Malupenga hails BRE's good relations with govt
By Angela Kabamba in Mongu
Tue 14 Jan. 2014, 14:01 CAT
WESTERN Province permanent secretary Amos Malupenga says the Barotse Royal Establishment and other provincial interest groups' fruitful inter-connectivity with the central government is highly commendable.
During a World Bank-organised stakeholders' consultative workshop on the Western Province's climate resilience programme at Mongu's Country Lodge yesterday, Malupenga said the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE), the private sector, civil society organisations and other interest groups in the province had forged a strong and fruitful relationship with the central government.
He observed that the selfless contributions to the birth of the US$36 million grant given to the Zambian government, through the World Bank last year, to strengthen the agramme in Western Province was greatly appreciated.
Malupenga noted that besides the unified approach, technical and financial support the World Bank was providing, the onus was now on the stakeholders to commit themselves to duty over the climate resilience programme.
He said the project's objectives were fundamental in the continued efforts to improve the state of canals that run through Limulunga, Mongu, Nalolo and Senanga districts, especially for purposes of transportation and agriculture.
Malupenga, however, implored the workshop participants and other stakeholders to take into account the inputs from communities who have lived and experienced the changes or outcomes that canals can bring about in people's lives.
Malupenga said the workshop should provide a space participants to highlight and make key choices for future management, maintenance and sustainability of the canals, adding that a key component worth noting for any successful developmental intervention was to ensure that stakeholders took ownership of the planning and implementation processes.
Last year, finance minister Alexander Chikwanda signed a US$36 million grant agreement of which US$5 million was a loan on behalf of the Zambian government while World Bank country representative Kundhavi Kadresan signed on behalf of the World Bank.
The six-year project aims to strengthen the national institutional framework for climate resilience and improve the adaptation capacity of poor vulnerable communities in the Barotse flood plains of which about 130,000 people or 25, 800 households would benefit.
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, BAROTSE ROYAL ESTABLISHMENT, BRE, World Bank
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"Zambia must improve mine revenue collection"
By Kabanda Chulu and Misheck Wangwe
Tue 16 Oct. 2012, 11:10 CAT
ZAMBIA will not get meaningful benefits from the mining sector unless revenue collection is improved to create a mineral resource stabilisation fund that can be used to develop other economic sectors, says Dr Mathias Mphande.
And information permanent secretary Amos Malupenga has advised newsroom managers in the SADC region to encourage specialisation so that journalists can highlight other issues beyond politics.
Speaking yesterday in Lusaka at the Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) regional media training on how to report on extractive industries, Dr Mphande from the University of Zambia said there was poverty in countries with mineral wealth.
"How to benefit from the mining sector depends on choices you make as a country and mining is capital intensive and requires sufficient investments which can take the entire government funding if nationalisation is put in place. So since mining capital is mainly foreign, the only linkage the mines have on the local economies is through taxes," Dr Mphande said.
"So government should find ways of maximising revenue collection from the mines. But even when taxes are captured effectively, governments and its civil servants spend these monies in a greedy manner such that the social welfare of the people is not improved.
What can Zambia show for the huge taxes the government gets when patients are still sleeping on the floor at UTH and university students are still squatting and learning with few teaching aids, yet advocates of better taxes are called 'lunatics' by government officials."
He observed that countries rich in minerals usually showed poor economic indicators.
"Kenya, which predominantly doesn't produce minerals, has better economic indicators than Zambia, and Peru, which is rich in minerals, is poor compared to Brazil, a non-mining country, while Ivory Coast doesn't have minerals, but its economy is better than oil-producing Nigeria," said Dr Mphande.
And SARW director Claude Kabemba said the media should start telling stories about the extractive industries.
"The local media has not articulated problems faced in this sector and most stories written about the industries are products of external influence," he said.
And Malupenga said the media cannot educate and inform people if they were not well informed themselves.
"There is tendency to cover more of politics because it is easier, but journalists should diversify their thinking and go beyond politics and this training is also a reminder to newsroom managers across the region on the need to encourage specialisation so that journalists can report issues with depth, fluency and authority," said Malupenga.
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, MATHIAS MPHANDE, MINING, NEOCOLONIALISM, TAXATION, WINDFALL TAX
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Freedom of information Bill draft ready
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Sat 16 June 2012, 13:23 CAT
THE Freedom of Information taskforce will next week launch the draft freedom of information legislation for public scrutiny and comment.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Labour, the taskforce which had been working on the freedom of information legislation for the past few months had completed drafting the document.
The task force comprises government representatives from the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Labour and Ministry of Justice, the Civil Society FoI Coalition of the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection, Economic Association of Zambia, MISA-Zambia, Transparency International Zambia and the Law Association of Zambia, independent legal experts Kenny Makungu, a lecturer at UNZA and Edem Djokotoe, the World Bank technical team, among others.
Information permanent secretary Amos Malupenga disclosed this when officials from the British government's Department for International Development (DFID) met him at his office yesterday.
"A task force has been working to come up with a draft legislation on the freedom of information Bill. This is now ready and we will be launching it in a few days time for public scrutiny and input. The draft bill will thereafter be submitted to Cabinet and later Parliament for commencement of the enactment process," said Malupenga to DFID governance adviser to Zambia, Sam Waldock and DFID chief professional officer in the governance, conflict and social development division at the organisation's headquarters in London.
Malupenga who is also spokesperson for the Taskforce appealed for financial support from cooperating partners and other stakeholders to publicise the draft bill in the print and other communication channels to enable members of the public access the document countrywide.
"Essentially, we have targeted the month of July for this exercise but our major handicap is money to publicise the draft bill especially in the print media. We are therefore appealing for support form cooperating partners to help us so that people have wide access to the document and make meaningful input," said Malupenga.
And Robinson pledged DFID's support for the ongoing media reforms in Zambia, describing the country's freedom of information process as impressive.
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, FOI, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL
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Setting standards which apply to all
By The Post
Wed 07 Mar. 2012, 12:00 CAT
IT was very comforting to listen to Fackson Shamenda, our Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Labour, explain what they were trying to do as a government on various issues. Fackson has been a friend of our newspaper for many years, from the days of his leadership of the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions. He was our friend because we shared many values, principles and standards.
But on Monday this week, he came to our newspaper in another capacity, as a minister in our government. He was last here before the elections. We were happy to listen to our friend and see how much he has changed or how much he has not changed since becoming a minister.
The man has not changed. He has remained the same Fackson we have known over the years - honest, principled, loyal, analytical and articulate. Being in government has not deformed him in any way. We were also delighted to see with him Amos Malupenga, our permanent secretary in the same ministry.
Amos has also not been here since he got down to the busy schedules of government work. Issues of our long relationships and the serious business of government were all blended together.
Both Amos and Fackson reminded us and themselves where we came from, the path we had travelled, the principles we have defended. It was enjoyable to listen to them articulate the history of The Post with utmost honesty and sincerity. But one thing stood out in all that they said. These were men out to do good for our country and our people.
Fackson gave us a sense of great pride when he reassured us about his government's commitment to fighting corruption and other abuses of power and public office. He told us that what they were doing to the previous leaders is what should be done to them if they commit the same wrongs or engage in the same transgressions; that the standards they were setting in their treatment of others should be the standards that should be used against them when they leave office.
This is a very highly principled position to take. Fackson was simply telling us that wrong is wrong regardless of who is behind it; if Fackson steals, he should be arrested, prosecuted and sent to jail in the same way a leader from the MMD government would be treated for a similar crime.
It is clear that the pursuit of justice is a fundamental norm of Fackson and his colleagues in the Michael Sata-led government. What can one ask for from a man, from a government that seems to be abiding by the golden rule, that seems to be doing unto others as they would like others to do unto them?
This is not cheap politicking on the part of Fackson. We can say this with confidence because we know him. It is something rooted in a straightforward view of society, in the understanding that the individual does best in a strong and decent community of people with principles and standards and common aims and values.
Our task today is to ensure that our politicians, Fackson and his colleagues, apply those values, principles, standards and common aims. And this calls for a new type of politics. It is time to break out of the politics of the past 20 years of MMD rule and break through with a clear vision for Zambia.
Today's politics is about the common good; it is not about the enrichment or enjoyment of a few individuals.
It is also about the protection and advancement of the humanity of every individual. Human dignity transcends in social order as the basis for rights and is neither granted by society nor can it be legitimately violated by society. All people are created in the image and likeness of God and this gives every person great dignity.
Therefore, all citizens are equal in dignity and have equal rights. No human person, situation, event or thing can take away this dignity. Leaders who respect human dignity guarantee basic rights to the people they rule and create opportunities for citizens to exercise their responsibilities.
A just society can exist only when it respects the dignity of the human person. The social order and its development must invariably work for the benefit of the human person. Leaders should exercise stewardship and uphold the common good.
It is said that one cannot call others to virtues which he himself does not make an effort to practice. Equally, we cannot protect the ordinary against the abuse of power by leaving them to it: we must protect each other. We must do it together because this can only be done together.
Leaders lead, but in the end the people govern. Our leaders should lead by example; they should respect themselves and be exemplary in their daily lives. If it is wrong for Rupiah Banda to steal public funds; it is equally wrong for Michael to steal public funds.
