Media personnel lost jobs because of Ronnie - PAZA
By Abigail Sitenge
Tue 05 June 2012, 13:24 CAT
PRESS Association of Zambia president Andrew Sakala says some media practitioners have lost jobs because of Ronnie Shikapwasha's manipulation.
Reacting to Lieutenant General Shikapwasha's statement that the media is worse under the Patriotic Front government in terms of news coverage than it was under MMD, Sakala accused the former minister of manipulating the public media and causing loss of jobs for many media practitioners who were deemed to be unprofessional.
"It is through Shikapwasha's manipulation that some media practitioners are now suffering and have lost their jobs for unprofessionalism; it is because of him," he said.
"Times of Zambia, Daily Mail and ZNBC, some of them (reporters) have been retired, they are casualties of Shikapwasha's actions, who is comfortable because he is still an MP; he is getting a salary, but these young people are suffering."
He said Lt Gen Shikapwasha was simply bitter that he was unable to manipulate the media any more.
"General Shikapwasha should really be honest and apologise to Zambians for the way he recklessly manipulated the media in this country," Sakala said.
He further charged that the type of media coverage especially running up to the elections was unprofessional, biased, unethical, and that Lt Gen Shikapwasha had a big hand in all that.
He said the former minister literally controlled ZNBC, Times of Zambia and Daily Mail, and issued instructions directly and through his permanent secretary.
"General Shikapwasha directed the public media to an extent that there was political witch hunting among the media practitioners themselves. So for him to say that the media is worse now is a joke, he is being dishonest because I think the media coverage has improved. It might not be the best but I think the improvement is there," Sakala said.
He said the public media in Zambia had improved in its coverage of news especially after last year's elections.
"I am not saying this is the best that we can get, no! There is still room for improvement, but definitely this is better than was under MMD," said Sakala.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha, who is also Kembe member of parliament, on Friday said the media was worse in terms of news coverage under PF than it was in the MMD regime and that PF cadres were censoring the media.
Labels: ANDREW SAKALA, MEDIA, PAZA, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA
Read more...
Govt retires Times news editor Sakala
By Ernest Chanda
Fri 07 Jan. 2011, 04:00 CAT
PRESS Association of Zambia president Andrew Sakala has been retired from the Times of Zambia. Sakala, 45, who served as News Editor in Lusaka for over two years, was retired on Wednesday in ‘public interest’.
Well-placed sources within the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services said there was a scheme by the government to weaken PAZA, which had been part of the media bodies fighting for self-regulation.
The sources said the government had been hunting down individual editors in the public media who had been opposing statutory media regulation.
The sources disclosed that there was a scheme by the government to weaken the Media Liaison Committee by targeting and influencing its members like the Zambia Union of Journalists and the Zambia Union for Broadcasters and other Information Disseminators (ZUBID) to pull out of the consortium.
“We know that some of the individuals in these unions are principled, but they may be forced to choose between their jobs or principles,” a source said.
When contacted, Sakala, who had served Times of Zambia for 20 years in several positions, confirmed having been retired but declined to comment further on this retirement.
However, Sakala said the government should this year allow freedom of expression even to those who appeared to be a nuisance to them.
Sakala said the government should also stop intimidating media practitioners, especially those in the public media.
“As a media we are still battling and the signals from government are bad. We have to press on for media freedom. Government has an obligation to ensure that people have access to information, and that people express themselves freely," Sakala said. "This is 2011 and I appeal to the government to accommodate even those views they don't like. Even media houses that seem to be critical of government should be allowed to exist because that's the essence of media freedom. Government should not intimidate the public media by retiring editors they seem not to like. Let the media operate freely."
He said the Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC) was not about an individual person or organisation.
Sakala said the proposed media body's origin was very clear; it was about promotion of professionalism and protection of the public.
Labels: ANDREW SAKALA, PAZA, THE TIMES
Read more...
2010 has been wasted year for media - Chanda
By Salim Dawood
Sun 02 Jan. 2011, 04:01 CAT
PAZA says 2010 has been a wasted year for the media. In an interview, Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) vice-president Amos Chanda said the media directed most of its efforts last year trying to convince the government on straightforward issues on the importance of a self-regulated media.
