Maravi

Kunda can’t be trusted - Miha

Kunda can’t be trusted - Miha
By Ernest Chanda
Tue 29 Mar. 2011, 04:01 CAT

FATHER Drevensek Miha says Vice-President George Kunda is a trickster who can never be trusted on anything. Reacting to Vice-President Kunda's change of heart on statutory media regulation which it had earlier advocated, Fr

Miha, who is Mission Press director said it was hard to believe the government on such matters.v“He is the trickster of the world who cannot be trusted on anything. Personally, I can't believe Kunda. Remember it was him and information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha who threatened us that if we do not develop a self-regulatory mechanism they will regulate us,” Fr Miha said.

“And when we did what they demanded from us, they still continued fighting us. They have said they are not comfortable with the steps we have taken in trying to find ways of regulating ourselves. So, in this case how can you believe people who change their minds to where the wind blows?”

Fr Miha said Vice-President Kunda's statement was meant to deceive the media, especially that the country was going into an election.

“It is just smoke meant to choke our eyes and to hoodwink the media. Remember we are going into elections, so Kunda is scared that his government may not have it well with the media. The truth is that these people don't want a free media, especially at election time,” he said.

“Just look at the way they crippled the constitution making process. Can you believe such people to grant you self-regulation? They want the media to sleep and then bring in the law immediately after elections, if they will win. We can't believe them because they are betrayers. If someone betrays you once, can you believe them the second time? So, for me, I willnot take Kunda as a serious person.”

He said if the government were passionate about media freedom it would have reintroduced the Freedom of Information bill to Parliament.

Vice-President Kunda, responding to a question from Mwansabombwe PF parliamentarian Samuel Chitonge during the Vice-President’s question time in Parliament on Friday, said statutory regulation might not be necessary since the media had started regulating itself.

Chitonge wanted to know if the government would insist on regulating the media despite them formulating a self-regulatory mechanism.

“We have talked about that issue many times. Our position on the media is that there should be self-regulation. And I've seen of late that some of the media houses have stopped using vulgar language, they have stopped insulting,” Vice-President Kunda said.

“They are under attack from others; we have seen that their language has changed. There is a lot of self-regulation now in some newspapers. And with this it may not be necessary to impose statutory regulation since they are regulating themselves. But we are still monitoring the situation.

Should they change we shall regulate them.”

In August 2009, Vice-President Kunda challenged media bodies in Zambia to come up with a draft Bill for self-regulation within six months failure to which the government would introduce one in Parliament.

Vice-President Kunda had said there was a lot of irresponsible and unethical reporting in Zambia hence the need to change the scenario.

However, the ultimatum was not implemented due to media associations’ opposition.

Labels: GEORGE KUNDA, MIHA DREVENSEK

posted by MrK @ 4:21 PM