But we cannot say that because today we love Michael, we have just voted for him and it will not be okay for him to be prosecuted for corruption when he leaves office and the only way we can ensure that is by making sure his predecessor, Rupiah, is not prosecuted.
This is so because if we prosecute Rupiah for his misdeeds, then Michael will also be prosecuted. This is not true. It is not automatic that if Rupiah is prosecuted for corruption then Michael will also be prosecuted for corruption. Who says that if Rupiah stole then Michael will also steal? But if both steal, then both should be prosecuted and there will be nothing wrong with that.
These are the standards this government is setting. And Fackson is telling us that they are taking a risk, but it's a risk worth taking because it's in the interest of the people. This is the leadership we want. This is what is meant by selfless leadership.
This is what should guide this government's dealings with the misdeeds, with the corruption and other abuses of the Rupiah regime. It needs a principled position. Political expediency in matters of this nature won't do.
If this government continues on this path, we have no doubt that although they will face many challenges, many problems, they will not let the Zambian people down - they will achieve what can be achieved in the circumstances. It's not going to be easy, and no one should cheat themselves or anyone else that things are going to be easy. They won't.
Things are going to get tough, rough economically, socially and politically. We have challenges in all spheres of human endeavour that will require our greatest efforts and our greatest wisdom to overcome. There are many interests that need to be balanced.
For instance, in trying to put more money in the pockets of our people, we have come up with a Pay As You Earn system that is likely to reduce government revenues without any meaningful compensating taxes. This may, after May, force our government to resort to heavy borrowing.
But there are dangers also in being highly indebted; there is even a limit to how much can be borrowed. There are no easy solutions to these challenges; there are no magic formulas to problems of this nature that sometimes look insoluble. This simply demonstrates the tragedy of our people, the distressing difficulties we have to face.
And we share the bitter feeling of impotence that our political leaders may have in the face of such problems and their concerns for the political instability which these problems may give rise to.
We have no alternative but to struggle, trusting in the great moral and intellectual capacity of our people, of our leaders and indeed in our own instincts for self-preservation, if we wish to harbour any hope for survival and progress.
Only with an honest, self-respecting, selfless leadership and with a tremendous effort and the moral and intellectual support of all can we face a future that objectively appears desperate and sombre.
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, FACKSON SHAMENDA, ZCTU
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Post writes Chiluba’s aide over his anonymous, libelous articles
By Chibaula Silwamba
Wed 03 Nov. 2010, 04:01 CAT
POST managing editor Amos Malupenga has written to former president Frederick Chiluba’s spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba, exposing him for writing anonymous articles on the Mathew Mohan murder trial accusing The Post of giving credibility to Mohan’s lies in court.
In his letter to Mwamba dated November 2, 2010 and copied to Supreme Court judge Gregory Phiri, Lusaka High Court judge-in-charge Philip Musonda and Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde, Malupenga stated that The Post was seeking advice from its lawyers on how to proceed on the articles that Mwamba caused to be published against it.
“After various telephone conversations between yourself and myself, where you admitted your unacceptable conduct, I wish to put on record The Post’s displeasure at the manner in which you have continued to malign and cast aspersions at the newspaper by writing various articles which you publish anonymously on the internet and circulate via email and some web based publications such as ‘The Zambian Watchdog’,” Malupenga stated.
“Last week, in your usual cowardly style of hiding behind anonymity, you authored and caused to be published on the ‘The Zambian Watchdog’ an article titled: ‘Powerful forces and corruption in Mohan’s murder trial’.”
Malupenga further stated that the said article was Mwamba’s commentary on Inktech managing director Mathew Mohan, who is being tried for murder before Supreme Court judge Gregory Phiri, who has been sitting as a High Court judge.
“You wrote this commentary although the matter is still in court. If it were The Post that had written such a piece, you would have been in the forefront of calling for our arrest as you have done in the past. You have not written one commentary on the Mohan case, but two!” Malupenga stated.
“In the latest article, you accuse us of giving Mathew Mohan’s testimony credibility and accuse Honourabe Mr Justice Gregory S. Phiri of dereliction and complicity in a political conspiracy by allowing the testimony.”
Malupenga stated that it was unacceptable that Mwamba should accuse The Post of misconduct by its mere publication of what was said in the High Court. He stated that Mwamba’s attack on The Post was totally unfounded.
“But it would appear that you have a strange interest in this murder case. You go to great lengths to give your version of events and decide who is responsible and who is innocent of the Itowala murder,” Malupenga stated.
“You seem to be privy to very intricate details of how Sajid Itolwala was murdered.
How did you come to know all the intricate details on this murder? You write as though you were in one vehicle with Itowala and his murderers!”
Malupenga stated that Mwamba’s attempts to connect The Post to some conspiracy or other was not new.
“This is part of your concerted effort to malign us through the continuous anonymous write-ups you churn out where you even fail to decide where to place us. On other occasions you accuse us of holding the judiciary captive and therefore working with them and yet on others we are working against them. Can you please decide where you want us to be; even in lies there has to be some consistency,” Malupenga stated.
“Whereas we appreciate that it is your job to run the propaganda machine for your boss and his friends, it seems that in your desperation to appear relevant, you are now exceeding your limits by becoming a commentator on matters that you do not even understand. You are now a mercenary.”
Malupenga challenged Mwamba to deny being the author of the malicious pieces that were crisscrossing the internet, maligning various people.
“We hope that, having received this letter, you shall henceforth stop maligning The Post on your web platform. We are seeking advice from our lawyers on how to proceed on the articles that you have already published,” stated Malupenga.
“By copy of this letter, we trust that the Honourable Mr Justice G S Phiri who you accuse of impropriety in the handling of the Mohan case, Inspector General of Police Mr Francis Kabonde and others who you accuse of corruption in relation to the Itowala case will take an interest in your behaviour.”
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, EMMANUEL MWAMBA, FREDERICK CHILUBA
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William Banda vows to go for Post, Fr Bwalya
By Salim Dawood
Fri 03 Sep. 2010, 14:00 CAT
MMD Lusaka Provincial Chairman William Banda has vowed to ‘go’ for The Post Newspapers accusing the paper of creating ‘a lot’ of problems in the country. But Post Newspapers managing editor, Amos Malupenga wondered how the paper was causing a lot of problems in the country by reporting truthfully and objectively.
Banda issued the threat when he addressed stage-managed defectors at Matero Community hall on Wednesday.
“We have been talking, talking, talking but since this paper is in Lusaka and am in charge of Lusaka I think I must go for it,” Banda said in an apparent reference to The Post to the applause of the cadres.
“We are not creating problems, they are the ones creating the problems by insulting our President.”
Banda said other people that were insulting second republican President Fredrick Chiluba like Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata should instead thank the former president for exposing him to the world.
“Anso bamene batukana ba president Chiluba (in fact some of those that are insulting Chiluba) like Sata, he was nothing, he must praise President Chiluba for picking him and making him known to the world. He became a national secretary, he became a director in one of the banks, where did he get the money from?” Banda asked.
And in apparent reference to Change Life Zambia (CLZ) director Fr Frank Bwalya, Banda warned that they would go for him for “having joined politics.”
“Even a father now, as a father if you have declared yourself a politician we are going to take you on,” Banda charged.
But Malupenga described as total nonsense Banda’s claim that The Post was causing problems in the country.
“He’s just not happy because The Post is exposing that which they want to be buried and for them that is confusion,” he said.
Malupenga said he was not worried about Banda’s threats but would not take them lightly saying the The Post reserved the right to defend itself.
He said should Banda go ahead and carry out his threats against The Post, the country will have no difficulties in telling who was causing confusion between The Post and Banda.
“We know William Banda is a thug, he can easily carry out his threats but should William Banda and his thugs come near our facilities during the course of our work, we will be more than ready to defend ourselves,” he said.
Malupenga said Banda’s threats had the blessing of his boss, President Rupiah Banda.
“We know that William is doing has the blessing of his boss and when I talk about his boss am talking The President. There has been so many times that he (Banda) has issued threats against President’s Banda’s ministers and the President has been quiet,” he said.
Malupenga said the work of The Post could not be judged by Banda but that he would leave it to the public to judge.
“But over and above, we know that this is just a fundraising venture, for Banda and the thugs that are under his command. For him to issue even those threats that he issued, he has made a bit of something for his living. He will call his sponsors and say have you heard how we are putting them under pressure,” he said.
Apart from just politicking, it’s source of livelihood, the more he seems to be fighting the Post, the more money in his pocket, so we are not worried about those threats it’s not the first time he is saying that but we can assure him that we are ready for him should he decide to demonstrate against us,” he said.
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, FRANK BWALYA, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, RUPIAH BANDA, WILLIAM BANDA
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Govt insincere over push to regulate media - Mwila
By Patson Chilemba
Tue 20 July 2010, 14:50 CAT
Information and broadcasting services minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha
ZAMBIA Union for Broadcasters and Information Disseminators (ZUBID) president Simon Mwila has said the government is being insincere over their push to regulate the media through statute.
And Post managing editor Amos Malupenga said the government wants to regulate the media in order to instil fear in the journalists.
Featuring on ZNBC’s Open Line programme on Monday, Mwila said the work of journalists was different from that of other professionals because journalists exposed that which people, especially politicians, wanted hidden.
