HH visits The Post

HH visits The Post
By George Chellah
Saturday March 17, 2007 [02:00]

OPPOSITION UPND president Hakainde Hichilema on Thursday visited The Post newspaper offices to acquaint himself with the operations of the newspaper, among other issues. And Post managing editor Amos Malupenga described the meeting with Hichilema as fruitful, cordial and frank.

In an interview after his first visit of The Post offices, Hichilema described the visit as very useful. "We were here for a visit. It's very useful for us. We also had some discussions but I am not going into details of our discussion," he said. Hichilema, who was accompanied by UPND secretary general Tiens Kahenya, also toured the facilities at The Post after a meeting with Malupenga which lasted for about two hours. "It's useful for us to see the facilities and appreciate that because sometimes we take it for granted that the paper will come out," Hichilema said. "So it was useful for us to come round here. We have seen the facilities and it's quite important for us."

And Malupenga said he had a very fruitful meeting with Hichilema and Kahenya. "As you know, UPND's relationship with us has always not been as it should be because of a few misunderstandings and misplaced fears and suspicions. So our discussion was mainly focused in that area so as to clear these misunderstandings," he said.

Malupenga said Hichilema also made a few complaints and some observations about The Post's coverage of issues, particularly issues to do with UPND. "All these issues were friendly but frankly discussed and warmly concluded," Malupenga said. "I think it was time well spent and I hope our friends in UPND, through our interaction with their president, will look at us as friends and not foes because we have nothing against them. We just have a job to do which we do without fear or favour."