Media Freedom in Zambia under threat – Musenge
By Staff Reporter
OPPOSITION National Democratic Congress NDC says it is extremely regrettable that media freedom in Zambia under the PF regime is under severe threat.
NDC Secretary General Mwenya Musenge said the political environment for journalists in Zambia is not conducive and slowly degenerating.
Musenge said the media environment is becoming unsafe and increasingly hostile lately.
Musenge said the Edgar lungu regime would do anything to mime, gag, harass, manipulate and intimidate the private media.
“Media outlets that are featuring opposition political groupings have been misunderstood and are now targets of state manipulation and victimization. Private media outlets are now perceived enemies of the state. The PF regime is jittery over its growing unpopularity and will do anything possible to ensure that media outlets covering independent voices are ridiculed at every cost and opportunity,” Musenge said.
“As NDC, we are disappointed that the PF regime has employed medieval tactics and attempts to try and manipulate and operations of private media houses. Furthermore, we find it absurd that this regime wants to fight proxy political battles using the media,” he said.
He said useless, baseless and careless attempts by this regime to gag, harass, intimidate the private press in carrying out their duties are nothing but a violation of media rights and freedoms.
“As NDC we take strong exception to what has happened in Luapula province yesterday. The decision by state police to curtail a radio interview featuring NDC consultant in Mansa is purely absurd and an act of desperation. Police in Mansa have not given any valid reason on why Dr. Kambwili’s interview on KFM was stopped,” he said.
Musenge added that the only reason police have advanced is that the NDC had no police permit to warrant the sanctioning of the said radio interview.
“This is ridiculous, flimsy and nothing but an affront on media rights and freedoms. Journalists do not need permission from police for them to conduct interviews. Dr. Kambwili was on KFM radio to sale the ideologies of the NDC and nothing else,”
He said the Electoral Commission of Zambia ECZ has opened campaigns in 16 wards where local Government elections were being held countrywide.
“Since the political campaigns are open, there’s no need for state police to harass Dr. Kambwili for offering a radio interview. Its unfortunate that the Lungu regime is going out of extremes to ensure that Dr. Kambwili is persecuted in every thing he is doing,” he said.
He called for the respect and guaranteeing of media freedoms in the country.
“Journalist should be allowed to execute and conduct their work in a free manner and environment. Abusing and assaulting media houses simply because they allow divergent voices is unjust and uncivil. This should never be allowed to happen in our democracy. The NDC will not stop speaking out on the need for media freedoms and reforms in this country.
Musenge said the media should never be drawn in political battles and the act by police in Mansa should be condemned by all well meaning citizens and interest groups.
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia condemned police action saying it was an affront to media freedoms.