“And most of the times you know that our politicians are the ones that we want to mirror because they are public people and we want to mirror their activities. Now because of that, that’s why Amos referred to that, that they are going to look at you and say ‘time shall come for you to renew your practicing licence and we shall fix you’,” he said.
Mwila narrated how the roadmap for the current voluntary self regulation process through Zambia Media Ethics Council (ZAMEC) started.
He said Vice-President George Kunda, information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha, justice deputy minister Todd Chilembo and Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde attended the meeting at which the issue was discussed and the media bodies promised to get back to them.
Mwila said the media bodies followed that roadmap and briefed Lieutenant General Shikapwasha regularly until the day ZAMEC held its conference.
“The minister was totally with us and always said he was very, very happy and pleased with the manner we were progressing. But we were taken aback and disappointed when the minister, in the midst of the conference, a caucus where people are suppose to come up with a decision that’s when he says ‘as government, we don’t agree’,” Mwila narrated.
“Then we asked, we said ‘no, I think there is insincerity in government’ because if they had issues prior to this conference they could have told us so that we can sit down on the round table and iron out areas where they thought ZAMEC could be strengthened.”
And Malupenga said the government was pushing for statutory regulation because they wanted punitive actions to be taken against the media.
He said that was why they had rubbished ZAMEC because as far as they were concern, ZAMEC did not have the teeth to bite.
Malupenga cited the draft bill which was almost taken to Parliament for ratification, saying it contained provisions for imprisonment.
“Or my practicing licence which they are proposing to introduce can be revoked any time of the year and it is subject to renewal every year. For me to be appointed as editor the minister has to approve,” he said.
Malupenga said self regulation basically entailed that media practitioners would be responsible to the public and offered the quickest way for resolving differences with the public.
He said ZAMEC was even proposing some minimal damages.
Malupenga said statutory regulation was not a licence from making mistakes, because even those who were regulated by statute like doctors were still being punished for making mistakes.
“That is why we are saying we need to regulate ourselves. Government is not interested in self regulation for the simple reason that they are interested in sending journalists to jail. And the simple reason is to instil fear in the journalist so that the journalist does not tell the story as it should be,” Malupenga said.
“If I know that every year I have to renew a licence, my appointment as editor should be approved by the minister, what kind of editor do you want me to be? Because I will always be interested to secure my renewal come December.”
But former president Frederick Chiluba’s spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba said the draft media bill which Vice-President Kunda wanted to take to Parliament could not be referred to because it was unofficial.
He said the government wanted to introduce statutory self regulation where the practitioners come up with their own draft and the ministers take it to Parliament on their behalf.
Mwamba said there was mutual suspicion in Zambia where the practitioners thought their document could be tampered with by the time it reached Parliament.
However, media academician Gerald Mwale said self regulation did not entail that journalists would operate outside the law.
On the same issue, Malupenga disagreed with Mwamba’s position.
“You should have done well to call the government representative because Emmanuel here is ending up defending the government which should not be the case,” he said.
Malupenga said his remarks on the draft media bill were not out of his creation.
He explained that the government last year gave the media a six-months ultimatum to come up with their own regulatory framework, while they secretly developed their own bill.
Malupenga said the government only slowed down after their document was leaked to the public.
He said there was unity now in the media to achieve what the Media Ethics Council of Zambia (MECOZ) failed to accomplish.
Malupenga said the government was trying to create a picture that there was division in the media in order to justify their push for statutory regulation.
He said the media could come up with a good idea, but Parliament would subject that issue to a debate as it was not a rubberstamp.
Malupenga said there could never be statutory self regulation because Parliament would have the final say over the issue.
“MMD has more members, so they can always play things according to their liking…if they see there is no teeth to bite, they will insert the teeth there,” said Malupenga.
Mwale said the scenario in Kenya could not be likened to what the government wanted to do in Zambia because none of the media organisations in that country was owned by the government.
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, PRESS FREEDOM, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA, SIMON MWILA, THE POST
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Sata refuses to apologise over 'Rupiah-Derby meeting'
By George Chellah
Fri 09 July 2010, 04:01 CAT
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday said he will not apologise over his statement that President Rupiah Banda met Chadian leader Idris Derby in Mfuwe. And Post managing editor Amos Malupenga said the desperation by those in government to discredit The Post’s work has now reached an alarming stage.
Reacting to information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha’s demand for an apology from him and The Post for what he terms as lies about President Rupiah Banda and his government, Sata dismissed the demand.
“No government world-over reacts in arrears. Why have they taken long to react if they have nothing to hide? What type of a government is this one? A serious government is supposed to react instantly.
It’s almost four weeks since this man came to Zambia and went to Mfuwe. In fact, when I issued that statement foreign affairs and Shikapwasha himself did not deny. Was he Shikapwasha hiding in Munali Hills? Why the panic now?” Sata asked.
“If what I said was not true, why didn’t they treat this matter with the same urgency they gave to Rupiah’s embarrassing 'mwenye' remark? Is it because they are under pressure from Chad that why did they reveal a visit that was meant to be secret? They are under pressure and they are trying to justify it.
They are even using nashalaneka parties like BY Mwila and Sakwiba Sikota. That should tell you that they are desperate.
“Surely, if they were serious, could they have used finished politicians like BY Mwila, who runs a one-man party? In any case, which Zambian today takes BY seriously? Tell them that I will not apologise to this incompetent government, which is managed by Rupiah Banda because these are genuine remarks I made and I will stand by them.”
And Malupenga said The Post was not in the business of telling lies about anyone.
“Our editorial policy obliges us to offer prompt apologies and corrections whenever we have got our facts wrong. And we have demonstrated that over the years.
We have never shied away from any public apology, no matter how embarrassing that may be, “ he said
He said it was very embarrassing to see Rev Shikapwasha exhibiting high levels of panic in trying to secure his job with President Banda.
“This is not the first time he is talking about our story concerning President Banda’s meeting with President Jacob Zuma from South Africa.
When we first published this story on August 5, 2009, Rev Shikapwasha, in his usual manner, went to Parliament and attempted to mislead the House, claiming that our story was a falsehood.
For the sake of those who might not be familiar with this issue, I will summarise the facts for them,” Malupenga said.
“On or about August 3, 2009, President Banda’s official spokesperson Dickson Jere announced to the nation that President Banda was scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his South African counterpart, President Zuma, in Pretoria.
And thereafter, he was going to proceed for his medical checkup and review. On August 4, 2009, President Banda left Lusaka for South Africa for the scheduled bilateral talks with President Zuma.
The same day we made contact with President Zuma’s spokesperson by the name of Vincent Magwenya to get more details on President Banda’s meeting with President Zuma.
“To our surprise, Mr Magwenya said he did not know anything about the bilateral talks between the two Presidents. We asked Mr Magwenya on the key issues that the two Presidents would deal with in their meeting.
But Mr Magwenya’s response was ‘When is that?’ When we informed Mr Magwenya that President Banda had already left Lusaka for South Africa for his meeting with President Zuma, his response was ‘When?...I will have to come back to you on that, chief. I haven’t received any confirmation on that one.’”
He said The Post further contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson Nomfanelo Kota who said her desk did not have any information about President Banda’s trip to South Africa for a meeting with President Zuma.
“Her actual words were ‘I haven’t been informed by the desk which deals with Zambia. So I don’t know.
As soon as we get informed normally we send out a media advisory. We usually do this a week or two weeks in advance. On my desk there is nothing that says Zambia. It might be coming.’
We went further by contacting the then Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Mr Leslie Mbula who also had difficulties giving us details about President Banda’s meeting with President Zuma,” Malupenga said. “When we asked him what time President Banda was scheduled to meet with President Zuma, Mr Mbula’s response was ‘Where is the President right now?’ When he was told that President Banda had just left Zambia for South Africa, Mr Mbula asked, ‘He has taken off?’
Asked further about President Banda’s programme whilst in South Africa, Mr Mbula responded, ‘I think that I am not very sure yet. Maybe after he has come when I have seen the programme, maybe you can phone. Then we can discuss.’
“After gathering all this information, the summary of the story that we wrote which Rev Shikapwasha is claming was a falsehood was to the effect that South African President Zuma’s spokesperson and the ministry of foreign affairs said they had no confirmation of an appointment for President Banda to hold bilateral talks with President Zuma.
Clearly, The Post was merely transmitting the information obtained both from South African and Zambian government officials in South Africa.”
He said The Post had no reason to doubt President Zuma’s spokesperson because he keeps the President’s diary.
“Yes, later on President Zuma and President Banda had a meeting in South Africa but it still remains a fact that at the time he was leaving, these government officials we have referred to above in South Africa as well as from the Zambian government’s side were not aware about this meeting and this is exactly what we reported.
So what lies have we told as a newspaper? These facts can be verified with these officials we have named above. If Rev Shikapwasha does not know how to contact these officials in South Africa, we will be available to provide him with all their contact details,” Malupenga said.
“From what I have said above, it is clear that we don’t have to apologise for the accurate account of events that we reported. The named officials we quoted in that story have never complained that we misrepresented their views, so why should Rev Shikapwasha claim that our story was a falsehood?
Anyway, we are not surprised that this government has been working hard day and night trying to portray us to the Zambian people that we are a newspaper without credit bent on publishing lies about those in government.
