Maravi

Leave private media alone, Muyanda tells govt

Leave private media alone, Muyanda tells govt
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Fri 13 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

LEAVE the private newspapers alone, Sinazongwe UPND Raphael Muyanda has urged as the government continues to threaten to slap statutory regulation by January.

But information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha has said statutory media regulation will enhance press freedom and rekindle public confidence in the media.

Contributing to the debate on 2010 estimates of revenue and expenditure for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Muyanda said self-regulation for the media in the country “is a must.”

Muyanda wondered why the government had continued to harass and stone journalists when it continued saying it was committed to freedom of the press.

Muyanda said, if left to self-regulate and operate independently, the private media in the country would be so disciplined, contrary to assertions by the government that statutory media regulation was meant to bring ‘responsible and disciplined journalism’ in the country.

He cautioned that by stifling the private media in the country, the government and not the Zambian public would be the final losers as the people were on the warpath to remove the current regime.

“Self-regulation for the private media in the country is a must. Leave the private newspapers alone,” Muyanda said. “Personally, I have been called an idiot before but I never reacted… have I become an idiot? I don’t know why you are harassing the press, sometimes evening stoning them… and if you leave these young men and women, you will be amazed how disciplined they will be.”

Muyanda said the current government wanted to impose statutory regulation to suffocate the private media and stop it from exposing the evils being perpetuated by the regime.

He charged that the government wanted to stifle the media ahead of the 2011 elections and simultaneously increase facilities such as transport to government-mouthpiece, ZANIS, as a way of misinforming the people in the country.

“I wish to urge the young men and women in the private media to continue disclosing the evils that this government is doing,” he said. “By statutory regulation, you are doing harm to this nation.”

When Muyanda said the government wanted to avoid media scrutiny by appointing people with ill qualification and questionable characters, education minister Dora Siliya rose on a point of order.

Siliya, who said the statement by Muyanda imputed her, asked the legislator to explain the circumstances under which he was called an idiot by the private media as he was calling for press freedom.
Parliamentary committee deputy chairperson Mukondo Lungu advised that Muyanda’s statement was not attributed to anyone in particular but running commentaries from other lawmakers implicated Siliya.

“Let’s not make running commentaries when the honourable MP is debating,” advised Lungu.

Muyanda advised that the answer was not to stifle the private media but privatising of the public media.

Muyanda said it was not fair for the government to have continued collecting K3,000 from the public when public-owned Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) only showed President Rupiah Banda and a few senior government and ruling MMD officials.

“The solution of harassing journalists and all sorts of innuendos is to privatise Zambia Daily Mail and Times of Zambia as the country has continued to pour public resources,” he said.

Muyanda regretted that up to now, parliamentary debates were not shown on national television, a move he said was inconsistent with regional trends.

But Lt Gen Shikapwasha said statutory regulation of the media would help in establishing minimum principles on ethics, accuracy and personal rights and at the same time, fully preserve editorial freedom.

“During the year, many people have expressed displeasure at the lack of a body to regulate the media and which could deal with public complaints,” Lt Gen Shikapwasha said in policy statement for the ministry. “Government advised the media to come together and find a way in which they could regulate themselves. These regulations will help in establishing minimum principles on ethics, accuracy and personal rights, while fully preserving editorial freedom. My government keenly awaits media response.

Let me take this opportunity to explain that contrary to the fears expressed by some media houses, media regulations will enhance press freedom and rekindle public confidence.”

Lt Gen Shikapwasha also repeated government oratory in the last few years by assuring that the government would next year present before Parliament the names for the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and ZNBC board of directors.

“Over the last decade, my ministry has been involved in media reforms for both public and private media,” said Lt Gen Shikapwasha. “Under this programme, my ministry is speeding up the setting up of the IBA, whose role will be to regulate broadcasting and to ensure fairness and a diversity of views that reflect the Zambian society.

I hope to bring to the House the names of the IBA board of directors for ratification. In the 2010 budget, money has been set aside for some logistical and operational arrangement of the authority. Similarly, I will be presenting to this House for ratification the names of people to be appointed to the board of directors of ZNBC.”

Lt Gen Shikapwasha said skilled and viable media sector was society’s tool for providing citizens with information they needed to make informed choices and bring about sustained government reform and poverty reduction in countries like Zambia.

Labels: MEDIA, PRESS FREEDOM, RAPHAEL MUYANDA, REGULATION, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA

posted by MrK @ 3:49 PM