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Don’t wait until journalists die, Col Panji advises govt

Don’t wait until journalists die, Col Panji advises govt
Written by Christopher Miti in Chipata
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 2:48:55 PM

COLONEL Panji Kaunda has said the government should not wait until some journalists are killed to stop harassments by the MMD cadres. And Col Panji advised the government to take criticism positively.

In an interview, Col Panji said it was surprising that the MMD government was tolerating cadres to harass journalists when they had promised to guarantee freedom of the press when coming into power.

“We are doing like what is being done in the Gambia. Few days ago, some journalists were jailed for writing something against the president. That's wrong, it's wrong like here especially it (harassment of journalists) is being done in the presence of senior police officers and nothing is being done until there is an outcry. If a journalist does something wrong, take him to court. We have no right to be able to start harassing people. Suppose now The Post or any journalist hires a bodyguard that is going to shoot somebody, what is going to happen? because its self-defence,” Col Panji said. "We should not wait until somebody dies before we stop this, it must be stopped...it's wrong, it's wrong I think this is the time that even the President should come up to say it must stop... but that strong word hasn't come from our leadership and that is very dangerous, it is starting with the journalists, tomorrow it will be somebody else until all of us will be affected.

"Zimbabwe is a clear case, now they are harassing you in the public, next time they will be bombing your offices because there is impunity among the cadres so this must stop at all costs it will not help Zambia's democracy, the MMD said they want the freedom of the press that's what it means they may do something against you and the system that you didn't like but you must move on and prove those people that they are wrong not by beating...”

And Col Panji said it was not the job of the opposition to praise the ruling government.

"It's the opposition's job to bring those in government down so that they can also be in government, that's what it means so they must look at the Sata's the Hakainde's or all those who are in the opposition... they are people who also want to be in government. They use every means to convince people that they are better than those in government. The best way as a defence for the government is to provide the service that people want...," Col Panji said.

He said the government should be judged by action and not by words.

"So we are not enemies with those in government but we want to improve them because when there is no strong opposition, there will be no strong government because every government wants to stay in power and those in opposition they want to bring them down so those in power must do everything possible within their means, within the laws to provide services to people of Zambia, to say look this is what we have done, here is where we are, in five years we have done...judge us by our actions,” said Col Panji.

"So those in opposition are not enemies, in fact they are friends because they say he who doesn't listen to his friends goes to the in-laws with faeces on his backside, you see, so they must look at what the people are saying, maybe in what they are saying there is something that you can learn or improve upon, then itís fair to them than injustice."

Labels: CADRES, MMD, PANJI KAUNDA, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, PRESS FREEDOM

posted by MrK @ 1:50 PM