That is why Rev Shikapwasha shamelessly went to Parliament and attempted to mislead the honourable House on matters that were very clear even for a high school pupil to follow.
“We are not surprised that one year later Rev Shikapwasha has resuscitated this scheme to portray The Post as liars. These are the lies about us, which they want to use to justify their desire to regulate the media.
We know that President Banda’s apology to UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has put them in an embarrassing situation and in trying to equalise that, they want to extract an apology from The Post so that they can use that to discredit us. They will not succeed to bring down The Post with lies.”
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, IDRIS DERBY, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA, SATA
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Malupenga warns media to brace against power-crazed politicians
By Florence Bupe
Mon 28 June 2010, 08:40 CAT
POST managing editor Amos Malupenga has cautioned the media to be weary of politicians who will stop at nothing to cling on to power.
Featuring on Radio Phoenix’s Let the People Talk programme on Friday, Malupenga said the next one year running up to the 2011 elections would be challenging to media practitioners.
“Government will want to remain in power and they will want to do all sorts of things to maintain power,” Malupenga said. “The media must brace themselves for tough times.”
Malupenga said those in the government were motivated by the desire to remain in power and would attempt to stifle the media to deprive people of the information they need to make informed decisions.
He said the government’s insistence to impose statutory regulation on the media was a desperate ploy to gag the media.
Malupenga also said the government was responsible for the current media landscape in the country.
He observed that the government had turned the public media into their mouthpiece, and this had compromised the performance and objectivity of journalists in those institutions.
Malupenga said the media should strive to uphold objectivity in their reporting and highlight the views of both those in the government and the opposition.
“What is key is that before we come to the media, we should blame it media landscape on our political leadership and government in particular. Government expects you to be in their favour all the time,” Malupenga said.
“It can’t be denied that as The Post, we carry critical views of the opposition and those in government but most colleagues in the state media have their hands tied.”
Malupenga dismissed suggestions that the media was destructive, stressing that they existed to keep checks and balances.
He said it was incorrect for the government to insist on statutory regulation of the media based on the argument that allowing the media to be self-regulatory would be destructive.
“This is a lame excuse to deny us freedom to operate. We are not asking for absolute freedom, we are asking for freedom that will allow us to operate freely,” said Malupenga.
And Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) vice-chairperson Amos Chanda warned politicians against taking citizens for granted, saying Zambians were now alert because of the role the media had continued to play in informing the nation.
“Politicians in power are just deluding themselves by thinking that Zambians don’t know what is happening. Zambians are now waking up and most of the people are telling us that there’s legitimacy in our arguments to have a self-regulatory media framework,” Chanda said.
Meanwhile, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia Chapter representative Mutemwa Makomani observed that the passing of the Freedom of Information Bill as a law would help hold politicians accountable.
He reiterated the need to take back the Bill to Parliament. Makomani said currently, most politicians in power were preoccupied with enriching themselves at the expense of development for the electorate.
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, PRESS FREEDOM
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The Post has demonstrated that it is an institution, says Dr Mutesa
By Ernest Chanda
Tue 22 June 2010, 09:30 CAT
The Post has demonstrated that it is an institution, Zambians for Empowerment, Democracy and Development (ZED) president Dr Fred Mutesa observed yesterday. And Post managing editor Amos Malupenga said there are very few people who understand that The Post is an institution.
In a solidarity message when he visited Post editor-in-chief Fred M'membe who was recently incarcerated for contempt of court, Dr Mutesa - a former UNZA lecturer - said the newspaper had always provided a voice that society needed most.
Dr Mutesa - who was accompanied by his vice-president Kapembwa Lamba and secretary general Sthembiso Daka - also donated two books to The Post library.
He, however, could only meet Malupenga, as M'membe was not at the office at the time of the visit.
We came to pay courtesy, to express our solidarity with the work of The Post and show our appreciation with the role The Post has played in advancing democracy, justice and press freedom. We believe that in a society like ours, a voice like that of The Post is indispensable to hold the leaders accountable, Dr Mutesa said. We also want to put it on record that this is an institution.
We want to salute the men and women at The Post, particularly Mr Fred M'membe who has shown courage in spearheading the work of this institution. The Post is an institution with shared values and beliefs. We saw this during the unfortunate incarceration of Mr M'membe. The Post continued to work without fear. We hope that other institutions can also mature to that level.
And Dr Mutesa described M'membe as a steadfast individual who believes in what he does.
On a personal note, I must say that it's now 32 years since I first met Fred at the University of Zambia. We were both students and we did some courses together. And one thing I can say is that Fred has the quality of being steadfast in what he believes and does. Many people who leave UNZA don't look at social issues affecting society. They would rather concentrate on their professional lives, Dr Mutesa said. But Fred has distinguished himself as one person who recognises challenges in society and fights these social injustices. Please convey this message to him that there are many of us who admire him for that.
And Malupenga said very few people know and appreciate how much time and resources M'membe had invested in developing a team at The Post.
I would like to thank you on your visit to encourage us. Visits such as this one always give us the impetus to continue working hard. Sometimes our work can be very lonely, especially that some people always want to bring us down, Malupenga. But your visit encourages us to go forward in our work. On behalf of Mr M'membe who particularly suffered that unfortunate incarceration, I thank you most sincerely. I know Mr M'membe would have been happy to receive you had been in the office.
I would also like to appreciate your observation about The Post's maturity. This is proof that those searching to isolate the controlling mind behind The Post have got it all wrong and would achieve nothing. Over the years, Fred has invested a lot in developing a good team at The Post, and I think he has succeeded. But this does not seem to settle in the minds of some people. They still believe that The Post is Fred M'membe and once they get rid of Fred M'membe then The Post is killed.
Malupenga said that was why those in authoritiesycheming against M'membe.
The Post is now an institution, said Malupenga. We always give credit to Fred for this because it has not been easy for him to develop such a team. He has spent a lot of time, energy and resources developing The Post into a viable institution that it is today.
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, FRED M'MEMBE, FRED MUTESA, THE POST
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Post reporter challenges Rupiah over his white beret
By Joseph Mwenda
Wed 21 Apr. 2010, 14:00 CAT
Post reporter Mwala Kalaluka at his work station in the newsroom at The Post Newspaper head office in Lusaka
POST reporter Mwala Kalaluka has denounced claims by President Rupiah Banda that the reporter admired his outfit at this year’s Kuomboka ceremony hence a story published in the Post newspaper titled “Rupiah surprises people with white beret at Kuomboka”.
And Post managing editor Amos Malupenga has said it was trivial for the President to say that people who questioned his outfit during Kuomboka ceremony were jealousy of him.
President Banda yesterday told Kitwe residents that people who were questioning his attire at this year’s Kuomboka ceremony were just jealousy of him because he looked nice.
During a live phone-in programme on Lusaka’s Qfm radio this morning, Kalaluka said he was merely doing his job by reporting an anomaly in the President’s attire at a very special occasion.
“I am not only a journalist, I am also a Lozi by tribe and I know the tradition very well. So I wondered why the president was wearing a white beret when last year he wore a red beret, Kalaluka said.”
“People also started wondering and complaining about it and it was my responsibility as a journalist to report what I saw, and I did not admire the President’s outfit.”
He explained that the red beret that was introduced at Kuomboka during the reign of Mulambwa, who was the tenth Litunga, has a special significance to the Lozi tradition and that white equally had a different meaning.
“White berets are worn by those men who take care of graves for the past Lozi kings, they are for the grave caretakers, so people were surprised to see him in a white beret,” Kalaluka said.
On Saturday April 17, President Banda surprised people at Mongu Airstrip when he emerged from a Zambia Air Force (ZAF) plane clad in a traditional Lozi attire of a kilt and a waistcoat but with a white, instead of the normal red beret on his head.
And reacting to other callers’ comments on the same programme who suggested that the Post was being trivial by publicizing the presidents attire, Malupenga observed that the attire worn at the ceremony was symbolic to the occasion.
“The reporter picked on that angle because he noticed something unusual and he was not the only one who noticed, many other Lozis questioned that. But for us, the Barotse Royal Establishment has commented on that and if it is their position that there was nothing wrong with the President’ attire, then the story ends there.”
Malupenga said the story was not trivial but instead observed that it was President Banda who was being trivial by saying that those who questioned his attire were jealousy of him.
“Surely that was trivial of him, it was trivial coming from the President to say we were jealousy of him. It was just the critical eye of the reporter who noticed that there was a departure from what is usual because the President wore a red beret last year,” said Malupenga.
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, CEREMONIES, MWALA KALALUKA, RUPIAH BANDA, THE POST
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I’ve no problem with Post’s coverage of pact – HH
By George Chellah
Wed 30 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema yesterday said he has no problem with the way The Post covers the PF-UPND pact. And Post managing editor Amos Malupenga yesterday urged politicians to accept the reality that human beings are not all the same and, therefore, cannot be covered in the same way in the press.
Commenting on concerns by some UPND sympathisers that The Post was deliberately favouring PF in its coverage of the pact, Hichilema said The Post would cover news based on the way they view it.
