Comrades!
By: Innocent Phiri (IP)
1. Two things I have for now picked from the Presser of my President Mr. HH, it is NOT true that the two live bullets that claimed two lives namely State prosecutor Nsama Nsama & Kaunda a UPND cadre were solemnly targeted at him. This is because the UPND leader then was not even any nearby where that incident took place from.
The shooting happened right behind the NPA building at the canteen while Kaunda was shot from.
But if at all it is true that the two bullets were aimed at him directly then I also have the rights to claim that I survived the same two live bullets and I can easily say that they were aimed at me.
I say this because I was the only Journalist at a time who arrived on time to cover the fracas that resulted from a protest by the UPND cadres in an effort to prevent President Hichilema from appearing before the police for questioning. In an attempted to disperse the crowd police foolishly fired live bullets of which I was on the middle of all this but of course my President HH was not even nearby.
2. A Press Conference is meant for Journalists to have a lime light in asking questions therefore, it is disappointing to see the President talking for more than three hours while the owners of the event are only accorded 15minutes.
I’m very sure the former lecturer in Journalism & Media Mr. Clayson Hamasaka who is serving as Communications Specialist together with his former students among them Cde Brian Mwiinga & Cde Fredrick Misebezi can be courageous enough to help the President Understand the difference between a Press Conference and SONA.
3. An end of year Press conference doesn’t restrict questions for it is has to be a compilation of all the burning issues of the year, hence it was totally wrong for the President to only only demand questions around what he described as the subject of the day. That was not an end of year Press conference at least from the little knowledge I have accquired in Media.
Never the less,
4. The moment I heard the President systematically but interfering into the works of a Director of programs which was being carried out by Cde Thabo Kawana PS Information as to why he was allowing the media Personnel to ask questions away from what he had talked about, something clicked my mind that this Presser is merely a show biz which has been called upon in order for the Public to see the signing into an ATI bill into law. In my view this was the main purpose of this Conference.
5. I find it very difficulty to believe in an answer given by someone who talks almost for 20minutes to response to a simple question.
Why shouldn’t the Public or we the journalists believe when our Citizen number one speaks unless the Veep or Secretary to cabinet comes in to clarify what the their Boss has said, how by way the protocol demands that when your Boss speaks no junior leader can speaks.
What I saw today was that for the first time the Veep and SC were invited to the part to clarify the position of our Boss the President issues around the acting presidency tittle.
Ooh my Africa!!!
#IP
#Journalist & Broadcaster
It’s the President who had information to tell the nation through presser. The journalists didn’t go there to talk but to listen and ask questions. The questions shouldn’t be too long. They should be short and to the point.
Just stop tribalism government.
Tell that to your mother and grandfather. Arsewhore.
Did Edgar lungu allowed questions? did you write this nosense?
You have rightly put it that what you have said is your opinion but don’t forget that other people have also their own opinion and you can’t impose yours on them. If you don’t understand the issue of bullets, then you should have asked for clarity, otherwise the President knows what he is talking about. May be we can use the word target, the target was HH and those shootings were done to cause as much confusion as possible so that in the end, the shooting of the target amid confusion could be justified. It’s also my opinion and that’s how I understand it. The bullet which was directly meant for HH was not fired, Hon. Tayali saved the situation, had he not come out of the vehicle, the officer was going to shoot and kill HH. But the way you talk, muoneka monga ka jealous kalipo. Even if the President has already spoken, if it it’s his wish that the Vice President, a Cabinet Minister, PS or DC can come speak to clarify a certain issue or issues and there is no harm with that. It’s also interesting to note that the President was talking and you were busy counting hours, what is your problem if the President speaks longer than journalists? Go to China, North Korea, journalists are not even given chance to ask questions after a presser like the one we had. Don’t create issues out of nothing.
Hehehehe this journalist went with a preconceived mindset and not to listen to anything. The problem with our journalists of nowadays is that they are not that knowledgeable. They are too blank just like this journalist. They listen to opposition leaders and take what they say as gospel truth . Most of them fail to ask relevant questions to the president rendering themselves irrelevant. The president is like 50 years ahead in the head and these journalist fail to understand that.. Shame. So this journalist sounds like a cadre of some political party or a zero.
Listen you half wit you’re a sub journalist. As usual you put a horse before the cart. If you are certain of what you are saying were you part and parcel of the assassination plot. Be careful little man the world is not flat. Ziko zili na Meno.
Think before you bleat.
I wonder where some of these journalists were during PF time. He went to find fault where there is no fault, and when he found nothing, he decided to concoct something, what a journalist! I am sure he was under pressure to deliver on an agreement with a hidden hand, in exchange for brown envelop.
This is the ka journalist at Knb television, also from Muvi tv. He’s the opposition mouth piece. What he’s written is no different from what Mmembe has about the press conference. All negative and yet normal people got a lot of important and sensible issues from the conference.
He sounds like a journalist that makes running commentaries while the speaker is speaking — trying to be the centre of attention. Fact is press conference organisers have every right to dictate when to ask questions. And they have specific protocols suitable for their kind of press conference.
Again they have control of whom should ask questions.
I believe he knows one is not supposed to ask a question that the speaker will be unwilling or unable to answer. Rather one should ask answerable quality questions with courtesy and not try to demonstrate one’s knowledge of the topic. Such questions are not answered world over — they are simply ignored. In fact, journalists have been removed from press conferences altogether.
If Phiri is a seasoned journalist as he claims, all he would have done is ask for a private one on one audience with the president. But from his article above, I doubt if he will ever be entertained.
A press conference is not a free for all event for journalists. Fact that this Innocent Phiri doesn’t know this shows the type of fools we have running around as journalists.
The one hosting the press, the one holding the press conference can dictate which direction and how long the various parts of the conference last. Ba Innocent Phiri mungulu Pro Max.
Are you sure you are not a pessimist sir. Your mind sounds to be clouded with pessimism, hate, resentment, bitterness and lack patriotism
OH MY AFRICA!!!!!!!
You are one of those suffering from the sickness of unfair Criticism. This is due to too much of your jealous and Envy.
Clearly we have substandard journalist in the country. The essense of a press conference is for the convener to relay information to the audience and it not mandatory that they should allow questions. Questions are only there to allow for issues which may not have been very clear to be elaborated on not that it’s a must that questions will be there. This journalist should know the difference between a press conference and an interview and clearly he thought he went there for the later. Interviews are the ones where journalist can asks as many questions as possible not at the press conference. I can even go further and say an press should not have questions because everything talked about would be clear.
Only thing we know as yet is…
The economy is taking a great fall
And all the kings horses
and all the kings men
Say they are working
But no matter how hard they work
They aren’t putting
humpty humpty
back together again