Rupiah's public media claims embarrassing - Caritas

Rupiah's public media claims embarrassing - Caritas
By Roy Habaalu
Sun 04 Mar. 2012, 11:58 CAT

RUPIAH Banda is embarrassing himself by claiming that the public media had turned into a government mouthpiece, says Caritas.

Commenting on the former president's recent statement that the public media had turned into government mouthpieces to a point where it had become unprofessional, Caritas Zambia executive director Samuel Mulafulafu said Banda should not forget that he presided over a regime that served the interests of the ruling party and the government.

"The big man is really embarrassing himself. When did he realise that the public media is using taxpayers money when during his time he knew very well that the public media was abused?," asked Mulafulafu in an interview.

During the MMD's national card renewal exercise last Saturday, Banda said he was not asking for ‘too much' from the public media when he demanded fairness in their reporting.

"The newspapers themselves they were so vocal about supporting the MMD but now they find themselves as the ruling party's mouthpiece and are trying to be more vocal than those who have always stood up and taken certain positions to a point where it makes them look bad. The press must feel guilty on behalf of the people, particularly I am talking about the public press because it doesn't take away the right of the people to expect that the (Zambia) Daily Mail, the Times of Zambia, ZNBC are financed by our money, all of us Zambians and therefore they have to be fair. I know they want to keep their jobs especially now because that cousin of mine (President Michael Sata) doesn't tolerate, he can fire you anytime with immediate effect so we are not asking for too much. We ask them to tell the truth," said Banda.

But Mulafulafu said the public media had improved in its reporting compared to the way it operated under the Banda regime.

He said leaders must be consistent in the way they governed the country.

"If he (Banda) had made an effort that the public media reports objectively, he would not be complaining. It's important that when our leaders are in office they should have foresight because the same institutions that they are abusing somebody else will abuse them against them," he said.

Mulafulafu said the former head of state had no moral right to complain about unfair coverage by the public media having presided over a media that was very irresponsible.

"They (MMD) are looking for objectivity now but when they were in power they were encouraging the same bias that they feel is affecting them. It's important that when people are in leadership, they look towards the future because at one time they will be on the receiving end and the very institutions that they have weakened will not help them," said Mulafulafu.