“I think the public will have their own opinion of matters as they see them. They may be right, they may be wrong but as far as I am concerned The Post will through its editorial policy decide who they cover and how they cover. I have no problem with that. That’s really The Post’s decision but obviously the general public will have their own views,” Hichilema said.
“And in this case my view is that The Post would cover news as they wish based on their editorial policy or maybe editorial policy is a wrong terminology, based on the way you view news, that is fine. I have no problem with that but also I have no control over the general public and what they feel.”
On Monday, some UPND sympathisers phoned Monze's SKY FM radio programme dubbed Sky Forum, complaining that Malupenga and The Post would be blamed if the PF-UPND pact failed in 2011 because the newspaper was deliberately favouring the PF in its coverage of the pact.
The UPND sympathisers questioned The Post for not covering Hichilema's recent trip to Western Province while the newspaper usually assigns reporters and photojournalists to accompany PF leader Michael Sata on similar trips outside Lusaka.
But Malupenga yesterday said it was unfair for politicians to expect equal coverage in the media.
“Yesterday I said we will give equal coverage to Mr Hichilema and all the politicians. I think this is not practical; the appropriate word is fair and not equal. So let me correct myself and say that we will give everyone fair coverage,” Malupenga said.
“This is what is practical because political leaders are not equal, just like other leaders. Cosmo Mumba and Humphrey Siulapwa are political party presidents like Mr Rupiah Banda, Mr Hichilema and Mr Sata.
And if we are to follow the principle of equal coverage, it means that Cosmo Mumba and Siulapwa who head political parties must be covered in the same way as MMD acting president Mr Rupiah Banda. Obviously, this does not make sense because President Banda cannot be equated with Cosmo or Siulapwa.
“In the same vein, Mr Sata, Brig Gen Miyanda, Mr Hichilema or Ken Ngondo cannot be given equal coverage because these are different individuals with different strengths and weaknesses. What is possible and reasonable is giving them fair coverage, having considered all factors that constitute news. That’s why it not advisable to make comparisons because Mr Sata is different from Mr Hichilema and whether one agrees or does not, Mr Sata has a larger following or audience as statistics can show from both the 2006 and 2008 presidential elections where both men participated.”
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, RADIO SKY FM, THE POST
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The Post assures political parties of equal coverage
By Chibaula Silwamba
Tue 29 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT
POST managing editor Amos Malupenga yesterday assured the United Party for National Development (UPND) and other political parties that the newspaper will continue according them equal coverage.
Malupenga was reacting to some UPND sympathisers that phoned Monze's SKY FM radio programme dubbed Sky Forum, complaining that he and The Post would be blamed if the UPND-PF pact failed in 2011 because the newspaper was deliberately favouring the PF in its coverage of the pact.
The UPND sympathisers questioned The Post for not covering UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema's recent trip to Western Province while the newspaper usually assigns reporters and photojournalists to accompany PF leader Michael Sata on similar trips outside Lusaka.
But Malupenga said it was the policy of The Post to give equal coverage not only to political players but all stakeholders who have newsworthy items to share with the public.
“Before these UPND sympathisers proceed to heap allegations of bias on our part, it will be prudent for them to first gather the facts. It's not true that we give more and favourable coverage to PF and Mr Michael Sata than UPND and Mr Hichilema,” Malupenga said. “Maybe what UPND needs to do, since they are in a pact with PF, is to learn from PF and Mr Sata how they manage to get the kind of coverage they do in The Post.”
Malupenga said it was not possible for Post editorial managers to assign reporters to cover the UPND if they were not informed about those events.
“If we don't know about any assignment involving Mr Hichilema and the UPND, surely we are not expected to cover such events because we can only go to events we have been informed about,” Malupenga said. “Talking about the specific incident, Mr Hichilema phoned me yesterday Sunday informing me that he had a successful tour of Western Province and his team has some material on that tour and he was wondering how we could utilise the material.
This confirms that in the first place we were not aware about Mr Hichilema's tour of Western Province. The ideal thing for UPND or Mr Hichilema to do is to inform us beforehand about their activities so we can plan ahead of time to give them coverage. This is what PF and Mr Sata do. They always inform us about their programmes well in advance so it is difficult to miss their activities.”
Malupenga said the newspaper would best cover such events on the ground and not from materials presented to it after tours by politicians.
“So before these UPND sympathisers continue to accuse us of all sorts of things, they should consult their party's publicity wing and they will discover that it's their party to blame for lack of coverage of Mr Hichilema's trip to Western Province,” Malupenga said. “Anyway, we are not surprised at these UPND allegations against us because we know that all politicians, like the Bemba adage says, nibamutasha kali kwisaya. This means that one is only able to appreciate the goodness of a delicious meal when the food is in his mouth. The moment he swallows the food, he forgets all the goodness so much that he can even insult the cook.”
Malupenga recalled that just after the recently held Solwezi Central parliamentary by-election, the UPND and PF commended The Post for its good coverage during campaigns.
“But today the UPND is accusing us of giving more prominence to PF and sidelining them. Anyway, we are used to such kind of accusations because all politicians, without exception, nibamutasha kali kwisaya,” said Malupenga.
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, MEDIA, THE POST
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‘It’ll be a shame for govt to abandon Levy’s legacy’
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Tuesday, September 08, 2009 3:24:27 PM
IT will be a shame for the current government to completely abandon the Mwanawasa legacy, former State House chief analyst for press and public relations David Kombe has said.
In an interview at the launch of the biography of the late president Levy Mwanawasa written by Post managing editor Amos Malupenga with a foreword from Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, Kombe said although every leader had their own style and would want to set their own legacy, it would be bad to completely ignore the legacy Mwanawasa had set.
"Every leader has to set his own agenda and therefore it is up to the leadership to decide whether they want to continue with that legacy or they want to set a new legacy but it will be a shame to abandon the legacy of Levy completely; that will not be very good even when you say you want to set a new legacy. There are a lot of good things in the legacy of Levy that can be emulated," Kombe said.
However, he said it would be unfair to demand that President Banda follow president Mwanawasa's legacy.
"Legacy is very difficult because what you must also understand is that leadership styles differ. While we may want the legacy to continue, we are now dealing with a different leader and therefore, for me, it will be unfair to say that the current leadership must follow the legacy that was set by the late president because every leader I think they aspire to set their own legacy," Kombe said. "But the legacy that the late president left has a lot of things that the current leadership can learn from and had a lot of programmes and ideas that the current leadership can try and implement, but they are under no obligation to do that but they can try and do it."
Kombe said Malupenga's book was indeed an incentive for posterity.
"The book is a very good initiative; it's supposed to serve as an inspiration for future leaders and everybody who aspires to leadership and at the same time it's a tool for everyone to use to learn about integrity. The late president was indeed a very honest man. For those of us who worked closely with him we know very well the vision that he had for this country and he really worked very hard; he used to work long hours just to try and get the country moving. He committed himself to the cause of the country and it's good that Amos has captured most of these things in his book," said Kombe.
"We hope that those who will read [the book] will be able to use it and be able to become better people whether in political life or in business or whatever they do because this book cuts across political barrier. Whether you are a family man, you are in business, you are in politics; this book teaches us something."
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, DAVID KOMBE, JAKAYA KIKWETE, MWANAWASA
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Levy protected freedom of expression and press – Maureen
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Friday, September 04, 2009 5:15:42 PM
FORMER first lady Maureen Mwanawasa has said her late husband, Levy Mwanawasa, protected freedom of expression and press as mandated by the Zambian Constitution. And president Mwanawasa's biographer Amos Malupenga said it pained him that people who worked closely and loyalists of president Mwanawasa are not defending or clarifying the wrong and incorrect things that are being said about the late president.
Meanwhile, former president Dr Kenneth Kaunda said the biography is a great narration of the life story of president Mwanawasa, whom he described as a great statesman and revered African leader.
Speaking at the launch of the biography Levy Patrick Mwanawasa - an incentive for prosperity written by Post managing editor Amos Malupenga at Hotel Intercontinental in Lusaka on Thursday night, Maureen said Mwanawasa invoked the provisions of Article 20 of the Zambian Constitution on the protection of freedom of expression.
"Above all he had sworn to uphold the Constitution to its fine details and Zambians came to understand that the rule of law was president Mwanawasa's yardstick of measuring power and authority and God consequently helped him to lead this beautiful country, Zambia," Maureen said.
"Allow me your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen to underscore this point by reading Article 20(1) (2) in the interest of justice and fair play. I need my glasses! Your Excellency Article 20 (1) reads: except with his own consent no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression. That is to say freedom to hold opinions without interference, freedom to receive ideas and information without interference. Freedom to impart and communicate ideas and information without interference whether the communication be to the public generally or to any person or class of persons and freedom from interference with his correspondence. Article 20 (2) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution no law shall make any provisions that derogate from freedom of the press."
She explained why president Mwanawasa allowed Malupenga to write his biography.
"Many of you present here tonight as well as those not with us must be wondering how president Levy Mwanawasa could allow his biography to be written by Amos Malupenga, the managing editor of the most controversial newspaper in our land, The Post to be specific," Maureen said.
"The answer is simple. President Mwanawasa agreed to this arrangement and he said, and I quote, 'I want my biography to be written by someone who can even have the courage to punch holes in my character and my administration'."
