Maravi

Media bodies to notify police about planned demonstration

Media bodies to notify police about planned demonstration
By Mutale Kapekele
Thu 31 Dec. 2009, 04:00 CAT

THE Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) has said the Media Liaison Committee (MLC) will on January 5 notify the police of their planned demonstration against Vice-President George Kunda’s negative stance on media regulation.

And PAZA has warned politicians that they will not tolerate violence against journalists as the country moves towards the 2011 elections.

Making the announcement at the end of year press briefing, PAZA secretary general Patson Phiri explained that the MLC could not notify police over the demonstration as announced earlier because of the festive period but they would do so after January 5.
Phiri reiterated that Vice-President Kunda was enemy number one of the media in Zambia.

PAZA president Andrew Sakala warned politicians of legal action should the violence against journalists witnessed this year continue.

“2009 has been challenging for the media because of acrimony in politics and some people in the political arena have blamed their misfortunes on the media,” Sakala said. “This year saw journalists being assaulted in public places on several occasions. As PAZA, we will not tolerate this. Journalists are just messengers carrying out their assignments and should not be beaten. We oppose all forms of violence and we will be taking legal redress against all those found assaulting journalists.”

He warned that politicians may get excited as the country moved towards the 2011 elections but that should not give them reason to attack journalists for perceived unfair coverage.

Sakala warned journalists that those who were opposed to media freedom always wanted to create an impression that the private and state media were not united on the matter.

“Those who are not with us always want to say we are not united and that PAZA cannot cooperate with the private media,” he said. “But we have worked with the Press Freedom Committee (PFC) of The Post for three years in the defence of press freedom.”

He said it was regrettable that the government had in the past year given lip service to issues of press freedom.

“PAZA notes with regret that genuine dialogue between the government and political parties has not been taken well and tensions still continue,” Sakala said. “The government has taken a combative approach to important issues of media freedom and they are giving lip service to commitments that they made.”
He said President Rupiah Banda in his address to Parliament promised to take the Freedom of Information Bill to Parliament, but had not done so.

“The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) should have been operating by now and as PAZA we regret that it is not,” Sakala said. “Their government words have not been matched by deeds. Nevertheless, we will continue to seek and ask for dialogue but that does not mean that we can’t take a different position on certain issues that directly affect the media.”

Sakala said it was hoped that the government would follow and respect the law by appointing a board for the IBA next year.

“With the IBA, the government has been saying they are in the process of appointing a board and for the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Act, only the TV license fee has been implemented,” he said. “In 2010 the government should follow the law and do what they are required to do. They should ensure that the IBA begins to operate. Actually the current board at ZNBC is illegal.”

He said when the IBA is operational; it would build confidence in the journalist as matters of the media would be dealt with in an open and transparent manner.

He charged that although the government had given an ultimatum to the media to come up with a self regulatory mechanism, its intention was to regulate the media through a statute.

“The government is saying that we should regulate ourselves as the media but at the back of their minds what they want is statutory regulation,” Sakala charged. “In the past six months there has been intense debate on this issue, an ultimatum was given but it is not possible to come up with a self regulatory mechanism tomorrow today. So as PAZA we will support the position of the MLC.”
He also said PAZA was worried about the reluctance by the government to issue TV and radio licences.

“We would like to see more radio and TV stations and we are happy that Muvi TV was given a licence to broadcast nationwide,” Sakala said. “But we have seen so much reluctance to issue licences when there is really no need to fear. This is worrying. What Muvi went through should not be repeated and licences should be given on merit.”

PAZA vice president and MLC spokesperson Amos Chanda charged that the minister of information was issuing radio and television licences illegally.
“The issuance of TV and radio licences by the minister raises a lot of suspicion and is better left to the IBA,” he said. “The minister has the discretion of issuing licences but should be done on legal merits which he minister doesn’t have.”

Chanda said there was nothing political about the press briefing by the MLC where the conduct of the Vice-President was discussed.
On Tuesday, information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha accused the MLC of being political in their statements on Vice-President Kunda’s conduct.
Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said the briefing lacked the spirit of dialogue and smacked of political undertones.

But Chanda said the government did not like to be accountable when confronted.
Recently, Vice-President Kunda was reported to have been behind a media bill that, according to the Media Liaison Committee, demonstrated “a strange appetite to settle scores with perceived enemies in the media.”

Labels: DEMONSTRATION, MEDIA, PATSON PHIRI, PAZA, POLICE

posted by MrK @ 7:17 AM