It is getting to a month since the Patriotic Front (PF) party and government cancelled the operating license for Prime Television.
PF, through the so-called Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), announced the cancellation of Prime TV’s license, arguing that the station was a danger to society and that its decision was in the best interest of the public. Many organisations which include opposition parties and non-governmental organisations protested the decision of government and condemned it. They even called for the reopening of the TV station but nothing happened. The station was told to appeal to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services within 30 days as provided for by the IBA Amendment Act of 2010.
As you are aware, Prime TV’s appeal to the minister, Dora Siliya, was turned down. On 24th April, she declined to entertain the appeal, arguing that Prime Television’s license had expired days before IBA canceled it on April 9, 2020. She claimed that Prime Television’s license had expired on March 29, 2020.
I have concluded that the decision to close Prime TV was political; it was a well calculated move by the PF party and government to get rid of the TV station. To the PF party and government, Prime TV was not operating in the interest of the public, but in PF officials’ and cadres’ interest. I wonder if any person from the public, except for PF cadres, complained against Prime TV to IBA.
The PF party with its government does not want media houses that dig out its dirt and bring it to the attention of the public. Prime TV has paid an ultimate price for practicing investigative journalism. A despotic regime like PF cannot support such kind of journalism; only docile and timid journalism can be allowed to operate freely by the PF party and government.
Prime TV has been showing Zambians how corrupt and tribal the PF government is. Therefore, it has been a thorn in the fresh of those thieving and tribal officials in the party and government. It beats my imagination to read what the minister of information and broadcasting said when refusing to entertain Prime TV’s appeal. She said the license was already expired before it was cancelled. Does it mean Prime TV never just wanted to renew its license or someone declined to renew it?
The PF party with its government is playing games with Prime TV and its workers. Does madam Siliya understand that Prime TV employs a lot of people? Does she understand that Prime TV pays taxes to the PF government? How would you close a viable company when you need more companies to open? President Edgar Lungu and his government want more jobs created and taxes paid; at the same time they are closing companies like Prime TV. This is unreasonable and hypocrisy of the highest order.
I am very disappointed that the PF government which in opposition benefited from private media houses such as Muvi TV when the Movement for Multiple Party Democracy (MMD) government blacked it out from all public media houses could be closing the same channels without proper justification. I am driven to think that we Zambians are petty and we are the enemies of ourselves. We are driven by partisan interests, and not a greater good. What is good in closing a TV station which is giving alternative voice to all government-controlled media houses and has employed people? To those in government, it is good to kill a media house which in their thinking stands in their way to retaining power.
Prime TV was a major station which gave the opposition parties a platform to be heard or express their sentiments on many national issues. Today, the remaining TV stations are a shadow of themselves; they just take a middle line. They fail to practice investigative journalism for fear of being closed down like Prime TV. Further, the remaining TV stations cannot host opposition leaders in the manner prime TV did.
The PF government should be above pettiness and provide the much-needed leadership. PF as a party and government should know that it is a privilege to govern this country and should create favourable conditions for all private companies; pro-PF or anti-PF companies to thrive and create the much-needed jobs. True leadership allows divergent views to exist, but not silencing them. Let us learn to develop our democracy and a free press is cardinal to entrenching democratic values in society. At 55, Zambia should be maturing into a true democratic state, not sliding into dictatorship.
As I conclude, I wish to appeal to the PF government and madam Dora that they will not be in power forever. In 2021 elections, PF may lose power to another political party and government-controlled media will desert them immediately. They will need privately owned TV stations such Prime TV to cover them when they will be facing the law for corrupt activities they have involved themselves in. In Bemba we say, “tabasha wanya munsakwe.’’ Meaning, you do not defecate in a hut that served you from the rains because you may need it when it starts raining again.
The author is a lecturer at the University of Zambia, department of Library and Information Science. Send your comments to: tuesdaybwalya1@gmail.com