She said president Mwanawasa had realized that Zambia had been challenged with the misuse of public funds which made the country's treasury suffer.
"President Mwanawasa believed that there was need to cure the cancer that had gripped the nation and efforts to grow the economy would be futile without change of attitude towards public property and resources," she said
Maureen emphasized that president Mwanawasa spearheaded the corruption crusade on behalf of Zambians and at no time was it a personal agenda.
"President Mwanawasa understood that corruption retarded the economic growth of nations and Zambia was no exception. He recognized one of the factors that has seen Zambia lag behind and remain mired in poverty as the tendency by some leaders and public workers to look after their own interest at the expense of national interests. This in many cases results in dictators who hold large amounts of money in foreign accounts," Maureen said.
She said one of the greatest challenges facing Africa and Zambia in particular was to develop leadership corps that was not entangled in corruption practices.
"The onus is on the electorate to vote for quality leadership. At a higher level, the constitutional level there is need to put in place safeguards that will ensure that there will be no rigging of elections so that the leadership that is put in place in any given African country reflects the will of the nation," Maureen said. "The above stated tenets espoused by president Mwanawasa are by no means exhaustive. What president Mwanawasa stood for cannot be summarized on a platform such as this one."
She said Zambia needed more people of president Mwanawasa's caliber in order for the country and Africa to grow in a sustainable manner.
"President Mwanawasa's visionary leadership can be called an institution and the more we read, talk and champion some of these beliefs, the more we can make a difference for ourselves and the generations yet to come," Maureen said.
She said president Mwanawasa's administration brought the cost of doing business in Zambia down.
"I am sure we have not yet forgotten his famous quote: 'putting money in the pockets of ordinary Zambians and creating a middle income economy'," Maureen recalled. "He believed in hard work. His message was simple, yet poignant. President Mwanawasa believed in leadership for transformation. Leadership which is able to change the way things stand and chart a new path of prosperity into the future. A leadership that can make a country enjoy a great degree of stability and economic growth."
Maureen said having worked closely with president Mwanawasa as one of his special assistants, though not on salary, she was duty bound to be among the advocates of the late president's legacy.
"The date 3rd September bears special significance in the life history of the late president Mwanawasa. President Mwanawasa was born on 3rd September 1948, he was buried on 3rd September 2008 and today [Thursday] 3rd September 2009 we are launching his visionary biography," said Maureen. "Is this mere coincidence? Whatever the reason behind these coincidences, 3rd September will remain a magical and memorable date to me and the children and the rest of the family."
However, government officials or any ministers serving in the current administration who were close allies of president Mwanawasa shunned the ceremony.
And in his speech, Malupenga wondered why president Mwanawasa's loyalists were not defending the decisions of the late president.
"Without sounding political, I just want to say that it pains me, it pains my heart sometimes especially in the last few months when I see the people that worked closely with Mr Mwanawasa. Those who the public know as members of the family tree; you know the story. Those are the people who were considered, not necessarily that they were members of the family tree, I think there was that expression but I am referring to those people who were considered to be Mr Mwanawasa's lieutenants, those who knew him better, those who understood what was happening in the background," Malupenga said. "Of course I discussed this issue with him several times during my interactions with him about the need to appoint people with the necessary competence to execute national duties and he kept on insisting and he said, 'that is very important but sometimes you need to strike a balance because you need to find people who need to be loyal to you, people who are ready to die for you'."
He said during his interaction with president Mwanawasa, the late president mentioned a few names of the people he considered to be his loyalists.
"Of course I singled out that name in the book and that is Mr Alfred Chipoya and he is here, so I want to commend him because I see that he is trying to die a little for Mr Mwanawasa," Malupenga said. "But a point I am making is that there are a few of those who worked very closely with him, who understood him better and he considered these men and women as his loyalists, so to say. There are so many things that are being said about Mr Mwanawasa today, most of them wrong, incorrect and I expect that those loyalists, those who understood him better, those who knew the behind the scenes should cease the opportunity since the man is not here to clarify or defend his position. But unfortunately most of these are very quiet and it pains me that they are not clarifying. They are allowing, to borrow honourable [George] Mpombo's words, they are allowing the legacy to be harassed. I hope honurable Mpombo will not accuse me of practicing politics of braggadocio."
Malupenga said he initiated the idea to write president Mwanawasa's biography when the late president was in Mfuwe during his last working holiday.
"I mentioned to him that there will be need for me to put his life in form of a book by way of writing a biography. He didn't seem so much interested but he welcomed the idea. He said, 'put it in writing. Let's consider it when we get back to Lusaka.' And indeed that is what I did and of course he was busy, there were so many things to look at but in April we met and resolved that we proceed as I proposed," Malupenga narrated. "He was a good family man and goodness, his love was not just confined to his children, I think it was to the entire family."
He commended The Post for giving him time to work on the biography and the editor of the biography, professor Fackson Banda.
"The Post gave me all the support; sometimes they allowed me to stay away from work just to concentrate on this project. I think the entire management and staff, they gave me all the support that I expected and I need from them, for that I would like to thank you all my colleagues," said Malupenga.
"President Jakaya Kikwete wrote the foreword. This foreword in my view is a huge contribution to the summary of the life of president Mwanawasa. He [President Kikwete] has ended his foreword by throwing a challenge to us, he said: 'President Mwanawasa lived his life, our challenge is to live his legacy.' This is a challenge for all of us in this country."
Meanwhile, Dr Kaunda said Malupenga, through the biography had paid a fitting tribute to president Mwanawasa.
"Most of us believed that we knew him [Mwanawasa] well during his lifetime, yet this book tells us more about his story. Amos Malupenga has through his writing this book demonstrated his impeccable aptitude to put together Levy's thoughts before his passing."
He said the story of president Mwanawasa went beyond Zambia's boundaries.
"I am in this regard delighted that another distinguished son of Africa and head of state of Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete has provided the foreword to this book in glorious terms," said Dr Kaunda.
The event attracted a cross section of people in society drawn from the diplomat corps, financial, banking, political, educational, and media sectors.
CK
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, KENNETH KAUNDA, MAUREEN MWANAWASA, MWANAWASA
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MMD cadres vow to continue violence
Written by Ernest Chanda
Monday, August 03, 2009 12:16:22 AM
LUSAKA Province MMD youth chairman Chris Chalwe has declared that the party cadres will continue to “sort out” Post journalists in their own way. But Post journalist Chibaula Silwamba, who was beaten up by Chalwe, has declared that no one would force him to go against his principles of professional journalism.
And Post managing editor Amos Malupenga has said MMD cadres are behaving like hunting dogs that have been released to annihilate Post journalists.
During a CBC Television special interview on Thursday night, Chalwe said going to the courts of law to complain against The Post was a waste of time. Chalwe attacked and beat up Silwamba who had gone to Lusaka International Airport to cover President Rupiah Banda’s return from a Smart Partnership Summit in Uganda.
Asked why MMD cadres could not go to court to seek redress if they were aggrieved with the manner in which The Post was covering President Banda, Chalwe said MMD cadres had their own way of operating.
“We are not taking the law into our own hands. If we wanted to take the law into our own hands, we would beat up those Post reporters. You would see them with scars, swollen heads. We are not above the law ourselves. We are law-abiding citizens also. All we are demanding is for them to be more professional in the way they report. And we are not going to sit back; today they insult, tomorrow they insult. How many times are we going to go to court? We have got our own way of operating as cadres,” Chalwe said. “…If we want to go to court, we will go to court. We are not saying we cannot go to court. We can go to court, yes, but how many times are we going to go to court; every day from January to December we have to go to court? And how many cases are going to be before the court? The court has more serious business to attend to than Post journalists.”
Chalwe declared that cadres would not allow The Post to make President Banda a laughing stock.
“Yes, all the people have a right to know what is happening to the President because he is a Republican President. We are not going to allow The Post to make the President a laughing stock. This is not negotiable. I must make it very clear…anybody who wants to make the President a laughing stock, insulting whatever. I’m sorry we are not going to be good friends,” Chalwe vowed.
Asked what had offended the cadres about the way The Post was reporting, Chalwe accused the newspaper of choosing pictures that dented the image of the MMD.
“You know, of late, The Post has turned out to be an opposition political party because of the way it is reporting, bias reporting; that is against the President, Mr. Rupiah Banda and the MMD itself. We have always extended an olive branch to them so that we work together. We know they have a duty to disseminate information to the nation at large. Now the way they’ve conducted themselves has been very, very unprofessional. I might call that as verbal assault on the party and the President,” Chalwe said. “They have become a political party and their intention is to bring the MMD and its leadership down as far as they are concerned. For example, you saw the picture from Mutomboko. You mean there were no other pictures that were taken there? Only that mother of ours, the chitenge slips and then the cameraman goes to see what is inside of the mother and they bring that as a headline. Like now they are portraying that mother went there to actually show the President what was inside the mother. What type of reporting is that? Let’s be more professional journalists.”
When reminded that photojournalism was about taking pictures that told a story, Chalwe accused journalists of throwing away traditional values.
