND a permit to hold a rally in Mongu district this week.

This is the fourth time the Zambia police service is denying the UPND a permit to hold a public rally after the canceled Kanyama and Chawama rallies in Lusaka.

Mr. Kapita has noted that the security concerns being raised by the police have nothing to do with the UPND planned rally.

He has appealed to Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba to intervene in the matter. Mr. Kapita said that the UPND will not allow the Zambia Police Service to continue denying them an opportunity to interact with the people at grassroots level.

Meanwhile,GET Involved Zambia Executive Director Father Frank Bwalya has said that he was saddened the actions of police who had continued to deny the United Party for National Development (UPND) a permit to hold its public rallies in Lusaka.

Fr Bwalya said it was unconstitutional for the police to deny UPND with permits adding that the denial could create a bad image of all good developments that PF was achieving.

“It’s sad my heart bleeds to see police denying UPND with a permit. PF is doing a lot of good things for the country but the issue of trying
to block UPND from holding its rallies is not good,” Father Bwalya said

Zambia National Broadcasting Cooperation (ZNBC) is targeting to employ about 700 new workers by next year.

ZNBC Director General Chibamba Kanyama says the national broadcaster is currently working on means of diversifying its broadcast content to meet the viewers’ needs.

He said ZNBC will ensure that it keeps itself away from being seen as perpetrators of propaganda but working to state facts as they come from its sources.

He said he is happy to hear of the positive responses from some opposition leaders who have so far appreciated the change in the way the institution was operating.

Mr. Kanyama told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that it is one of his major goals to ensure that he builds a professional media in ZNBC that will strike a balance in its content away from the bad image that the audience aligned the institution to.

He also stated that ZNBC was currently working with local film production houses to ensure that local content takes a led.

He disclosed that ZNBC has in the recent past been signing contracts with media institutions so that it can enhance its production and quality of programming on its channels.

He assured people in areas where the ZNBC signal is weak that will soon see a change as the institution slow moves into digital broadcast which he said will strengthen the reception of the signal in all parts of the country.

ZANIS