Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has called on all media institutions in Zambian to heed to the call by President Rupiah Banda to ensure that they fall under one salutary media ethics regulatory board in order to make the profession more dignified.

MISA Zambia chairperson Henry Kabwe said the media ‘s disunity and lack of common ground has sent a wrong massage to the Zambian people were media ethics and professionalism is concerned.

Mr. Kabwe expressed sadness that the citizens have no knowledge on which code of ethics the Zambian media base their conduct on adding that this has made it hard for the ordinary citizens to seek redress on the ethical issues concerning the conduct of the media.

“ We would like to remind all journalists that while they facilitate the freedom of expression and access to information , they owe their allegiance to the Zambian people they serve,” he said..

Mr. Kabwe however stated that media‘s ethical conduct can not be enforced under statuary regulation because the media is a watch dog of the three arms of government which is supposed to provide checks and balances.

He said the statutory regulation on the media by the three arms of government might be used to hamper the role of the media as a watchdog.

He appealed to the media to ensure that it familiarizes itself with the Media Council of Zambia MECOZ so that many media ethical complaints could be handled internally to avoid actions that would cost the media and lead them to closure.

He further appealed to all media in Zambia to come under one non statutory media ethics body that will enforce media ethical conduct .

The MISA chairperson said the media has an obligation to adhere to media ethics as it carries out the duty of serving the Zambian people.

This is contained in a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

The media Associations have already begun the process of coming up with a strengthened non statuary media ethics regulatory body that should encompass all media in the country.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kabwe also appealed to government to waive tax on key media inputs and broadcasting equipment so as to make the media more sustainable and viable.

ZANIS/AH/MKM/ENDS

THE National Constitutional Conference legislative committee has proposed to increase seats for members of Parliament from 150 to 250.

The proposals were made during the committee’s sitting at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.

MMD Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga submitted to committee chairperson Mutale Nalumango that 200 should be elected MPs, 40 from interest groups and 10 should be nominated.

“When making this Constitution, we should be futuristic. Ten years from now Zambia’s population will not be the same, so, we should look at increasing the number of seats for MPs,” Mr Mwaanga said

He said having such a number of legislators would help to represent people adequately.

Supporting the submission, Malole Independent MP Emmanuel Munaile said some Constituencies were too vast and that increasing the number of Parliamentary seats would benefit Zambians.

“Some of our Constituencies are too vast to be covered by one MP. So, the proposed 250 seats is a welcome move,” Mr Munaile said.

Several committee members supported the proposal except four committee members who argued that increasing the number of seats would be costly.

Former UPND Luena MP Chrispine Sibetta argued that having 250 MPs would be a drain on the country’s resources and that Parliament chambers had no capacity to accommodate such a number.

After committee members failed to reach a consensus, Ms Nalumango subjected the proposal to a vote following which 31 committee members voted for the number of seats to be increased with four members voting against.

Under the current Constitution, the President has powers to nominate 8 MPs.

Zambia Daily Mail

President Rupiah Banda  this morning  laid a foundation stone for the construction of the Pepsi plant whose owners are to invest about US$ 30 million for the period of six years .
The company will also  employ 214 Zambians in various capacities and create over 600 indirect jobs in various capacities, there by reducing  the pressure on the job market.

Speaking  at the ceremony held at the Pepsi bottling plant in Lusaka’s Mungwi  road  today,  Mr. Banda  said government  will continue to lay a solid foundation for diversifying the economy in order to sustain the country’s  economic growth.

He said, this will minimize the negative impact arising from the global economic down turn.

Mr. Banda added that government is also committed to  the development of a vibrant and competitive manufacturing sector .

Mr Banda however said the plant will add  value to the Zambian  economy and will contribute to the realization of the  vision to transform Zambia  into a middle income country by 2030.

He stressed that with  the re- introduction of  Pespi, Zambians will enjoy affordable high quality drinks and related products at competitive prices adding that the project will save and earn the country foreign exchange.

Mr.  Banda stressed that the launch of the company  has come at a good time when the  slow down  in the global economy has exerted considerable pressure on most of the economies around the world.

And  commerce , trade and industry minister Felix  Mutati noted the need to diversify the economy  so that  investors can come in and invest in  many sectors

Mr. Mutati thanked the Indian government for its continued commitment  in assisting Zambia  through  providing employment to the local people.

He noted that both the company  and the Zambia government and its citizenry will benefit from the investment.

ZANIS/AH/MKM/ENDS

The World Bank has said that Zambia is poised for significant economic development this year if the priorities which President Rupiah Banda outlined in his speech to parliament yesterday are implemented.

World Bank country representative, Kapil Kapoor, said President Banda addressed all the priority areas in his speech, adding that it now remains for government and other stakeholders in the development process of the country to implement what was said.

He told ZANIS in an interview that government and its stakeholders, including the cooperating partners should now put in place effective mechanisms that would drive the country into economic growth.

He said that despite being affected by the global economic crunch, Zambia has no reason to remain poor after all important economic areas were attended to.

Dr. Kapoor was commenting on Mr. Banda’s speech after the ceremonial opening of parliament yesterday

Meanwhile, Finland has described President Banda’s speech as realistic, describing it as one that would help maintain the economic development momentum Zambia is recording.

Finnish ambassador to Zambia, Sinikka Antila said the fact that the President noted that 2009 would not be an easy year for Zambia was reason enough for government to work extra hard, for the country’s economy to remain stable in the facet of the prevailing global economic meltdown.

Ms. Antila said the President pointed out important issues that would enable Zambia counter any negative effects of the global financial difficulties.

She said poverty alleviation, enhanced entrepreneurship and the fight against corruption, are the necessary ingredients for economic and political stability, in the midst of world financial crisis.

She said she was particularly happy that Mr. Banda spoke strongly about the issues relating to climate change, which she said were a major stumbling block to the development of the country.

Yesterday, Mr. Banda disclosed his government’s plans to counter the prevailing global economic challenges and enhance Zambia’s development agenda through improving the priority sectors of the country’s economy.

In his speech, President Banda said Zambia had no reason to remain poor, because she is endowed with abundant natural resources, which if property harnessed, would enable her resist the current global economic challenges.

ENDS/KSH/PK/ZANIS