“…us as Zambians we have got a tradition and culture that we follow. If you guys as journalists you have thrown away the traditional and culture, those values that we have here in this country as Zambia then I’m afraid you guys you will be lost. You can see even that picture of a mother who is delivering, is that what you call proper journalism?” asked Chalwe. “Some of these things, you have to know what to publish and what you cannot publish. There were other pictures that were taken. Accidentally, if that chitenge flips from that mother of ours, does that guarantee you to say this is the right picture to make the news; there are no any other pictures apart from that one? There’s another case where the President was seated alone in Livingstone, they bring Dora’s picture and they cut, they do the graphics and they say oh, they sat with the President!”
Chalwe declared that MMD cadres would not allow Post journalists to cover President Banda anywhere.
“We didn’t want Post to cover the President and we are not going to allow them to do that. They would rather be covering a president of their own, or the party of their own. If they want to be covering Rupiah Banda and MMD, they must change in their reporting. We went there [at the Airport] to ask for their IDs [Identity Cards], their colleagues produced the IDs them they were hiding. They scampered for safety because of their unprofessional way of reporting,” Chalwe said. “That is final because The Post, as far as we are concerned as MMD Lusaka Province youths, they have turned themselves into a political party. And as such we will take them as a political party, an opposition political party.”
Asked who among the cadres was asking for identity cards and who gave them the authority to do so, Chalwe admitted having spearheaded the search.
“The youths, including myself, we wanted to know who the Post reporters were, that was the motive behind. We asked the Post reporters to leave, then they left. We know the law does not allow us to do that, but we have a duty as youths to protect our President and to protect the party from unscrupulous and biased reporting from The Post,” said Chalwe. “Yes, they did identify themselves, The Post reporters went. Of course there was a scuffle but nobody was beaten. As usual The Post reporting is biased... Even if something is straight, they will try to twist it as much as possible. You can see even the headline, ‘Thugs’! Have we ever stolen from The Post? As long as they don’t be professional, they will be biased, they will be insulting the President then we won’t be friends.”
But Chibaula Silwamba said it was insane for Chalwe and the MMD to deny that they beat him up.
“Everyone saw what happened at the airport. I think it is just insane of them to say they didn’t beat me, may be they’ve just seen that the situation is getting hot. This issue has attracted international interest. For your own information, between yesterday [Wednesday] 15:00 hours and today [Thursday] 14:00 hours, I have received about five calls from Western embassies accredited to Zambia. So you can see how much interest this issue has attracted outside the country,” said Silwamba. “To some extent, there are high levels of lawlessness among the MMD leadership, starting with the President of the party who is also the Republican President, Rupiah Banda. We do not do things to suppress an individual or to promote an individual. It doesn’t matter what they do to us. They can kill us but our beliefs will be continued by other people who will come after us. I don’t care if I was killed today because I know that what I believe in, there are so many people in the media fraternity who also believe in it. And I know that they will continue from where I will have left off.”
And Malupenga said MMD cadres were trying to justify their criminal acts.
“We have heard that allegation before where they accused us of being biased against their party and the Republican President. The bottom line is that they have resorted to violence because they want to intimidate us, they want to silence us. And everyone knows why they are acting the way they are acting. The President himself is on record so many times where he condemns violence in one breadth and condones it in another,” Malupenga said. “What do you make of the President’s statement where he is saying that ‘no I don’t support violence, but when you attack me you should know that I also have my supporters who can be annoyed and react?’ What is he saying? And so it is very clear that these MMD cadres are just behaving like hunting dogs. They know that their boss is watching somewhere and so they have to deliver. They have been released to go in the field and hunt The Post journalists. So they have to go back to the boss and say ‘these people who are writing whatever they are writing about you we have sorted them out on your behalf’.”
Malupenga said MMD cadres were not editors to decide what The Post should or should not publish.
“Unless the cadres are telling us that they have become editors of this newspaper; they can’t be telling us what to publish and what news angle we should take to a story. They should not tell us what the picture is. We decide what to publish, after taking into consideration all the professional concerns,” said Malupenga.
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, CADRES, CHRIS CHALWE, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, THE POST
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Malupenga distances The Post from circulation of ‘labour’ pictures
Written by Ernest Chanda
Sunday, June 28, 2009 4:47:19 PM
POST managing editor Amos Malupenga has dismissed reports that the newspaper has been circulating pictures of a woman in labour on the Internet.
Featuring on Friday’s MUVI TV news segment in Lusaka, Malupenga said the falsehoods were being circulated by people and organisations with a malicious agenda against the newspaper.
"It is not true that The Post took that picture and circulated it. I think the facts speak for themselves in our letter to the Vice-President [George Kunda]. We did not go out taking pictures of any woman giving birth, the position is as it stands, just as explained in our editorial comment yesterday [Thursday]," Malupenga explained.
"Those pictures were brought to us by one of the relatives to that lady in the picture, with instructions that we publish so that we bring to the attention of the government and the public, the effects of the strikes. When we looked at those pictures we thought that they were gruesome, they were in bad taste we couldn't publish them."
Malupenga said management then had to make a decision by looking at the problem behind the picture.
"...And that's how the decision was reached for us to communicate with the government and other stakeholders whom we thought could help push for a solution to the strikes," he said.
"I want to emphasise the point that we wrote to the Vice-President, explaining that we are in possession of these pictures which we are unable to publish. But we are bringing them to your attention so that they can move you to find a quick solution to this problem. And we copied this letter to four other institutions: NGOCC [Non Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council], Women for Change, the minister of health and the Archbishop of Lusaka."
He explained that the two women organisations were specifically targeted because they were known for lobbying for women's welfare.
"But unfortunately we got feedback from NGOCC, they said that they were disgusted with the pictures and they thought that we should not have done that. The Editor-in-chief, Mr [Fred] M'membe had a lengthy discussion with Mrs [Marian] Munyinda from the NGOCC. He explained exactly the rationale behind that. And he said 'if you are offended we are going to apologise because it was not our intention to offend you. Our intention was to let you be moved by those pictures so that you can do something, if you can push [government] to ensure that a solution is found. And that's the spirit in which we circulated'," Malupenga explained.
"It is not correct as the picture is being painted that The Post is circulating the pictures on the Internet. The Post only sent hard copies to the Vice-President, the minister of health and the two NGOs we spoke about and the Archbishop, that's all we did. And if people are circulating those pictures on the Internet, that has got nothing to do with The Post."
Asked if the newspaper had followed ethics by circulating pictures that were not taken by its photographer, Malupenga said the action taken by management was as a result of adherence to journalism ethics.
"You have to realise that the person who took that picture is not a journalist. And this is what we need to know before we even talk about ethics. It is not a professional photographer from The Post, as far as I'm concerned who took that picture. So when we talk about ethics, let's start from there. That picture did not originate with The Post, it was brought to our doorsteps with instructions that we publish," he said.
"Well, if we are talking about ethics, it was our ethical consideration that we could not publish that picture. Even as the President insinuated during that press conference that we are circulating those pictures on the Internet, it's surprising because I've got a copy of the letter we wrote to the Vice-President. It is very clear we are stating to the Vice-President that we are in possession of these pictures, which we find difficult to publish. But we are forwarding them to you in the hope that they'll move you to act and find a solution to this striking problem, which has given rise to things like this. So, people are being unfair by condemning us for things we didn't do."
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, THE POST
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Malupenga challenges police to arrest MMD cadres harassing Post journalists
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Thursday, June 11, 2009 12:52:20 PM
POST managing editor Amos Malupenga yesterday challenged the Zambia Police Service to
arrest MMD cadres that have been harassing the newspaper's journalists the way they have arrested PF cadres who beat up their colleagues.
Commenting on the police's arrest of some Patriotic Front (PF) members that beat up and allegedly abducted two fellow PF members that were holding a media briefing denouncing their leaders, Malupenga said there was hypocrisy in the way the police, senior government officials and MMD leaders were handling political violence in the country.
"As we join those individuals and organisations that have condemned the violent acts we saw on TV from those PF loyalists against their fellow party members, we wish to observe that there is a lot of hypocrisy or double-standards on this matter of political violence. We say this because it appears this issue of political violence is being fought selectively," Malupenga said.
"Our journalists have been physically and verbally abused by known MMD cadres. We have complained to the police and to the President [Rupiah Banda]; there has been no action. Instead of acting on our complaint, the police inspector general Mr Francis Kabonde said he was going to have a meeting with me to find the way forward on this violence. Instead of condemning the violence, the chief government spokesperson [Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha] together with several government officials and ruling party officials have endorsed this violence."
Malupenga said it was strange that the police had acted swiftly in the case of the PF cadres when in fact they had not acted on the case of MMD cadres who committed similar offences.
"We were surprised to see the speed at which the police moved in effecting arrests of those PF cadres. What is the difference between the violence from PF cadres and the violence from MMD cadres?" Malupenga asked.
"We have provided pictures of MMD cadres harassing our journalists to the police, to the President as well as the chief government spokesperson and MMD national secretary [Katele Kalumba]; they are all quiet. When the violence perpetrated by PF cadres was reported, it were these same government and party officials who were in the forefront calling for the arrest of the PF cadres. These are the double-standards we are talking about. We have always said that there is no one who is above the law."
Malupenga observed that the Zambia Police Service was shamelessly exposing itself as an MMD police.
"The police are supposed to serve everyone regardless of his status or political inclination. It is a shame for the police to display themselves as an MMD police and not Zambia police. We are looking forward to see how they are going to address the MMD violence against our journalists," said Malupenga.
