Maravi

Whoever is elected will need to deal with The Post, says Simutanyi

Whoever is elected will need to deal with The Post, says Simutanyi
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe

WHOEVER is elected in today's presidential election will need to deal with The Post, Centre for Policy Dialogue Neo Simutanyi said yesterday. But Post managing editor Amos Malupenga advised Simutanyi to pursue his agenda against The Post with honesty and integrity.

During a press briefing in Lusaka, Simutanyi said The Post had become too powerful and untouchable, followed its own rules and that time had come for people to challenge the tyranny of the newspaper. He said The Post operated, made its own rules and attacked everybody.

"There is a real need for an alternative platform to represent the voiceless, the poor and downtrodden. We will not continue to sit and watch this paper do as it pleases and remain untouchable. It is my view that whoever is elected tomorrow will need to address the issues of The Post," Simutanyi said.

He said he had known Post editor Fred M'membe for almost 30 years and had associated with the newspaper since its inception in 1991 where he has written a regular column for almost five years.

"There is no doubt that the events of the last two days have put this relationship in serious jeopardy. Yesterday, The Post carried a story purporting that Pangolin Consulting, to which I am associated carried out an opinion poll which projected that Patriotic Front (PF's) presidential candidate Michael Sata would win Thursday's election by 37 per cent followed by MMD's Rupiah Banda 32 percent and UPND's Hakainde Hichilema at 21 per cent with 10 per cent of respondents undecided," he said.

Dr Simutanyi said the story was based on an alleged SMS (short message service) received by the newspaper from undisclosed sources.

He said he was asked to confirm that information but denied knowledge, yet the newspaper went on to publish the story linking him to it.

"Today, they have gone on to claim that I am a 'liar and coward' for not corroborating their story. It is clear that the motive for linking me to the story was to give credibility to the Steadman Group Poll that has reported that Mr Michael Sata may be elected by 46 per cent of the vote followed by Mr Rupiah Banda with 32 per cent and Mr Hakainde Hichilema with 17 per cent, with one per cent going to Gen Godfrey Miyanda and 12 per cent undecided," Simutanyi said. "I have been asked for my views over the Steadman poll by various of media organisations. I have been interviewed by people including The Post itself. Other than saying that the margins appear too large, I have not dismissed the findings outright. As a pollster myself, I know that as long as the poll was conducted scientifically, it may approximate public opinion at the time of conducting it."

Simutanyi said he still stood by what he said yesterday that Pangolin Consulting had never conducted an opinion poll since 2006 neither had the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) been associated with any poll involving the organisation. He said FES had been their partner for a while now and had supported a number of programmes but these did not include an opinion poll.

"Further, the figures published in yesterday's Post did not originate from me but from an alleged SMS which I understand is still circulating. It is clear that the purpose of yesterday's story was to project Mr Michael Sata as the likely winner of tomorrow's poll. My refutation of the story created problems for the paper that I became a target of personal attack. For example, I was called 'fool' and 'idiot' by Fred M'membe in a telephone conversation yesterday," he said.

He said he found it very difficult to speak ill of a friend and comrade, in apparent reference to M'membe. Simutanyi said M'membe and The Post were like family to him.

But Malupenga said it was unfortunate that Simutanyi had decided to pursue his agenda against The Post with lies.

"Whatever is motivating him, I think it is better for him to be truthful and honest in his dealings with us," said Malupenga. "He is saying we are too powerful. The Post only stands for the truth. If he knows that he has done something wrong, then he has reason to fear that The Post will fight him in defence of the truth. If he wants to tell lies, we will not leave his lies unattended to....Now Dr Simutanyi is talking about The Post having finished Dr Chiluba and others. This country has over 10 million people. Do we write about them? We write about people who have issues and you have to look at those issues on merit. Today, Dr Simutanyi sounds to be Dr Chiluba's defender, accusing us of having finished Dr Chiluba. Does he want us to tell the public his views about Chiluba? We know his views about Chiluba because he is our friend, we have shared views and ideas for a long time."

Malupenga said he would not waste any more time discussing Simutanyi's lies because he had explained the correct position in yesterday's edition of The Post.

"I can only urge Dr Simutanyi to pursue his agenda against us with honesty and integrity," said Malupenga. "He is now claiming that The Post is on him because he refused to endorse or analyse the Steadman Group's opinion poll which put Sata as winner of today's presidential election. I challenge him to tell the public who from The Post asked him to endorse or analyse the Steadman's poll results. It's shameful that a man of Dr Simutanyi's calibre can reduce himself to the behaviour of political cadres who usually have no respect or regard for the truth. As for his wish for the next government to deal with us, we wish him luck. But he should remind himself together with those who are inspiring him to say what he is saying against us, that the good usually triumphs over evil, no matter how long it takes. "

Labels: DR NEO SIMUTANYI, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 7:08 PM