“The year has been a characterised by the controversy of the creation of the Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC). Government has been pushing very hard to pass laws that regulate the media, to bring the media under the political control of politicians,” he said.
He said the media fought hard and resisted the government’s attempts to impose statutory media regulation because that would limit not only the media freedoms in the country but also freedom of expression.
“So a lot of time has been wasted. The downside has been that a lot of effort that could have been taken to other activities of media development was instead consumed trying to convince government on a very straightforward matter regarding the sanctity of media freedoms and freedoms of expression which must be protected from any form of interference,” he said.
He said the year had also been characterised by physical attacks on journalists working both in private and public media institutions.
He said the attacks where as a result of the deteriorating relationship between the media and politicians which were brought by the politicians desire to control the media.
He said the much delayed ZNBC and IBA Act had still not been implemented eight years after being enacted and underwent amendment in parliament last year.
“There has been cosmetic changes made to the ZNBC and IBA Act, but those Acts still remain unimplemented eight years since they were enacted. So in 2010 you see a minister presenting to Parliament amendments to the two laws that have never been implemented but even with those amendments the implementation has still not taken place. It’s been generally a wasted year,” he said.
Chanda said 2011 would not be any easier for the media especially that 2011 was an election year.
“We can’t delude ourselves that it will be an easy year, it will be a difficult year. What has been happening in 2010 had been a result of the anxieties and is likely to dominate the minds of politicians in view of the forth coming general elections.
“But I would like to see that politicians must understand that the separation that exists between Parliament and executive and the judiciary must be the same separation that should exist between the executive arm of government and the media as a fourth arm of government,” he said.
He warned that politicians would attempt to gain political control but they must not delude themselves that the media would let them.
He said although the media scored a few positives such as the conviction of MMD youth Lusaka youth chairperson Chris Chalwe for assaulting journalists, the year had more negative incidents to the media than positive.
Labels: AMOS CHANDA, CHRIS CHALWE, MEDIA, PAZA
Read more...
Work professionally, Sakala advises journalists
By Masuzyo Chakwe and Mwala Kalaluka
Tue 04 May 2010, 04:00 CAT
PRESS Association of Zambia (PAZA) president Andrew Sakala has appealed to journalists to work professionally and objectively so that the government does not find an opportunity to pass unnecessary laws that impede on media freedom.
And Association of Zambian Diocesean Catholic Clergy (AZADCC) president Fr Cletus Mwiila yesterday said the enemy of press freedom in the country is a small group of people that want to curtail information from reaching the citizens.
Commenting on the World Press Freedom Day which fell yesterday under the theme The right to know: Access to information, Sakala said it was important that journalists operated professionally so that they could win the confidence of the public.
“It is important that journalists operate professionally so that the government does not take advantage and start accusing the media of being unprofessional and thereby begin to pass unnecessary laws that impede on the media,” Sakala said.
He urged the public to support media laws as the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) would very soon publish a draft constitution.
“We want to urge the public and media practitioners to ensure that the provisions on the media in the draft constitution are those that will promote media freedom,” he said.
Sakala urged the public and the media to take a keen interest in the draft constitution and submit to the NCC so that it could pass laws favourable to media freedom.
He also said information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha had not categorically stated when the government would take the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill to Parliament.
Sakala said the right to access information was anchored on the FoI law.
He urged the government to take the Bill to Parliament and pass the law because access to information depended on it.
“We hope that at the next sitting of Parliament, the government will take it back. Shikapwasha at the United Nations made a commitment that the Zambian government is committed to promoting a free media so he should match his words with deeds,” he said.
Sakala condemned the violence against journalists and urged political leaders to refrain their cadres from attacking journalists.
He said it was unfortunate that in the past year, there had been an increase on journalists’ attacks.
However, Sakala hoped that the public and politicians would desist from attacking journalists.
And Fr Mwiila said it was the citizenry that suffered if the media were not given sufficient freedom within which to operate.
“World Press Freedom Day for me is a very important moment for the media in the world,” Fr Mwiila said. “And all the important things that go together with development in any given nation. There can be no development in any given nation where there is no development because when we are talking of development today we should be talking about press freedom.”
