Zambia Media Critique

THE environment was tense and politically charged as Lusaka came to a standstill on Wednesday 23 rd December, 2020. Gunshots were loud and teargas smoke filled the air as police struggled to control political party supporters on the streets. Two men Nsama Nsama Chipyoka a public prosecutor and Joseph Kaunda an opposition party supporter died of gunshot wounds during the fracas.   Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja confirmed the deaths, but said they occurred in “unknown circumstances” while officers tried to break up the gathering. President Edgar Lungu only responded to the “murders” over 24 hours after they happened by describing the killer as an assailant, a description that purports to exonerate the police from the deaths which would qualify for extra-judicial killings. This development adds a further stain on Zambia’s deteriorating human rights record. President Lungu has directed the Inspector General to use every resource available to fully investigate these m...

  WHILST the country is grappling with the novel Corona Virus 2019 disease with cases spiralling out of control and community deaths increasing exponentially, Zambia’s political leadership continues to prioritise actions aimed at securing their continued stay in office. Zambia’s government has taken a hard stand against opposition parties’ mobilisation and continued to increase its capacity to quell public meetings, protects, riots including peaceful assemblies. Recently Zambian youths aggrieved with the poor state of the economy and increased corruption notified the police of their intention to hold peaceful public protests. The police denied them security and deployed hundreds of police officers and riot gear across Lusaka to stop them. However, the youth out manoeuvred the police and held a protest in the bush and streamed it live on their social media platforms. News of Zambia’s vice President testing positive for COVID-19 was overshadowed by a colourful handover of mil...

EVENTS of the past two days clearly indicate that Elias Chipimo Jnr has unfinished business at the National Restoration Party (NAREP). The party he formed in 2010 has known no rest since his hurried retirement on 2nd September, 2019. Leadership wrangles and bickering seem to be the order of day in the once vibrant and promising party. Chipimo resigned from active politics to pursue interests in the private sector after acknowledging that he was too rigid with his principals which denied the party the boost that was required to grow the party. His successor businessman Steve Nyirenda assumed the presidency at an elective convention in November, 2019. The Muvi Television owner went through unopposed for the party presidency. This was after the other candidate Maybin Kabwe withdrew his candidature for the role of Presidency at the NAREP extraordinary convention. Barely nine months after assuming office Steve was kicked out of his position and hounded out of the party at the weekend. If wh...

WHILST countries are implementing lock downs to slow the spread if the novel Corona Virus 19, Zambia has refused to lock down the country insisting that a lock down will hurt the poor. Instead the pandemic has become an opportunity for the government to gag the independent free media. The Zambian government through the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) on 9th April 2020 cancelled the broadcast license of Prime Television, a vibrant private television station which broadcasts from Lusaka in what government called public interest. Prime TV is a popular platform which carried unbiased news and discussions and the only media house that gave wide coverage to the opposition and civil society in Zambia against the increasingly unpopular and biased government controlled Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC). The opposition has asked the diplomatic community to put pressure on President Lungu to re-open the institution further alleging th...

There is a general sense of discontent among citizens with the manner Zambia has responded to the global COVID 19 Pandemic.  The country which is landlocked and also home to some of the highest Chinese populations and business interest on the continent, has struggled to put in place response measures that demonstrate the desired level of commitment to fighting off the pandemic. The opposition took a swipe on President Lungu with National Democratic Congress leader Chishimba Kambwil i describing Zambia as operating as if it had no head of state as the President was not chairing the inter-ministerial Committee to combat the pandemic. They accused him of being only interested in elections and relegating his functions to cabinet ministers. Many Zambians had taken to social media to cry on the lack of leadership. One blogger Morgan Mwangana Nalwendo   said “WHERE ARE THE LEADERS????Serious Leadership should act proactively for the Good of Society. Being an Absentee Lea...

Zambia’s electoral body has confirmed that it will facilitate the enjoyment of the right to vote by Zambian prisoners in the next general elections slated for August, 2021. This follows a Constitutional Court judgment which affirmed the right of inmates to participate in elections as voters. This decision has aroused mixed reactions from civil society and political parties . This is despite the decision only affirming the constitutional rights of citizens and putting Zambia on a progressive human rights standing with other countries in Africa and around the world where prisoners enjoy the right to vote. Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chief Electoral Officer Patrick Nshindano said following the case of Godfrey Malembeka of Prison Care and Counseling Association (PRISCA) Vs Attorney General and ECZ in which the court held that prisoners’ rights to vote should be upheld, the commission would allow the inmates to vote in the 2021 general elections. He said the commission wa...