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Shikapwasha is not genuine on media self-regulation – PAZA

Shikapwasha is not genuine on media self-regulation – PAZA
By Patson Chilemba
Sun 18 Apr. 2010, 04:40 CAT

Information and broadcasting services minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha
PRESS Association of Zambia (PAZA) president Andrew Sakala yesterday observed that Ronnie Shikapwasha’s position to push for statutory regulation of the media shows that he was not genuine over earlier assurances to respect media self-regulation.

Reacting to information minister Lieutenant General Shikapwasha’s statement that the government would not recognise the ongoing process towards the formation of a self-regulatory mechanism because the Media Liaison Committee (MLC) had become dishonest, Sakala said it was clear that the government had made up its mind to regulate the media through statute.

“So whatever is being done, they have already made up their mind. I suspect all those issues, actions, assurances were not genuine because if they were genuine they would have allowed the process to take place, and people at the Pamodzi conference, they were allowed to debate,” Sakala said. “People were allowed to debate freely, no one was intimidated.”

Sakala said the majority of people at last week’s stakeholders’ conference were in favour of voluntary media self-regulation.

He said the report on the Fringilla Consensus was handed over to Lt Gen Shikapwasha close to two months ago, and he assured that if he did not respond within two weeks then the government was happy with the report.

“So now all of us are surprised…two months later the minister comes up with a different position. We are wondering, what is the real intention? Because if it was genuine the minister in fact assured that he would participate in the process at Pamodzi, and also assured that there would be officials from the Ministry of Information to participate, but they never participated,” Sakala said. “What we got was a letter just towards the end that they won’t recognise us.”

Sakala said it was disappointing for Lt Gen Shikapwasha to turn around after assuring that he would allow the media bodies through the MLC to formulate their own self-regulatory mechanism.

He said the option that was taken by media stakeholders at Taj Pamodzi Hotel worked because it was working very well in countries like South Africa.

“I do not understand why the minister does not want to give the process a chance. Just before we agreed, he sent a letter insisting on the Kenyan model, but the person from Kenya who came to deliver a paper also advised that…if the Kenyan media were given another chance, they would go for voluntary mechanism rather than the statutory one,” said Sakala.

On Shikapwasha’s statement that the government suspected that the MLC invited its supporters to the stakeholders conference to frustrate divergent views, Sakala said the MLC never invited delegates to the conference.

He said the media bodies were written to and asked to send their own delegates.

However, Sakala said the media would go ahead and launch the Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC).
Lt Gen Shikapwasha was quoted in yesterday’s edition of the Times of Zambia insisting that the government would not recognise the ongoing process towards the formation of a self-regulatory mechanism because the MLC had become dishonest.

Earlier, the media in the country rejected Lt Gen Shikapwasha’s position to force statutory regulation on them.

On January 9, 2010, the government removed the six-month ultimatum it gave media bodies in the country to come up with a self-regulatory mechanism.

MLC spokesperson Amos Chanda disclosed in an interview that following a consultative meeting the committee had with Lt Gen Shikapwasha that afternoon, the minister announced that the government had quashed the ultimatum.

Chanda said the government had done that because they were happy with the progress the media bodies had made in coming up with a self-regulatory mechanism.
On January 10, 2010, Lt Gen Shikapwasha said the government was hopeful that self-regulation of the media would work looking at the steps the MLC had taken in formulating a self-regulatory mechanism.

Lt Gen Shikapwasha said looking at the concept paper submitted to him by the committee, he was hopeful that self-regulation would work.

"Well, I met with officials from the Media Liaison Committee and we discussed. I think you remember that they had earlier on submitted a concept paper, which, to us as government looks good. I think we are happy with that arrangement as government and we hope that they will finally come up with a self-regulatory mechanism," Lt Gen Shikapwasha said.

On January 16, 2010, Shikapwasha said talks between the government and media associations on self-regulation of the media were progressing well and showing signs that the two parties would arrive at a positive conclusion.

Labels: ANDREW SAKALA, MEDIA, PAZA, REGULATION, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA

posted by MrK @ 4:31 AM