Fr Mwiila said given what the country’s journalists went through to inform the nation, they should be supported to work in a free environment.
“We want to argue that… unless you have an informed nation you can’t talk about development,” he said. “Development is borne from what people are made to know and how they are helped to discuss what they know and turn it into positive living.”
Fr Mwiila said what he sees as an enemy of press freedom in Zambia was the hegemony that seemed to make people not to be aware of happenings in the nation, especially if they get into certain offices, which they wanted to protect.
“Hegemony is a small group of people who are in the offices who think no one else should be made aware unless they are within that circle,” Fr Mwiila said. “If you are from the other side then you are wrong.”
Fr Mwiila said in an environment where the media was free the press would be used to harness all the issues in order to allow many people to participate in the governance of the country.
“To realize all these the writers or scribes should be able to be given freedom to access to information so that the citizens can also be informed,” said Fr Mwiila.
Labels: ANDREW SAKALA, CLETUS MWIILA, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL, JOURNALISM, PAZA, WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
Read more...
Shikapwasha is not genuine on media self-regulation – PAZA
By Patson Chilemba
Sun 18 Apr. 2010, 04:40 CAT
Information and broadcasting services minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha
PRESS Association of Zambia (PAZA) president Andrew Sakala yesterday observed that Ronnie Shikapwasha’s position to push for statutory regulation of the media shows that he was not genuine over earlier assurances to respect media self-regulation.
Reacting to information minister Lieutenant General Shikapwasha’s statement that the government would not recognise the ongoing process towards the formation of a self-regulatory mechanism because the Media Liaison Committee (MLC) had become dishonest, Sakala said it was clear that the government had made up its mind to regulate the media through statute.
“So whatever is being done, they have already made up their mind. I suspect all those issues, actions, assurances were not genuine because if they were genuine they would have allowed the process to take place, and people at the Pamodzi conference, they were allowed to debate,” Sakala said. “People were allowed to debate freely, no one was intimidated.”
Sakala said the majority of people at last week’s stakeholders’ conference were in favour of voluntary media self-regulation.
He said the report on the Fringilla Consensus was handed over to Lt Gen Shikapwasha close to two months ago, and he assured that if he did not respond within two weeks then the government was happy with the report.
“So now all of us are surprised…two months later the minister comes up with a different position. We are wondering, what is the real intention? Because if it was genuine the minister in fact assured that he would participate in the process at Pamodzi, and also assured that there would be officials from the Ministry of Information to participate, but they never participated,” Sakala said. “What we got was a letter just towards the end that they won’t recognise us.”
Sakala said it was disappointing for Lt Gen Shikapwasha to turn around after assuring that he would allow the media bodies through the MLC to formulate their own self-regulatory mechanism.
He said the option that was taken by media stakeholders at Taj Pamodzi Hotel worked because it was working very well in countries like South Africa.
“I do not understand why the minister does not want to give the process a chance. Just before we agreed, he sent a letter insisting on the Kenyan model, but the person from Kenya who came to deliver a paper also advised that…if the Kenyan media were given another chance, they would go for voluntary mechanism rather than the statutory one,” said Sakala.
On Shikapwasha’s statement that the government suspected that the MLC invited its supporters to the stakeholders conference to frustrate divergent views, Sakala said the MLC never invited delegates to the conference.
He said the media bodies were written to and asked to send their own delegates.
However, Sakala said the media would go ahead and launch the Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC).
Lt Gen Shikapwasha was quoted in yesterday’s edition of the Times of Zambia insisting that the government would not recognise the ongoing process towards the formation of a self-regulatory mechanism because the MLC had become dishonest.
Earlier, the media in the country rejected Lt Gen Shikapwasha’s position to force statutory regulation on them.
On January 9, 2010, the government removed the six-month ultimatum it gave media bodies in the country to come up with a self-regulatory mechanism.
MLC spokesperson Amos Chanda disclosed in an interview that following a consultative meeting the committee had with Lt Gen Shikapwasha that afternoon, the minister announced that the government had quashed the ultimatum.
Chanda said the government had done that because they were happy with the progress the media bodies had made in coming up with a self-regulatory mechanism.
