HH LIED ON ZAMEC BILL BUT UBUCENJESHI BWA MPELEMBE, CIFULUKUTU PANUMA – MUNDUBILE
….. says media freedom shrinking at fast rate under UPND Government….
Lusaka, Monday (16th January, 2023)
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Brian Mundubile says President Hakainde Hichilema has backtracked on his promise to have the Zambia Media Council – ZAMEC Bill enacted into law.
Mr. Mundubile who is also PF Presidential Candidate said enough progress was done over the ZAMEC issue but that President Hichilema had now gone silent on the matter.
“The expectation of the media fraternity in Zambia generally is that the UPND Government in general and President Hichilema in particular would expedite the enactment of the Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC) Bill given the many assurances he gave while in opposition to give the media freedom,” he said.
Mr. Mundubile said President Hichilema promised to enact the Bill for more order in the manner media business was done and provide security to the media against any form of harassment.
“President Hichilema should fulfill his promise because ubucenjeshi bwa mpelembe, icifulukutu panuma (one boasts of being blameless but soon after that, he is caught),” he said.
Mr. Mundubile added that media freedom was important and played a cardinal role in a Constitutional Democracy like the one in Zambia.
“We, however, are concerned that media freedom under the UPND Government is shrinking at a fast rate.
Mr. Mundubile said it was in public domain that media personnel were being harassed under the UPND Government.
“Examples are Muvi TV Reporter Innocent Phiri who was recently arrested for filming the police effecting an arrest on one of the opposition leaders Chilufya Tayali. And now we saw that the UPND cadres hounded out Mr. Tayali who was appearing on Kokoliko FM Radio in Chingola and another appearance on radio in Mufulira was thwarted by cadres,” he said.
He commended Zambia Police Service for arresting two suspects that stormed Kokoliko FM Radio in Chingola to hound out opposition leader Chilufya Tayali.
“I must take this opportunity to commend the police for acting swiftly to arrest two suspects in that case. That is as it should be. The police must be seen to be working in order to ensure that the rule of law is upheld. But regards media freedom, it is one of the major sources of concern,” he said.
Mr. Mundubile reminded President Hichilema that he was a beneficiary of media freedom which helped him to be in State House today.
“He cannot therefore, turn his back against the media and begin to harass them in the manner that they are doing,” he said.