Keep your hands off the media, ZIIMA tells off UPND
ZIIMA Press Statement on the continued harassment of journalists in the new dawn administration
THE Zambia Institute of Independent Media Alliance (ZIIMA) has noted with sadness the recent outbursts by the UPND Party and other Members of Parliament’s attack on the media.
The ruling UPND Secretary General Mr. Batuke Imenda called for a press briefing two days ago to simply undress The News Diggers over a story that exposed government’s inconsistency on youth employment.
Instead of sending his complaint in a normal manner, Mr. Imenda chose to castigate the newspaper and particularly the reporter in front of his cadres that has seen UPND Member of Parliament for Kankoyo Hon Heartson Mabeta threatening to close the daily tabloid.
In as far as we are concerned, Hon. Mabeta on his own has no power to do that, his statement must not only be dismissed with contempt, but be treated as a UPND official statement.
We recently witnessed police arresting the KBN TV station manager for the expose of an audio by state house planning to kill multiparty democracy, which is enshrined in the constitution.
We want to remind Mr. Imenda that he is Chief Executive Officer of the governing party and we will judge his attitude and that of his members towards the media as the official party position.
We have also witnessed the Lumezi MP Munir Zulu who equally harassed the Mast newspaper for simply reporting the truth.
Another freelance journalist Thomas Zgambo is living in fear following threats on his life by police.
We expect the UPND government to come out clean on such acts that do not guarantee media freedom that the Republican President who is also President of the Party guaranteed days after winning the August election.
ZIIMA will be writing complaint letters to the UPND national chairman Hon. Stephen Katuka, The Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Nelly Mutti and to the Inspector General of Police Mr. Lemmy Kajoba on these respective harassments.
We condemn the attacks on the media and want to remind the UPND that it is the same media, especially the private that propelled them into power, to this, we give credit to the News Diggers for exposing the Mukula and the Honey Bee scandals under PF, which heavily gave the UPND campaign points, off course the UPND had something to talk about because News diggers brought it out.
Keep your hands off the media!!!
Wilson Pondamali
CONSULTANT- ZIIMA
Contact: +260977351972
Email: ziimafreepress@gmail.com