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Rupiah’s press aide harasses Post journalist

Rupiah’s press aide harasses Post journalist
Written by Staff Reporter
Friday, January 16, 2009 9:27:44 PM

STATE House chief analyst for press and public relations Dickson Jere yesterday publicly harassed Post journalist Chibaula Silwamba at State House and accused The Post of being unprofessional.

And Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA- Zambia Chapter) has expressed disappointment over Jere's conduct.

Meanwhile, Post managing editor Amos Malupenga has advised Jere to be level-headed and quickly understand the role of his office. Silwamba said the incident happened just after he finished covering President Rupiah Banda and Chinese commerce minister Chen Deming's meeting at State House, where the latter and finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane signed framework agreements and a letter of exchange.

Silwamba said after the function in the conference room, he and Radio QFM journalist Wamunyima Walubita walked to the passage, where Jere found them.

He said Jere confronted him, shouting on top of his voice, much to the dismay of onlookers. Silwamba said Jere was raising his hands and pointing at him as he rebuked him.

“Mr. Jere was shouting at me, saying 'How do you write that? What kind of journalism is that? Where did you learn your journalism?'” Silwamba narrated.

He said when he asked Jere to single out the story he was complaining about, he could not do so but continued to angrily shout at him.

“He said, 'where have you seen that kind of journalism?' He said as a journalist who worked for an international media organisation, they don't write stories the way The Post did,” Silwamba narrated. “Mr. Jere said: 'we don't do that kind of journalism as international journalists. No! No!'”

Silwamba said he told Jere that if he was complaining about the stories he had written on President Banda during his tour of Northern Province last week, he was ready to challenge anybody because all the stories were accurate.

At this stage, Jere said the names mentioned in a Post story concerning some people purporting to have been appointed by President Banda in foreign service and stayed at a lodge for free, imposter story, were inaccurate.

“Mr Jere was shouting that none of the people alleged to be imposters were from State House. 'There is no David Banda here [at State House]',” Silwamba narrated.

Silwamba said after Jere realised that he was being challenged on anything he said, he decided to stop shouting and opted to talk to other journalists before walking away.

Recently in Northern Province during President Banda's visit to Paramount chief Chitimukulu palace in Mungwi, Jere refused to tell Post photojournalist Collins Phiri where the President was landing from.

Phiri had asked Jere to tell him where President Banda was landing from so that he and Silwamba could cover the President on arrival.

“Jere rudely responded, 'I don't know!'” Phiri narrated.

Phiri and Silwamba said after President Banda's political advisor Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika heard the manner in which Jere responded, he directed The Post journalists to the venue where President Banda was landing.

“Akashambatwa, who was in the same vehicle with Jere, presidential affairs minister Gabriel Namulambe and driver, decided to open the window of the vehicle. He said he did not really know where President Banda would land from but he gave us a rough direction. And for sure when we followed the direction Aka gave us, we found a presidential motorcade there waiting for President Banda,” Phiri said. “Surprisingly, Jere also came there. That shows that he knew where the President was landing from but did not just want to tell us.”

In another incident last month, Jere instructed security personnel to block Chipata based Post journalist Christopher Miti from attending President Banda's function in Chipata during his visit there.

Miti said after President Banda featured on Radio Breeze FM in Chipata, he invited journalists for dinner at Mamalula Lodge. He said when he and other journalists from Radio Maria, Breeze FM, Times of Zambia and Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) went to Mamalula Lodge, security personnel told him that they had been told not to allow a Post journalist to enter.

“When my colleagues from other media organisations went inside, they told Jere that, 'we have a colleague, Christopher Miti, from The Post.' But Jere told them that, 'we did not invite The Post,'” Miti narrated.

Miti said when the function started, President Banda asked a ZANIS journalist if he [Miti] was there.

“My colleague from ZANIS told me that the President wanted to know if I was there. It seems the President wanted me there but I had been blocked. The journalist from ZANIS told the President that I was not there. Jere did not say anything,” said Miti.

And MISA-Zambia chairperson Henry Kabwe implored Jere to exercise tolerance towards the media in responding to queries in a dignified manner befitting his office. Kabwe said as chief analyst for press and public relations, Jere was expected to exhibit high standards of professionalism and ethics in dealing with the media. He appealed to Jere to use appropriate channels should he feel aggrieved with the way the media reports.

"MISA Zambia equally implores the media in Zambia to be factual, fair and balanced in their reportage," said Kabwe. On Monday, Jere told The Post to go ahead and publish the trash they always publish when he was contacted over the alleged imposters who were staying at a lodge in Lusaka without footing the bills purporting that State House would foot the bills as President Rupiah Banda had offered them jobs in the diplomatic service. And Malupenga said it was clear that Jere was headed for a tough time with the media if he did not change his approach.

“It is clear that Dickson is dangerously puffed up with pride, which is usually not associated with public relations practitioners,” Malupenga said. “I urge him to sober up and be level-headed. He should understand that the main role of his office is to bridge the gap between his boss in State House and the media. Of course, we know that some people get confused when they operate from State House and start behaving like they are small presidents. Dickson is mistaken if he thinks that discrediting The Post is the only way for him to show Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda that he is working well. If Mr Banda is not aware, Dickson's first newsroom experience was with The Post, the newspaper he is despising today.”

Malupenga advised Jere to be aware that his behaviour in his official capacity reflected on the character and instructions he has received from the appointing authority.

“We have been ignoring Dickson's misbehaviour for sometime because we thought he was trying to find his feet in the new office,” said Malupenga. “But it appears this is his way of doing things. Unfortunately, it is a wrong way of doing things. In case he is under the illusion that he can trample on The Post's credibility with impunity, let him be informed that he is striving after the wind. He has embarked on an exercise in futility. Many before him in that institution have tried to annihilate The Post but they have lamentably failed.”

Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, CHIBAULA SILWAMBA, DICKSON JERE, MISA, RUPIAH BANDA, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 9:29 PM