By Mwenya Mukuka-ZCCB Communications Officer
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| Fr Lungu talking to a journalist |
The Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) is greatly concerned with the continued intimidation and harassment of the media.
CCMG is an alliance of four faith-based organizations namely the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflections (JCTR), and Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) through Caritas Zambia. It has been formed to help promote credible elections through non-partisan citizen monitoring.
In a statement, the CCMG Steering Committee Chairperson Fr. Cleophas Lungu said, “CCMG thus notes with concern the recent happenings aimed at limiting press freedom, censoring and intimidating the media. CCMG calls on government to take concrete actions to investigate and hold individuals accountable for any violations.
Fr. Cleophas Lungu also noted that in any democratic society world over, free press plays an important role.
“A free press plays an important role in a democratic society, allowing the dissemination of information and a space for the exchange of opinions and ideas. Particularly in these challenging times of the Covid-19, governments have a duty to uphold and protect the freedom of the press so that free information sharing is guaranteed,” he said.
Recently Mpika District Commissioner instructed Mpika FM not to host a paid for program featuring Mr. Hakainde Hicilema who is president of the United Party for National Development (UPND), an opposition political party.
Also, there were reports about unauthorized entry of suspected Patriotic Front cadres, the ruling political party, into Muchinga Radio studios in Chinsali on 15 May 2020 to disrupt yet another paid for program featuring UPND President via telephone, and another attack on Isoka FM on May 18 during an interview with the UPND President.
And in condemning the development Fr. Lungu said CCMG is concerned that such acts of intimidation represent a restriction of press freedom, which is a fundamental component of democracy.
He added that as the nation prepares for 2021 elections, the media must remain free as part of a democratic, transparent and credible electoral process.
CCMG has however welcomed the statement by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services noting that “it is a violation of the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act for any person to procure other people to storm a radio station and disrupt a broadcast program or order a broadcast station to broadcast in a certain manner.
CCMG has since called on government to hold the individuals responsible accountable for their actions.
“Law enforcement agencies should investigate the incidents in Chinsali and Isoka and ensure that the individuals involved are brought to book. CCMG also calls on government officials to refrain from using their office to intimidate the media, and those who do so should be disciplined according to the appropriate procedures,” Fr. Lungu said adding “We call upon the Independent Broadcasting Authority to play its role in providing protection to the media through existing statutes to ensure that media houses operate independently.”
Founded ahead of the 20 January 2015, the Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) is an alliance of four faith-based organizations formed to help promote credible elections through non-partisan citizen monitoring.