MP attacks Post Editor

MP attacks Post Editor
By Speedwell Mupuchi
Saturday February 24, 2007 [02:00]

GWEMBE United Democratic Alliance (UDA) member of parliament Brian Ntundu used Parliament to issue scathing attacks on a newspaper editor he considered disrespectful to everyone. But Speaker Amusaa Mwanamwambwa advised members of parliament to avoid acrimonious debates that made reference to members of the media.

In his maiden speech Ntundu who was debating the budget speech by finance minister Ng’andu Magande said there was one editor of a newspaper - in apparent reference to Post editor Fred M’membe - who thought he was cleverer than anyone else and could even call the President stupid and got away with it. He said the same editor could write that members of parliament were being greedy by asking for higher perks. "Mr Speaker, let some of these editors advertise their payslips so that we see who gets more money," Ntundu said amid encouragement from other members of parliament. "Mr Speaker, I cannot afford to buy a Jaguar which some of these editors drive. His Excellency President Mwanawasa, SC is just too good because some of these editors should have been followed. Mwanawasa is a very decent President and he is too good."

Ntundu said some of the editors buy big houses and erase them and put up mansions. He said Parliament needed to bring sanity in the country. "We want the press to respect Parliament and the President of the Republic," he said. "We will not tolerate this. If this continues, we will rise against them."

He went on, under encouragement of other members of parliament, to say it was well known that on the day of elections, one newspaper was supporting a political party and they had put up a picture on the "They should come out in the open on which political party they support so that when they write, we know which political party they are supporting," said Ntundu. He also said even if the editors were degrading Parliament, he had never seen them wearing a suit and a necktie. Ntundu also said the same editors sometimes promoted tribalism and that they had rare names.

But Speaker Mwanamwambwa said there were 47 reporters from media organisations accredited to Parliament signifying the interdependence between Parliament and the media. He said the media were a conveyor belt of what the House said and urged members to realise that reporters and editors were human beings and that it was inevitable to work harmoniously with each other. Speaker Mwanamwambwa said it would be difficult if members of parliament started criticising reporters when they could not defend themselves. He cautioned that the media usually had the last word.

Ntundu earlier talked of how he met Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace where he was introduced as a member of parliament from Zambia whose Speaker was committed to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). He also said the Queen even gave him a silver card worth 500 pounds.

Below, we reproduce part of Ntundu's address to Parliament:


Mr Speaker, I now want to talk about the press. Mr Speaker, I want to particularly condemn some of these newspapers in their writings. For instance, there is one editor of a named newspaper in this country who thinks he is clever than anyone else. He can even write that the President is stupid and he gets away with it. He can write that Hon Members of Parliament are greedy by asking for higher perks, which is diminishing Parliament. Mr Speaker, let some of these editors advertise their payslips so that we see who gets more money.

Hon Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, I cannot afford to buy a Jaguar which some of these editors drive. His Excellency President Mwanawasa, SC is just too good because some of these editors should have been followed. Mwanawasa is a very decent President and he is too good.

Hon Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: He is also very kind. Some of these editors buy big houses and erase them and put up mansions. We need to bring sanity in this country. We want the press to respect Parliament and the President of the Republic.

Hon Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: We will not tolerate this. If this continues, we will rise against them.

nterruptions

Mr Ntundu: Mr speaker, sometimes they promote tribalism. We do not even know where they come from themselves because they have names, which we do not know.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: Some of these editors have names, which are not common.

Interruptions

Mr Mabenga: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, I now want to talk about the budget. Sir, I need your protection. Sir, it is well known that on the day of elections, one newspaper was supporting a political party and they had put up a picture on the front page. They should come out in the open on which political party they support so that when they write, we know which political party they are supporting.

Hon UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: Sir, we know the political party they are supporting. Sir, some of these editors who diminish Parliament have never put on a tie and suit. They do not know how to wear a tie and a suit.