Witchcraft Case
By Dickson Jere
In 2001, I was elected President of MISA-Zambia. One of my first assignment was to engage the judiciary on the possibility of opening up court cases for live coverage as well as allowing photographers inside court. High Court Registrar Philip Musonda (as he then was) agreed with our proposal but indicated that it required some legal reforms in that area. I, and others, have been pushing for that proposal since then.
So, I was elated when I heard that current Chief Justice Dr. Mumba Malila, SC, had decided to opened up to the live coverage of the eligibility case involving former President Edgar Lungu in the ConCourt. That presented an opportunity to assess the coverage and develop a plan going forward.
You see, when I wrote a letter in 2001 to the Judiciary, I did emphasize that live coverage should not be restricted to specific cases. This should be left to the media to decide – after all – that is why they exist. They should decide to pick what is newsworthy and probably even get Sponsorship for the coverage. The moment the judiciary begins to choose which cases to cover, then the problem begins.
The judiciary cannot be the one to dictate as to which case is important and worthy live coverage. The judiciary will also be dragged into the mud by politicians the moment it starts to decide on which case to be covered.
Here my proposal, as I submitted in 2001. The judiciary should come up with ‘Media Coverage Rules,2025’ which should provide a legal framework of life coverage of cases. The journalists will decided which case is worthy live coverage but they need to inform the court on time for preparation. It is their call!
I am both of the two worlds – journalism and law. So I understand both sides. Each media organization has own audience and agenda. You do not expect Financial Times to invest resources in the coverage of “witchcraft” story when its target audience is more finance. Such a publication will be interested in covering the KCM story, for example, in the Commercial Court. So allow the media to decide what is newsworthy and important and not the Judiciary.
What about the witchcraft story?
My personal views as both journalist and lawyer is that it is not an important story to be given all the attention. It just ridicules the Presidency in Zambia as well as our society. It shows Zambia as a backward nation still believing in juju when countries are moving ahead and discussing Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is human interest story that is not worthy the noise.
Mr. Jere is witchcraft not in our statutes? Is insulting not in our statutes?
Even in my personal opinion the laws are absurd and until we have serious and objective law makers in Parliament that we will work for the people of Zambia we will continue to have these kinds of laws.
To attack law enforement for doing their job os unfair. To attack the judicary for applying the law is equally unfair. But to have MP that keep asking pay raises and graduity to justify their work and after 60 years we have laws that are not in tandem with society and a society that lacks an appreciation for law and order. Then something is wrong.
Ba Jere you write that this case is a human interest story that is not worthy the noise. There has already been too much public and political noise about this case so it has already gained its worthy for noise. What is of public interest may not always match with what the media or some partisan journalists may wish to make noise about.
No wonder Zambia has failed to develop .You people have not moved on as Mr Jere has implied. Debating with people of your mindset is really a waste time.
What is newsworthy? Rape, murder, divorce, or Lusambo not providing receipts for campaign funds?
Yes Mr Jere we are backward. The fact is juju was going to used to kill the President. They have admitted why sympathize with them?
It is true we are backward not by rumors but by facts someone hired Mozambique sagama. We shall know who it is.
I know people like you didn’t want those devils catch so that they execute their deadly missions. Sure you would have been the first to arrange a Brii.
Shameless people instead of siding with those that exposed the witchcraft deal you are disappointed they were caught. This is what I see in many birds of the same feathers.
Let learn to love and keep each other.