On January 10, 2010, Lt Gen Shikapwasha said the government was hopeful that self-regulation of the media would work looking at the steps the MLC had taken in formulating a self-regulatory mechanism.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said looking at the concept paper submitted to him by the committee, he was hopeful that self-regulation would work.
"Well, I met with officials from the Media Liaison Committee and we discussed. I think you remember that they had earlier on submitted a concept paper, which, to us as government looks good. I think we are happy with that arrangement as government and we hope that they will finally come up with a self-regulatory mechanism," Lt Gen Shikapwasha said.
On January 16, 2010, Shikapwasha said talks between the government and media associations on self-regulation of the media were progressing well and showing signs that the two parties would arrive at a positive conclusion.
Labels: ANDREW SAKALA, MEDIA, PAZA, REGULATION, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA
Read more...
PAZA describes deregistration of SACCORD as arbitrary
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Fri 12 Mar. 2010, 09:10 CAT
RONNIE Shikapwasha’s deregistration of SACCORD was arbitrary, Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) vice president Amos Chanda has said.
Commenting on the High Court’s decision to uphold the deregistration of Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD), Chanda yesterday said the decision by the minister to deregister SACCORD was arbitrary because the reasons given were vague.
Information minister Lieutenant General Shikapwasha in 2004 as home affairs minister deregistered SACCORD on grounds that it engaged in activities that were inimical and a danger to national security but the institution appealed to the High Court.
The High Court last week upheld the decision of the minister to deregister the organisation.
Chanda said there was no clear demonstration that SACCORD threatened national security.
He said it was not justifiable in a democratic society for ministers to arbitrarily use sweeping statements such as national security.
Chanda said this took away the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals which in this case took away the right to assembly and free expression.
“That is why we are concerned as PAZA because we promote free expression and by deregistering SACCORD, the effect is that freedom of expression has been violated because the reason they associate as an umbrella of SACCORD is for purposes of free expression,” he said.
He said PAZA was alarmed that in a democratic society, such high-handed decisions must be meted out against citizens.
Chanda said while PAZA respected the court decisions, they were saddened that the High Court upheld such a decision.
“Whilst we respect the independence and integrity of the judiciary, we disagree with the decision of the High Court to endorse such an arbitrary action by the Minister of Home Affairs,” said Chanda.
Labels: AMOS CHANDA, PAZA, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA, SACCORD
Read more...
PAZA describes deregistration of SACCORD as arbitrary
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Fri 12 Mar. 2010, 09:10 CAT
RONNIE Shikapwasha’s deregistration of SACCORD was arbitrary, Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) vice president Amos Chanda has said.
Commenting on the High Court’s decision to uphold the deregistration of Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD), Chanda yesterday said the decision by the minister to deregister SACCORD was arbitrary because the reasons given were vague.
Information minister Lieutenant General Shikapwasha in 2004 as home affairs minister deregistered SACCORD on grounds that it engaged in activities that were inimical and a danger to national security but the institution appealed to the High Court.
The High Court last week upheld the decision of the minister to deregister the organisation.
Chanda said there was no clear demonstration that SACCORD threatened national security.
He said it was not justifiable in a democratic society for ministers to arbitrarily use sweeping statements such as national security.
Chanda said this took away the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals which in this case took away the right to assembly and free expression.
“That is why we are concerned as PAZA because we promote free expression and by deregistering SACCORD, the effect is that freedom of expression has been violated because the reason they associate as an umbrella of SACCORD is for purposes of free expression,” he said.
He said PAZA was alarmed that in a democratic society, such high-handed decisions must be meted out against citizens.
Chanda said while PAZA respected the court decisions, they were saddened that the High Court upheld such a decision.
“Whilst we respect the independence and integrity of the judiciary, we disagree with the decision of the High Court to endorse such an arbitrary action by the Minister of Home Affairs,” said Chanda.
Labels: AMOS CHANDA, PAZA, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA, SACCORD
Read more...
Shikapwasha wants every journalist to ‘kiss his boots’, charges Lubinda
By Ernest Chanda
Thu 14 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT
RONNIE Shikapwasha wants every journalist in the country to ‘kiss his boots’, Kabwata member of parliament Given Lubinda has charged.
