“As President Lungu says it is unethical for presidential candidates to run newspaper publications”
President Edgar Lungu says the violence that happened at the Patriotic Front Secretariat on Saturday where some journalists were injured is the last test for Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja.
President Lungu says harassment of the media is criminal and anyone perpetuating the vice should be arrested.
He says times have changed where the media was being viewed as an enemy of the state and should now be viewed as key partners in development.
Addressing this year’s World Press Freedom Day under the theme “Information as a Public Good,” the Head of State reiterated his Government’s commitment towards Press Freedom and urged the media to remain truthful as the country heads towards the August polls.
And the President who acknowledged the challenges that the media has faced with the advent of social media said professional journalists have the responsibility of upholding the ethics of journalism.
And Chairperson of Technical Working Group of the Media Liaison Committee Ernest Chanda bemoaned the hostile conditions that the media has suffered under the PF regime.
Meanwhile, UNESCO Country Secretary-General Dr. Charles Ndakala expressed concern that journalists have continued to be killed for merely doing their works.
And US Embassy, Charge De Affairs David Young says the government should ensure that Journalists are protected before, during, and after the 12th August general elections this year.
Mr.Young has noted with sadness that Journalists continue to be attacked by political cadres despite several assurances from the government that they will be protected.
SPEECH BY
HIS EXCELLENCY DR EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA, ON THE COMMEMORATION OF THE WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
MONDAY, 3RD MAY, 2021
STATE HOUSE
LUSAKA
● INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES MINISTER, HON DORA SILIYA, MP;
● INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES PERMANENT SECRETARY, MR AMOS MALUPENGA;
● WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY ORGANISING COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON; MS FELISTUS CHIPAKO
● THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MEDIA LIAISON COMMITTEE, MR ERNEST CHANDA;
● THE UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR; DR COUMBA MAR GADIO;
● THE UNESCO REPRESENTATIVE; DR M’ZIZI KANTINI
● THE JCTR DIRECTOR, FATHER ALEX MUYEBE;
● ALL ZAMBIAN JOURNALISTS;
● LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;
I AM GREATLY HONOURED TO JOIN YOU, MEMBERS OF THE PRESS, IN CELEBRATING THIS YEAR’S WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY. LET ME START BY PAYING GLOWING TRIBUTE TO THE ORGANISERS OF THIS EVENT FOR THE JOB WELL DONE.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;
THE EARLIER SPEAKERS HAVE ARTICULATED WHAT THIS DAY IS ALL ABOUT AND THEY HAVE ABLY RAISED VERY PERTINENT ISSUES THAT I FEEL DUTY-BOUND TO RESPOND TO.
ISSUES OF JOURNALISTS SUFFERING INTIMIDATION, AND VIOLENT ATTACKS CANNOT CONTINUE ANYMORE AS THE WORLD HAS NOW MOVED ON FROM JOURNALISTS BEING ENEMIES OF THE STATE TO JOURNALISTS BEING ENTITIES OF THE STATE; FROM JOURNALISTS SPYING ON THE STATE TO JOURNALISTS COLLABORATING WITH THE STATE; FROM JOURNALISTS DESTROYING THE STATE TO JOURNALISTS BUILDING THE STATE;
FROM JOURNALISTS NOT BEING PART OF THE STATE, TO JOURNALISTS BEING A KEY COMPONENT OF THE STATE. YES, TIMES HAVE CHANGED. FROM ROGUE JOURNALISTS TO COMRADES IN NATION BUILDING. WE ALL ASPIRE FOR THE SAME THING – THE SUCCESS OF OUR BELOVED NATION. I, THEREFORE, AM NOT ONE TO COUNTERNANCE FORCES THAT FRUSTRATE NATION BUILDING.
I AM A FRIEND OF THE MEDIA. AND THEREFORE, MY FOLLOWERS, AS WELL, MUST EMBRACE JOURNALISTS AND REALISE THE ROLE THEY PLAY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
HARRASMENT OF JOURNALISTS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. INTIMIDATION, HARASSMENT AND VIOLENCE IS NOT POLITICS. IMMEDIATELY A PERSON ENGAGES IN SUCH CONDUCT, HE OR SHE HAS DRIFTED FROM POLITICS INTO CRIMINALITY. SUCH A PERSON MUST BE ARRESTED AND PROSECUTED. THIS MATTER IS NOT NEGOTIABLE. THE LAW MUST PROTECT ALL CITIZENS, WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
AS WE GO TOWARDS ELECTIONS, I WISH TO URGE THE POLICE COMMAND TO UP THEIR GAME AND PROTECT ALL LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS FROM HARASSMENT AND VIOLENCE.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
ONE CRITICAL ROLE THAT JOURNALISTS PLAY IS PROVIDING PEOPLE WITH THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO BE FREE AND SELF-GOVERNING. THIS IS WHY THE PRACTITIONERS MUST PRESENT THE NEWS IN A WAY THAT IS COMPREHENSIVE AND PROPORTIONAL. AND I SAY THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN IN OUR COUNTRY, JOURNALISTS DICTATING WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW. NO! THERE IS NO ROOM FOR SLANTING NEWS OR EXAGGERATING NEWS IN PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM. IT IS WHAT IT IS!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
JOURNALISM’S FIRST OBLIGATION IS TRUTH. BUT JOURNALISTS CAN ONLY REPORT TRUTHFULLY IF THEY DO THOROUGH INVESTIGATIONS AND TALK TO ALL SIDES OF THE STORY. THERE MUST BE NO LETHARGY WHEN IT COMES TO REPORTING WHAT YOU DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO HEAR OR REPORTING WHAT SOMEBODY YOU DON’T LIKE HAS SAID.
