Sunday Chanda propagating fake news – Saboi
By Staff Reporter
National Democratic Party (NDC) deputy spokesperson Saboi Imboela has castigated the Patriotic Front (PF) Media Director Sunday Chanda for allegedly scheming and writing bad articles on UPND and signing them off as having been written by her.
Saboi, who sounded irritated by Chanda’s escapades, accused the PF Media director of being driven by hunger, judging by some of the political publicity maneuvers he undertakes.
“The kind of things Sunday Chanda does, I just feel pity for the children that have to call my friend, father or uncle. Hunger should never lead anyone to those levels. Just a ka small conscience is necessary in a human being. Since it’s in public, I won’t define him according to what he truly deserves to be defined as,” Saboi said.
She says it is a curse for the PF to have a media director like Chanda who wakes up daily trying to find the most foolish thing to say at the expense of constructive things a grown man should be doing.
“Leave me out of your nonsense Sunday. This is the first and last warming I’m giving u…. If I had a problem with UPND I would say it myself and not the stupid schemes u have embarked on. The people u are scheming with told me all this before u even started and I’m shocked that you even went ahead with your nonsense… Grow up!!” she demanded.
Saboi accused Chanda of writing the first article which he accidentally sent to the PF Media Directory Whatsap group and later deleted, though some members had already seen it and called to alert her on the development.
“He also picked some old articles where we had fights with people in the past and posted them like I was saying it today or yesterday. He is such a fool” she complained.
She said the level of cheap propaganda and fake news being created by Chanda was not only embarrassing but extremely alarming.
“At least u should be proud that PF gave u a job and u no longer have to depend on your wife to even buy u underwear but instead of treasuring that job and executing your duties in the best way possible, all u do is start up fights with people daily. You know you don’t want a fight with me, so stop your nonsense and behave like an adult for once in your life…” she castigated.
However, the PF and government media teams are ironically on record of vehemently condemning the publication of “fake news” saying it has the power to destroy societies and the economy of the country.
In November last year Chanda is quoted, in an article in The Zambian Observer, an online publication, as saying the UPND was the prime instigator and driver of fake news in Zambia.
“We note that the UPND have never condemned fake news. We therefore call upon them to rethink their fake news and lies as it could be very costly to themselves and their families who are part of the fabric of our nation” Chanda said.
“Their deafening silence on fake news is implicit of their support of its practice. When has Zambia ever heard the UPND leadership condemn fake news and lies?” he asked.
And his colleague, special assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda also bemoaned the rampant fake news that has continued to flood the nation, noting that the false propaganda was costing the nation millions of Kwacha of investment.
Speaking at the 2019, ZAPRA Conference in Livingstone last week, Chanda said “the pervasive threat of disinformation has threatened election results and democracies all over.”
He said the false information has cost institutions such Zesco millions of expected funds because some people had peddled falsehoods about the institution.
“Those deceptions and manipulations are most damaging when packaged and reported as though they were truths,” Chanda said.
