Journalists should be left to do their work freely – Mususu

Journalists should be left to do their work freely – Mususu
Written by Ernest Chanda
Sunday, May 31, 2009 11:33:52 PM

EVANGELICAL Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) executive director Bishop Paul Mususu has said it is unacceptable for any political party to take the law into its own hands and start harassing innocent citizens.

And Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) vice-president Amos Chanda has said the Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail are not there to promote political party interests.

Commenting on Copperbelt MMD chairman Joseph Chilambwe's call on The Post to stop insulting President Rupiah Banda for the newspaper's journalists not to be harassed, Bishop Mususu said journalists should be left to do their work freely.

"It is totally inexcusable for any political party cadre to take the law into their own hands and start harassing journalists. If these cadres are aggrieved as they claim, there are proper channels of seeking recourse. The courts are there where these cadres and their leaders should take their grievances against The Post newspaper," Bishop Mususu said. "It is unacceptable that MMD cadres should take the law in their own hands and start harassing innocent journalists. Where are we as a country if those in the ruling party cannot respect the law of the land? We expect these people to have confidence in our laws and behave like human beings."

Bishop Mususu said the police should also stop being partisan and begin to operate as a people's Police Service.

"They are called the Zambia Police Service, not MMD Police Service. So they should give protection to every citizen. And that citizen includes a journalist who also deserves police protection in the course of his duty. I therefore call on our police to be above party interests. They should stop protecting only MMD interests and look at national interests," he said.

On MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande's appeal to the state owned newspapers to help defend the party, Bishop Mususu called on the MMD leadership to stop abusing the two newspapers.

"The Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail are people's newspapers and are funded by the taxpayers’ money. It is therefore wrong for Mr Jeff Kaande to appeal to the two newspapers to fight MMD battles. These papers are funded by us the Zambians and should serve our interests. They are our instruments which we should always use to interact as a country," Bishop Mususu said. "Mr Kaande's statement is poisonous and should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves. Why should he think those are MMD newspapers? No wonder people are saying let's privatise the two newspapers so that political interference is reduced. If the MMD want to have control of the Times and Daily Mail, let them buy off the two papers and make them MMD mouthpieces. Then we shall let them have a free hand on the papers."

And Chanda said the Times of Zambia and Daily Mail would not serve the interests of any political party.

He said it was unfortunate that the two newspapers could be called upon to act on party lines.

"First of all, it must be understood that the editorial policy of the Times of Zambia and the Zambia Daily Mail is to advocate public policy. These papers stand on the principle of promoting public good and to report in a manner that reflects the entire Zambian society," Chanda said.

"We are not there to defend party interests. Although we know we are state newspapers and sometimes give fair reports on the ruling party, we are not in any way mandated to promote party interests."

Chanda said it would be wrong for Kaande to have an expectation that the two newspapers should insult.

"Assuming his [Kaande's] accusation against The Post is true that the paper insults the MMD leadership, it would be wrong for Mr Kaande to expect the two newspapers to insult on his behalf. Let me remind him that the two papers serve public interest. He is therefore not supposed to persuade them and make them look in a manner like they are party newspapers," Chanda said.

On Chilambwe's statement that MMD party cadres would continue to harass Post reporters if they continued to write negative things about President Banda, Chanda said violence had no place in modern society.

"Mr Chilambwe should take a leaf from the letter that President Rupiah Banda wrote to The Post recently. In that letter, the President was renouncing violence, meaning it was not an MMD policy to promote violence. The President was categorical in stating that violence had no blessings from the MMD leadership. So Mr Chilambwe's support for violence is contradicting President Banda's stance on violence," he said.

Chanda also urged the police to offer protection to all Zambians.

"The Zambia Police Service should offer protection to all Zambians regardless of their political affiliation. Anyone who agitates violence should be dealt with regardless of which party they belong to because they are breaking the law," said Chanda.

Last Saturday, Chilambwe called on The Post to stop insulting President Banda for the MMD cadres to stop harassing the newspaper's journalists.

At a meeting where Vice-President George Kunda addressed MMD cadres at Lowenthal Theatre in Ndola, Chilambwe complained that The Post was constantly insulting President Banda.

"Every day the headline it's Rupiah, every day they are insulting President Banda and the Vice-President," he said.

"As cadres we accept your complaint that we should stop harassing you. If you want us to stop harassing you then you should stop insulting our President. Would they want to be insulted if they become presidents?" Chilambwe asked.

At the same function, Kaande called on the Times of Zambia and the Zambia Daily Mail to help the ruling party.

"We are not against the press, we are just saying 'write the truth about MMD, write the truth about Kunda, write the truth about Jeff Kaande', respect the leadership," Kaande said.

"The most unfortunate part is that Daily Mail and Times of Zambia if they are here, you are not helping us also even though you are ours...for the past six months we are just reading 'Rupiah Banda', 'George Kunda must resign', Jeff Kaande is giving money to cadres.' Mmmm there's no other news! We have leaders in this country where when they just wake up he is insulting at lunch time, he is insulting at night he is insulting even in his dreams, he is insulting. Is that not news? We have restrained our cadres from chasing you from our meetings but stop provoking them, stop provoking us," said Kaande.