THIS IS WHY IT IS DISCONCERTING THAT SOME OWNERS OF NEWSPAPERS IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE SUDDENLY BECOME POLITICIANS AND ARE USING THEIR PUBLICATIONS TO SPEW OUT THEIR MANIFESTOS; BUT MORE WORRYING TO ATTACK THE REST OF THEIR RIVALS.
THIS ARRANGEMENT OBVIOUSLY GIVES UNDUE ADVANTAGE TO SUCH POLITICIANS AND IN AN ELECTION YEAR LIKE THIS ONE THAT CREATES A VERY SLANTED PLAYING FIELD.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
IT IS BAD ENOUGH TO HAVE A MEDIA HOUSE OWNED BY AN INDIVIDUAL WHO OPENLY SUPPORT ONE CANDIDATE; BUT IT IS DANGEROUS TO THE NATION TO HAVE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OWNING A MEDIA HOUSE FOR PURPOSES OF RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. THEY WILL NOT JUST USE THEIR PUBLICATION FOR PROPAGANDA, BUT THEY WILL RUIN THE CAREERS OF THEIR JOURNALISTS WHOSE CREDIBILITY WILL BE QUESTIONED.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
ALREADY WE HAVE SEEN SOME VERY STRANGE WAY OF PRACTISING JOURNALISM, ALL BECAUSE OF THE INFLUENCE OF OWNERSHIP. WE HAVE SEEN IN OUR COUNTRY THE MEDIA INTERVIEWING THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE WHOSE PURPOSE IS ONLY TO SLANDER THEIR PERCEIVED ENEMIES. ONCE THE STORY IS OUT, THEN THE SAME JOURNALISTS WANT TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SLANDERED FOR A REACTION.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
JOURNALISTS ARE NOT MATCH MAKERS IN A BOXING DUEL.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THE CULTURE OF BLALIZO IS YET ANOTHER SCAR ON ZAMBIAN JOURNALISM. YES, TIMES ARE HARD, BUT IT IS DISHEARTENING TO SEE OR HEAR OF JOURNALISTS BEING PAID BY SOURCES TO DO THEIR WORK. IN OTHER CASES, WE HEAR OF OWNERS OF MEDIA UNDERPAYING JOURNALISTS AND EXPECTING THEM TO BE PAID BY SOURCES! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT OF SUCH JOURNALISTS. IT EVEN SENDS A CHILL IN ONE’S SPINE TO IMAGINE THIS GOING ON AS WE APPROACH THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I HAVE HEARD CONCERNS ABOUT THE CLOSURE OF PRIME TELEVISION.
WHEN THERE WAS A WHOLE HULLABALLO ABOUT THE CLOSURE OF THIS PARTICULAR TELEVISION STATION I MADE AN INQUIRY AND I WAS TOLD PRIME NEWS ACTUALLY DID NOT RENEW THEIR LICENCE WHEN IT FELL DUE. AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, PRIOR TO 2013, THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES USED TO ISSUE BROADCASTING LICENCES. THIS FUNCTION WAS, BY LAW, TRANSFERRED TO THE IBA.
WHILE I HAVE POWERS TO ORDER THE MINISTER TO ACT IN A CERTAIN MANNER, UNFORTUNATELY, OR FORTUNATELY, I DO NOT HAVE POWERS TO DIRECT THE IBA, BECAUSE THE ACT ESTABLISHING THE IBA PROVIDES THAT THEY SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO THE DIRECTION OF ANY PERSON OR AUTHORITY. I, THEREFORE, WANT TO BELIEVE THAT THE BOARD OF THE IBA WERE ACTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW AND WILL CONTINUE ACTING WITHIN THE LAW.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;
MY PRESENCE HERE IS SYMBOLIC OF MY COMMITMENT TO A FREE AND FLOURISHING PRESS IN ZAMBIA. WHAT FAVOURS THE JOURNALISM FRATERNITY, FAVOURS ME, AS WELL. WHAT MAKES JOURNALISTS HAPPY, MAKES ME HAPPY AS WELL.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
HAVING RESPONDED TO THE ISSUES RAISED BY YOU MY COLLEAGUES, THROUGH YOUR PASSIONATE SPEECHES, IT JUST REMAINS FOR ME TO ASSURE YOU OF MY GOVERNMENT’S SUPPORT FOR PRESS FREEDOM. THE STRIDES OF MY GOVERNMENT TO GUARANTEE PRESS FREEDOM ARE THERE FOR ALL TO SEE. WHEN WE TOOK OVER GOVERNMENT, WE HAD MEDIA OUTLETS THAT YOU COULD COUNT USING YOUR FINGERS BUT TODAY WE HAVE MEDIA OUTLETS IN THEIR HUNDREDS. MORE MEDIA OUTLETS TRANSLATE INTO MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS OF THE PRESS.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, MY GOVERNMENT HAS INVESTED IN GOOD QUALITY NEWS TRANSMISSION THROUGH DIGITAL MIGRATION, AND I AM RELIABLY INFORMED OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN VISITING ZAMBIA TO LEARN ABOUT THIS ACHIEVEMENT.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I AM AWARE THAT THE ADVENT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IS CHALLENGING THE PRACTICE OF JOURNALISM ALL OVER THE WORLD. THIS CALLS FOR EVEN MORE TRAINED JOURNALISTS TO DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES FROM CITIZEN JOURNALISM AND MASQUERADERS. I AM GENERALLY VERY IMPRESSED WITH HOW JOURNALISTS ARE COLLABORATING WITH THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES. THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL, MAY GOD BLESS ZAMBIA