Maravi

Kunda’s evil character has been exposed – Lubinda

Kunda’s evil character has been exposed – Lubinda
By Ernest Chanda
Mon 28 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT

KABWATA member of parliament Given Lubinda has said Vice-President George Kunda’s evil character has now been completely exposed by his scheme to fix the media through a draconian law.

Commenting on the contents of the proposed media regulation bill engineered by Vice-President Kunda, Lubinda said the bill had also exposed the Vice-President’s opposition to the fight against corruption.

“Number one, I agree with the Media Liaison Committee in declaring George Kunda as the most hostile public officer when it comes to media freedom. He is totally against the corruption fight in this country. I say so because you the media have exposed corruption in this country to a level that no one can match,” Lubinda said.

“And because he has seen that the only impediment to his quest to promote corruption are the media, he is determined to fix you. He is determined to fight anyone against corruption in this country. He’s determined to fight The Post and it’s editor-in-chief Fred M’membe because he is not comfortable with the fight against corruption that you are involved in.”

Lubinda blamed President Rupiah Banda for not supervising his Vice-President properly. He said Vice-President Kunda had been left loose because his supervisor, President Banda, was ever on the move.

“George Kunda is blinded by power so much that he wants to sweep everyone around him. The problem is that his supervisor is not there to check his conduct. You cannot have a President who is ever on the move and leaves his Vice-President to preside over things he doesn’t understand. Right now, the President is busy watching lions in Mfuwe when his Vice-President is misbehaving in the most unacceptable manner,” he said.

Lubinda vowed to join other democratic citizens in fighting Vice-President Kunda’s hatred against the media.

“I want to assure you that as a PF/UPND pact we shall mobilise our people in stopping this draconian law. Even if it means organising demonstrations, we shall do that and stop this tyrant George Kunda. We will not allow him to employ editors in media houses when no journalists have ever employed a lawyer at the Law Association of Zambia. He can employ editors at the Times of Zambia, ZNBC Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation and the Daily Mail, but certainly not the private media; we will take him on,” Lubinda vowed.

He said Vice-President Kunda had a problem of overrating himself intellectually.

“This is the problem with people who have never held high office. George thinks he’s a God-sent genius who has exalted himself above any other educated Zambian. He thinks he’s the most intelligent Zambian around. No wonder he can even think he understands economics more than his minister of finance. Why should it be George drafting a bill for journalists? Why can’t he worry about bringing back the Freedom of Information Bill to Parliament? I can guarantee you that no people can observe a law they are not party to. So, if George Kunda wants to impose a law that you the media are not party to, he is all alone in the desert,” said Lubinda.

On Thursday, the Media Liaison Committee exposed contents of the Media Council Bill engineered by Vice-president George Kunda.

Committee chairperson Henry Kabwe disclosed at a media briefing in Lusaka that the Bill proposed, among other things, Vice-President Kunda’s own definition of a journalist.

According to the bill, for any media outlet to employ an editor, the employer must register that editor with the Media Council and the Zambia Institute of Journalists, and the registration is subject to the minister’s minister of Information approval. The bill further prescribes punitive criminal sanctions of three years imprisonment and or a fine of K300,000 or both for perceived violations only determined by government officials.

The media fraternity has declared Vice-President Kunda the most hostile public official towards the media and vowed to take him head-on.

Labels: GEORGE KUNDA, GIVEN LUBINDA, HENRY KABWE, MEDIA, PF-UPND, REGULATION

posted by MrK @ 4:26 AM