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Harassing journalists won’t take MMD anywhere - E/Province party youth chairman

Harassing journalists won’t take MMD anywhere - E/Province party youth chairman
Written by Christopher Miti in Chipata
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:47:43 PM

EASTERN Province MMD youth chairperson Sam Thole has said the harassment of journalists will not take the ruling party anywhere.

Commenting on the MMD cadres in Lusaka who last week declared that they would continue to mete physical ‘punishment’ on The Post journalists for what they termed insulting President Rupiah Banda, Thole said there were other ways of addressing the differences between Post journalists and the MMD as opposed to resorting to harassment.

"I believe that instead of harassing there is room on which we can educate one another on such issues because if we keep on fighting and harassing people, it will not take us anywhere. Let's try to promote peace and order," he said.

Asked whether there were people who were unleashing the cadres on journalists, Thole said sometimes youths exaggerate things.

"I have never heard that there are some top people in the party who are sending cadres to beat journalists. If that is happening I don't think that is true as you can see in Eastern Province we have never beaten up any Post journalist," Thole said.

When reminded that Post photojournalist Thomas Nsama was beaten by MMD cadres at Chipata airport on February 28 this year, Thole said, "It was there in the paper that he [Nsama] was beaten by youths from Lusaka, those were not youths from Eastern Province."

Thole urged youths in the party to promote peace in the country because they were the future of the party as well as the country.

Since the beginning of this year, MMD cadres have waged a physical against Post reporters.

Many reporters have either been harassed verbally or beaten by MMD cadres in most parts of the country.

The harassment and beating of Nsama, which was reported to Chipata Central Police Station, had not been concluded.

Nsama was beaten by the cadres as he was waiting to cover the arrival of South Africa's Jacob Zuma, who now is the country's President, for the 2009 Nc’wala ceremony.

Labels: CADRES, EASTERN PROVINCE, MMD, SAM THOLE, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 2:50 PM