"So we would like to urge the police and all peace loving Zambians to stand for peace and justice and ensure that all law breakers, regardless of their positions or political affiliations, should be punished and not protected as we are seeing in the case of MMD cadres."
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, CADRES, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, PRESS FREEDOM, THE POST
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Malupenga petitions Banda over harassment of Post journalists
Written by George Chellah
Friday, May 08, 2009 5:03:14 PM
POST managing editor Amos Malupenga has petitioned President Rupiah Banda to intervene in the continued harassment of Post journalists by ruling MMD cadres.
In his letter to the President dated May 6, 2009, which was copied to Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde, MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba, information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapawsha and the Press Freedom Committee of The Post (PFC), Malupenga complained that the cadres' acts of violence against Post journalists were calculated to silence them.
"On behalf of the editorial management, I write to bring to Your Excellency's attention the continued and unwarranted harassment, by MMD cadres, of our journalists when they are assigned to cover events where Your Excellency is present, particularly at the various airports in the country when Your Excellency is either flying out or flying in. This has been going on for some time now," Malupenga stated.
"Various people, including ourselves, have condemned these calculated acts of violence by Your Excellency's party cadres. In one particular incident in Chipata on February 28, 2009, our photojournalist Thomas Nsama was assaulted by the cadres for reasons best known to themselves. This matter was reported to the police, who up to now have not acted. For the avoidance of doubt, find enclosed photographs of MMD cadres assaulting our photojournalist Thomas Nsama on February 28, 2009, in Chipata.
"Earlier, on February 26, 2009, a group of MMD cadres threatened to beat up our journalists who had gone to cover Your Excellency's address to the cadres at State House. Our Copperbelt-based journalists - Mutuna Chanda, Mwila Chansa and Abigail Chaponda -have been physically and verbally harassed from time to time by MMD cadres for reasons that Your Excellency's party leadership seem to understand better. On Saturday May 2, 2009, our journalists -George Chellah and Eddie Mwanaleza- who were assigned to cover Your Excellency's return from a state visit in Zimbabwe were prevented from carrying out their duties. In fact, George Chellah and Eddie Mwanaleza had to flee Lusaka City Airport to protect their lives. They were hounded by MMD cadres hungry for their blood."
Malupenga stated that this situation was unfortunate and regrettable.
"We do not understand what wrong our journalists have committed. If there is anything wrong we have done, we believe there are several ways available to have these wrongs addressed. Since these ways are being avoided by MMD cadres, we would not be wrong to conclude that their intention is to cow our journalists into submission; they want to stop them from performing their duties diligently and professionally," Malupenga stated. "It must be mentioned that Your Excellency is a national asset and not an MMD property. Therefore, all journalists are supposed to have unhindered access to Your Excellency if they have to inform the public accurately and objectively. These cadres claim that their actions to physically and verbally abuse our journalists are in their quest to defend and protect Your Excellency.
"It is for this reason that we are writing to request Your Excellency to intervene in this matter and advise the cadres, in your capacity as party president, to desist from these acts of violence and use civil ways to resolve differences or problems, if any."
Malupenga reminded President Banda of the public statements he has made in the past condemning violence.
"We recall that from time to time, Your Excellency has made public statements condemning violence from whatever quarters. This being the case, we are fortified to conclude that Your Excellency will condemn any acts of violence regardless of who the perpetrator is," stated Malupenga.
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, CADRES, RUPIAH BANDA, THE POST
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Rupiah’s press aide harasses Post journalist
Written by Staff Reporter
Friday, January 16, 2009 9:27:44 PM
STATE House chief analyst for press and public relations Dickson Jere yesterday publicly harassed Post journalist Chibaula Silwamba at State House and accused The Post of being unprofessional.
And Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA- Zambia Chapter) has expressed disappointment over Jere's conduct.
Meanwhile, Post managing editor Amos Malupenga has advised Jere to be level-headed and quickly understand the role of his office. Silwamba said the incident happened just after he finished covering President Rupiah Banda and Chinese commerce minister Chen Deming's meeting at State House, where the latter and finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane signed framework agreements and a letter of exchange.
Silwamba said after the function in the conference room, he and Radio QFM journalist Wamunyima Walubita walked to the passage, where Jere found them.
He said Jere confronted him, shouting on top of his voice, much to the dismay of onlookers. Silwamba said Jere was raising his hands and pointing at him as he rebuked him.
“Mr. Jere was shouting at me, saying 'How do you write that? What kind of journalism is that? Where did you learn your journalism?'” Silwamba narrated.
He said when he asked Jere to single out the story he was complaining about, he could not do so but continued to angrily shout at him.
“He said, 'where have you seen that kind of journalism?' He said as a journalist who worked for an international media organisation, they don't write stories the way The Post did,” Silwamba narrated. “Mr. Jere said: 'we don't do that kind of journalism as international journalists. No! No!'”
Silwamba said he told Jere that if he was complaining about the stories he had written on President Banda during his tour of Northern Province last week, he was ready to challenge anybody because all the stories were accurate.
At this stage, Jere said the names mentioned in a Post story concerning some people purporting to have been appointed by President Banda in foreign service and stayed at a lodge for free, imposter story, were inaccurate.
“Mr Jere was shouting that none of the people alleged to be imposters were from State House. 'There is no David Banda here [at State House]',” Silwamba narrated.
Silwamba said after Jere realised that he was being challenged on anything he said, he decided to stop shouting and opted to talk to other journalists before walking away.
Recently in Northern Province during President Banda's visit to Paramount chief Chitimukulu palace in Mungwi, Jere refused to tell Post photojournalist Collins Phiri where the President was landing from.
Phiri had asked Jere to tell him where President Banda was landing from so that he and Silwamba could cover the President on arrival.
“Jere rudely responded, 'I don't know!'” Phiri narrated.
Phiri and Silwamba said after President Banda's political advisor Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika heard the manner in which Jere responded, he directed The Post journalists to the venue where President Banda was landing.
“Akashambatwa, who was in the same vehicle with Jere, presidential affairs minister Gabriel Namulambe and driver, decided to open the window of the vehicle. He said he did not really know where President Banda would land from but he gave us a rough direction. And for sure when we followed the direction Aka gave us, we found a presidential motorcade there waiting for President Banda,” Phiri said. “Surprisingly, Jere also came there. That shows that he knew where the President was landing from but did not just want to tell us.”
In another incident last month, Jere instructed security personnel to block Chipata based Post journalist Christopher Miti from attending President Banda's function in Chipata during his visit there.
Miti said after President Banda featured on Radio Breeze FM in Chipata, he invited journalists for dinner at Mamalula Lodge. He said when he and other journalists from Radio Maria, Breeze FM, Times of Zambia and Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) went to Mamalula Lodge, security personnel told him that they had been told not to allow a Post journalist to enter.
“When my colleagues from other media organisations went inside, they told Jere that, 'we have a colleague, Christopher Miti, from The Post.' But Jere told them that, 'we did not invite The Post,'” Miti narrated.
Miti said when the function started, President Banda asked a ZANIS journalist if he [Miti] was there.
“My colleague from ZANIS told me that the President wanted to know if I was there. It seems the President wanted me there but I had been blocked. The journalist from ZANIS told the President that I was not there. Jere did not say anything,” said Miti.
And MISA-Zambia chairperson Henry Kabwe implored Jere to exercise tolerance towards the media in responding to queries in a dignified manner befitting his office. Kabwe said as chief analyst for press and public relations, Jere was expected to exhibit high standards of professionalism and ethics in dealing with the media. He appealed to Jere to use appropriate channels should he feel aggrieved with the way the media reports.
"MISA Zambia equally implores the media in Zambia to be factual, fair and balanced in their reportage," said Kabwe. On Monday, Jere told The Post to go ahead and publish the trash they always publish when he was contacted over the alleged imposters who were staying at a lodge in Lusaka without footing the bills purporting that State House would foot the bills as President Rupiah Banda had offered them jobs in the diplomatic service. And Malupenga said it was clear that Jere was headed for a tough time with the media if he did not change his approach.
“It is clear that Dickson is dangerously puffed up with pride, which is usually not associated with public relations practitioners,” Malupenga said. “I urge him to sober up and be level-headed. He should understand that the main role of his office is to bridge the gap between his boss in State House and the media. Of course, we know that some people get confused when they operate from State House and start behaving like they are small presidents. Dickson is mistaken if he thinks that discrediting The Post is the only way for him to show Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda that he is working well. If Mr Banda is not aware, Dickson's first newsroom experience was with The Post, the newspaper he is despising today.”
Malupenga advised Jere to be aware that his behaviour in his official capacity reflected on the character and instructions he has received from the appointing authority.
“We have been ignoring Dickson's misbehaviour for sometime because we thought he was trying to find his feet in the new office,” said Malupenga. “But it appears this is his way of doing things. Unfortunately, it is a wrong way of doing things. In case he is under the illusion that he can trample on The Post's credibility with impunity, let him be informed that he is striving after the wind. He has embarked on an exercise in futility. Many before him in that institution have tried to annihilate The Post but they have lamentably failed.”
Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, CHIBAULA SILWAMBA, DICKSON JERE, MISA, RUPIAH BANDA, THE POST
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