Reacting to information minister Lt Gen Shikapwasha’s statement in the Zambia Daily Mail yesterday where he called for the immediate dissolution of the Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) executive for allegedly compromising the status of the association through its MoU with the Press Freedom Committee of The Post, Lubinda questioned Lt Gen Shikapwasha's legal backing for his call.
He said it was now clear that the government had not truly backed out of their resolve to regulate the media.
"This goes to show you that they're still determined to control the media. They're still determined to employ editors even of private media. This is because as far as the MMD government is concerned, a free press is not good for them. They want to hide all their dubious activities, and so a press that exposes them is not favourable. Shikapwasha wants a media that can kiss his boots all the time. They want to ensure that they gag the press and tell them what to write and publish," Lubinda said. "The dictatorial tendencies of the MMD are showing their ugly head at a very, very fast rate.
Unless Zambians are careful, very soon ministers such as Ronnie Shikapwasha will start calling for the dissolution of associations such as Edusport, Chilenje Sport for All. PAZA is not statutory body which is under the control of the minister. This is a body of journalists, and journalists should be left to decide how to manage their affairs without the interference of the government. When PAZA decided that they are going to partner with the Press Freedom Committee of The Post that shouldn't have raised any eyebrows because if they have a common issue that they are propagating, they must be together and nobody should stop them."
Lubinda said Lt Gen Shikapwasha wanted to divide journalists so that he could propagate his dictatorial ideas.
"The reason why the Minister of Information has acted the way he has is because he knows that journalists have power in numbers. He wants to employ the dictum of divide and rule. He wants to separate journalists employed by government-controlled media who are members of PAZA from those in the private media, particularly The Post because he knows that if these two groups of journalists work together he will not be able to break them. And doesn't this also prove the fact that the fight for statutory regulation from this government has not ended?" he asked.
He reminded Lt Gen Shikapwasha that PAZA was not a government department that he could interfere with any time.
"What is wrong with a partner supporting another partner financially for a common cause? Why should Shikapwasha say PAZA should have gone to government? PAZA is not part of government and if Shikapwasha wants to give them money he can as well give to the PFC. PAZA is just an association of journalists, and those journalists don't belong to government. The fact that they're employed by government media does not mean that they belong to government. PAZA is not a government department, it runs its affairs based on the arrangement of its members," said Lubinda.
"Shikapwasha is a man known to be very quick at turning around at the behest of his boss George Kunda and his boss Rupiah Banda. And ultimately it is his integrity that is being brought into disrepute. You saw how they vehemently fought the issue of self-regulation of the media. They kept issuing threats that they would go ahead and make a law to regulate the media. When you journalists fought he decided to withdraw because his Vice-President told him to do so. And George Kunda was very smart on that matter because he remained mute and asked Shikapwasha to go and make a statement. The one who lost was not George Kunda, it is Shikapwasha. Let me also advise uncle Ronnie not to make threats that he knows are not backed by any law. I say so because when the time comes for him to implement those threats, he will find that there is no legal support."
Labels: GIVEN LUBINDA, PAZA, PRESS FREEDOM, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA
Read more...
Media bodies to notify police about planned demonstration
By Mutale Kapekele
Thu 31 Dec. 2009, 04:00 CAT
THE Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) has said the Media Liaison Committee (MLC) will on January 5 notify the police of their planned demonstration against Vice-President George Kunda’s negative stance on media regulation.
And PAZA has warned politicians that they will not tolerate violence against journalists as the country moves towards the 2011 elections.
Making the announcement at the end of year press briefing, PAZA secretary general Patson Phiri explained that the MLC could not notify police over the demonstration as announced earlier because of the festive period but they would do so after January 5.
Phiri reiterated that Vice-President Kunda was enemy number one of the media in Zambia.
PAZA president Andrew Sakala warned politicians of legal action should the violence against journalists witnessed this year continue.
“2009 has been challenging for the media because of acrimony in politics and some people in the political arena have blamed their misfortunes on the media,” Sakala said. “This year saw journalists being assaulted in public places on several occasions. As PAZA, we will not tolerate this. Journalists are just messengers carrying out their assignments and should not be beaten. We oppose all forms of violence and we will be taking legal redress against all those found assaulting journalists.”
