Kunda’s divide and rule has failed

Kunda’s divide and rule has failed
By Editor
Sun 03 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT

Divide and rule might have succeeded in other things and at different times but it won’t succeed on this issue of media regulation. However, it is unquestionable, and basic dialectics teaches us that what in a given moment is a correct method, later on may be an incorrect one.

That is what dialectics teaches us. Anything else is dogmatism, mechanism.
Dividing the media and using this division to manipulate it and carve it for their own selfish political interests might have worked for George Kunda and his friends at one time. But this can’t be relied on at all times.

From this moment on, we have to be one thing alone. And rather than be like that woman who they say kept looking – who the Bible says – kept looking toward that lake, toward that city which had sunk, and who was changed into a pillar of salt, we cannot be changed into a pillar of salt.

That is the only proper attitude for us to have which all honest people in the media should have without reservations of any kind, without regrets of any kind, without mistrust of any kind.

We believe that we serve the cause of the people to the extent to which we work well, to the extent to which we are sincere, to the extent to which we are honest, to the extent to which we have eradicated demagoguery and lying from our dealings and to the extent to which we have eliminated compromise and deceit.

Right now, great responsibilities have fallen on the shoulders of those working in the media and their institutions. The masses of our country expect those in the media to defend press freedom and advance it. And it is our duty to ensure that we do so, as it is fitting that we should, as it is correct for us to do. And we challenge George and his friends, the cheap politicians of every ilk to have the courage, just once in their lives, just once in all their history, to tell our people a single truth.

They are used to manipulating people. And accordingly, they believe that everyone else operates on that basis. No one in the Media Liaison Committee is being manipulated by another. And the decision-making process in this committee is based on consensus and not on manipulation of any form. If there is disagreement even from one person, the matter will be discussed until all agree. There is collective leadership in that committee.

And it is dishonesty for George or any of his minions to insinuate that anyone is bulldozing the process or is imposing a personal position on others. They are operating on the basis of collective leadership. And for us, we sincerely and firmly believe in the principles of collective leadership and we have known how to comply with that. This is not because someone has imposed it on us, rather it comes from a deep conviction.

We believe in collective leadership; we believe that history is written by the masses; we believe that when the best opinions, the opinions of the most competent men and women, the most capable men and women, are discussed collectively, that they are cleansed of their vices, of their errors, of their faults, of their weaknesses. We also believe that neither the history of countries, nor the lives of nations, should be dependent on individuals, on personalities. Here we are stating that which we believe.

The plurality of media institutions or associations in our country should not be seen to be necessarily a divisive matter or a sign of division. It is simply a recognition of the diversity of our media. And the unity that we have under the Media Liaison Committee is living proof of what is called unity in diversity or plurality. The co-operation between the Press Freedom Committee of The Post and the Press Association of Zambia did not start today.

It is something that has been going on in a formalised way over the last three years. This unity and co-operation isn’t, however, a unity conceived of only on the plane of a tactic of struggle. It isn’t a happenstance or political alliance. It is, of course, by definition, by the tie that is established here on the ethical or moral plane concerning freedom of the press has the nature of a lasting, permanent, strategic alliance. It is a proposition with a solid moral, political and social basis. This, in itself, is a tremendous achievement for our media and the people it serves.

Anyway, we understand the confusion that has beset George and his minion Ronnie Shikapwasha. They underrated the capacity of the Zambian media; its ability to unite over the very important issue of press freedom. They thought they could easily manipulate those working in the state-owned and government controlled media. Yes, they may control a few elements in these institutions but they don’t own all the human beings working there. These are matters where George cannot dictate what line the membership and leadership of PAZA should take. Their intention to regulate the media through statutory provisions will not receive the support of any decent or honest journalist or media worker.

The few mercenaries they had hired to do their dirty work have no standing in the Zambian media; they are desperate elements who can do anything for money and they have been discredited in so many ways before. And they shouldn’t even deceive themselves that they have the support of the staff at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services. They don’t have that type of support.

They shouldn’t be deceived by the silence or discipline of those workers. What they are trying to do is wrong and no decent Zambian will support them in their evil deeds. They are doing what they are doing because they are not decent. If they were decent, they wouldn’t come up with such an evil scheme that no democracy in this world can tolerate. George has gone too far and this time he won’t get away with it. This is a clear abuse of office, of power for personal ends.
George’s evil scheme has left the Zambian media with no option but to engage in a struggle against him and his dirty works. For the Zambian media, it is a moment in which – to use Lenin’s words – untimely inaction would be worse than untimely action. No one in the Zambian media can today refuse to challenge George, to oppose him and denounce his evil scheme.

They have tried to deceive the Zambian people to accept their evil legislation to control the media. But our people are not fools. Most people can today see through their dirty intentions. Clearly, George is dirty and those who have described him as evil are very correct because that is exactly what he is – an evil and mean petty politician. But everything has got its time. George thought he was smart, but now he is looking like a fish in a jar. It is time George realised that political power is not everything; it is something that has to be used with limitation and modesty; with humility and honesty.

As for Shikapwasha, he should learn the proper role of a government spokesman – it is not to go around telling lies. There is a better way for Shikapwasha to mop the mess created by George than through lies and deceit. Since this whole media regulation issue started, Shikapwasha has been piling one lie on top of another endlessly. What type of a reverend is this that doesn’t hesitate to tell lies, to manipulate things, to deceive the people?

It is good that the Media Liaison Committee has laid their scheme of lies, deceit, manipulation bare for all to see. Now all can see what they were up to. And in their own cheap minds, they thought since PAZA comprises journalists and other media workers in the employment of state-owned companies, then they could easily be manipulated and isolated from the rest of the media. We think PAZA made this very clear to them that this is not possible; they got it wrong. PAZA is part of everything that is said by the Media Liaison Committee and it won’t do to try and use them to repudiate or denounce the position taken by the Zambian media on their evil and tyrannical efforts to gag and strangulate the media.

As Nelson Mandela once observed, “No matter how hard its adversary – falsehood – may try to overwhelm it, truth refuses to yield”.
There is now no sensible alternative for George and his friends but to back out of their evil scheme and let the media do its own thing and do it the right way. They should admit that their evil intentions have backfired.

And if they insist on this, the ending will be disastrous for them politically and otherwise because they will not be able to defeat a group that is willing to take them on and struggle to the bitter end. They don’t have the monopoly of wisdom and this time they have been outdone. If they are wise enough, they will listen to the advice of many people, including those from outside the media, who have spoken on this issue and have given solid advice. The choice is theirs.