He warned that politicians may get excited as the country moved towards the 2011 elections but that should not give them reason to attack journalists for perceived unfair coverage.
Sakala warned journalists that those who were opposed to media freedom always wanted to create an impression that the private and state media were not united on the matter.
“Those who are not with us always want to say we are not united and that PAZA cannot cooperate with the private media,” he said. “But we have worked with the Press Freedom Committee (PFC) of The Post for three years in the defence of press freedom.”
He said it was regrettable that the government had in the past year given lip service to issues of press freedom.
“PAZA notes with regret that genuine dialogue between the government and political parties has not been taken well and tensions still continue,” Sakala said. “The government has taken a combative approach to important issues of media freedom and they are giving lip service to commitments that they made.”
He said President Rupiah Banda in his address to Parliament promised to take the Freedom of Information Bill to Parliament, but had not done so.
“The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) should have been operating by now and as PAZA we regret that it is not,” Sakala said. “Their government words have not been matched by deeds. Nevertheless, we will continue to seek and ask for dialogue but that does not mean that we can’t take a different position on certain issues that directly affect the media.”
Sakala said it was hoped that the government would follow and respect the law by appointing a board for the IBA next year.
“With the IBA, the government has been saying they are in the process of appointing a board and for the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Act, only the TV license fee has been implemented,” he said. “In 2010 the government should follow the law and do what they are required to do. They should ensure that the IBA begins to operate. Actually the current board at ZNBC is illegal.”
He said when the IBA is operational; it would build confidence in the journalist as matters of the media would be dealt with in an open and transparent manner.
He charged that although the government had given an ultimatum to the media to come up with a self regulatory mechanism, its intention was to regulate the media through a statute.
“The government is saying that we should regulate ourselves as the media but at the back of their minds what they want is statutory regulation,” Sakala charged. “In the past six months there has been intense debate on this issue, an ultimatum was given but it is not possible to come up with a self regulatory mechanism tomorrow today. So as PAZA we will support the position of the MLC.”
He also said PAZA was worried about the reluctance by the government to issue TV and radio licences.
“We would like to see more radio and TV stations and we are happy that Muvi TV was given a licence to broadcast nationwide,” Sakala said. “But we have seen so much reluctance to issue licences when there is really no need to fear. This is worrying. What Muvi went through should not be repeated and licences should be given on merit.”
PAZA vice president and MLC spokesperson Amos Chanda charged that the minister of information was issuing radio and television licences illegally.
“The issuance of TV and radio licences by the minister raises a lot of suspicion and is better left to the IBA,” he said. “The minister has the discretion of issuing licences but should be done on legal merits which he minister doesn’t have.”
Chanda said there was nothing political about the press briefing by the MLC where the conduct of the Vice-President was discussed.
On Tuesday, information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha accused the MLC of being political in their statements on Vice-President Kunda’s conduct.
Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said the briefing lacked the spirit of dialogue and smacked of political undertones.
But Chanda said the government did not like to be accountable when confronted.
Recently, Vice-President Kunda was reported to have been behind a media bill that, according to the Media Liaison Committee, demonstrated “a strange appetite to settle scores with perceived enemies in the media.”
Labels: DEMONSTRATION, MEDIA, PATSON PHIRI, PAZA, POLICE
Read more...
Media does not recognise ultimatum on self-regulation – PAZA
By Mutale Kapekele
Sat 19 Dec. 2009, 04:00 CAT
THE media will not ask government to extend the period of the six months ultimatum given to them to come up with a self-regulatory framework, Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) vice president Amos Chanda has disclosed.
In an interview, Chanda said the media did not recognise the ultimatum as they had their own work programme for coming up with a self-regulatory framework.
“We are not going to ask the government to extend their ultimatum,” Chanda said on Thursday. “Doing so will mean that we are recognising it ultimatum when we don’t. We have our own roadmap as the media and it does not involve any ultimatum. PAZA, MISA and Press Freedom Committee of The Post PFC , who are all part of the Media Liaison Committee (MLC) are not part of any ultimatums because that will not add value to dialogue as we work towards coming up with a self-regulatory framework.”
He disclosed that the MLC was expected to meet with information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha to explain the steps that the media would take in coming up with a self-regulatory mechanism.
“We are going to present the PAZA communiqué following our conference last week and we will explain to him Shikapwasha steps that we intend to take,” Chanda said.
On Monday, Lt Gen Shikapwasha maintained that the government would go ahead and introduce statutory regulation of the media if the ultimatum was not adhered to by the latter.
On Wednesday, Lt Gen Shikapwasha said he was disappointed that media associations had not approached his office to extend the period of the ultimatum.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha told Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) that he was ready to consider an extension to the ultimatum if media associations approached him.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said he was disappointed that media organisations were issuing statements to the press about the ultimatum that ends on December 31, 2009 but did not approach his office to seek an extension.
Labels: AMOS CHANDA, MEDIA, PAZA, REGULATION
Read more...
Govt is criminalising the media – PAZA
By Ernest Chanda
Sun 15 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
PRESS Association of Zambia (PAZA) vice-president Amos Chanda has charged that the government is bent on criminalising the media profession through statutory regulation.
And the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia chapter has described the government's move to formulate a media regulatory Bill as hypocritical.
Commenting on Vice-President George Kunda's revelation to Parliament on Friday that government had already prepared a Bill to regulate the media through a statutory body, Chanda said the government's earlier plea to have the media regulate themselves or be regulated was an indirect way of coercing the media to be part of the regulation.
"That ultimatum given to us by government was meant to legitimise statutory regulation of the media which they had already decided. In other words, it was an indirect way of coercing us into being part of their statutory regulation move. They can go ahead and regulate but they should also know that what will come out of that is a bad law," Chanda said. "It seems government is bent on criminalising the media profession. What it means is that once the media are regulated by a statutory body then all professional errors will become criminal offences. If I mis-spell someone's name or I misquote someone, instead of the issue being addressed professionally, it will be subjected to the Penal Code. This is very dangerous in a democracy; you can't subject professional errors to Penal functions."
Chanda said the government was in the first place hoodwinking the media into believing that there was nothing sinister about the whole process.
He said there was nowhere in the world where the media operated freely under statutory regulation.
"It is easy for anyone to understand that in the first place government had already decided that they will regulate the media through a statutory body. And those manoeuvres of giving us an ultimatum were meant to show the outside world that they were trying to consult the media. But in essence they had already made the decision. In any case let the Vice-President take that Bill to Parliament so that the public can start debating it. For now we will proceed with our mechanism as media bodies, whether it works out now or then we don't mind," he said.
He reminded formulators of the law that they would be the first victims once it was enacted.
"There is no doubt that once government goes ahead and enacts a media regulatory law, it will licence freedom of expression for everyone. I know that mostly they think offences will be committed by the private media, but let them know that the same law will also hit the public media. In the end, politicians will also be victims of that law because they are the biggest consumers of publicity in this country," Chanda said.
"When Parliament passed a law on motor vehicle theft a few years back, the first victims were the formulators themselves. Equally, government won't achieve what they think they will achieve by regulating the media through a statutory body. We already have the Penal Code; there's nothing more that media law will do than what the Penal Code is doing."
And Kabwe expressed disappointment with the government's display of deceit on the media regulation Bill.
"We had a meeting with information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha a few weeks back. And he expressed satisfaction with what we are doing on self regulation. In fact he himself said the President would be happy if he saw how far we had moved into formulating a self regulatory mechanism. United Nations Development Programme representatives met us and were pleased with what we were doing. And when they met government they indicated to our government that they UNDP supported our stance on media regulation," Kabwe said.
"You cannot keep formulating laws for one individual just because you feel they have misconducted themselves in one way or another. I know of lawyers who have misconducted themselves, but no one has ever targeted a law at them. In my view, what government has displayed is a hypocritical disposition because even the President indicated self regulation. It's sad that government is playing politics of appeasement and we don't know who they want to appease. If we can grapple with the Republican Constitution for 45 years, how does government expect us to regulate ourselves in six months? We will fight this draconian law at whatever cost."
On Friday, Vice-President George Kunda told Parliament that the government's bill on statutory regulation of the media was ready.
Vice-President Kunda said if the media had a bill, they could present it to Parliament by way of a private member's motion.
Labels: AMOS CHANDA, PAZA
Read more...
