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Zambia: Media Houses Lobby MPs
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The Times of Zambia (Ndola)
6 March 2008
Posted to the web 6 March 2008
Ndola
Fourteen media organisations have appealed to members of Parliament (MPs) to reject the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) Bill if it is not made public before being taken back to parliament.
The media organisations have also petitioned the Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa to order the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Mike Mulongoti to present to Parliament the names of Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) board for ratification.
Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) vice -president, Amos Chanda who was speaking at the media briefing yesterday said the MPs and individuals needed to support the cause for FOI . The 14 media organisations included the Press Association of Zambia (PAZA), Press Freedom Committee of The Post, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) - Zambia chapter, Zambia Media Women Association (ZAMWA), Zambia Union of Journalists (ZUJ) and Zambia Community Media Forum (ZaCoMef).
Others were Society for Senior Journalists, Catholic Media Association, PANOS Institute of Southern Africa, Commonwealth Press Union - Zambia Chapter, Southern African Editors Forum - Zambia chapter, Media Trust Fund (MTF) and Media Council of Zambia (MECOZ).
Mr Chanda further appealed to parliamentarians to repeal and amend other pieces of legislation that impinged on media freedom.
He said organisations, who last month held a national consultative meeting to review and strategise the way forward regarding media law reforms, wanted the FOI to be presented in the public domain because it represented a public cause as opposed to the perceptions that it was solely meant for media use.
He said that the current standoff between government and mines over windfall tax and ZESCO power outages was a clear indicator that the country urgently needs the FOI bill for the public to have sufficient information.
He explained that currently the media was unable to investigate certain issue of public concerns because of the secrecy surrounding certain documentation and maintained that the FOI meant well.
The media bodies further demanded for immediate operationalisation of IBA and ZNBC Acts and demanded an end to threats on media houses especially community media by public officials or harassment of any other journalists.
Mr Chanda said that the media organisations had since re- constituted a national lobby committee to spearhead the campaign for media law reform with expanded terms of reference and renewed impetus.
The media would lobby the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) delegates and publish its submissions to the Mungomba Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) so that its interest and aspirations were not lost in the final Constitution.
The media would partner with other pressure groups to foster the campaign for FOI and media reforms.
And Mr Chanda has appealed to media houses in Zambia to give overwhelming space to the cause of media freedom.
And PANOS programme officer, Daniel M'soka said the need for FOI was a matter of urgency and that it would make both the corporate world and the Government be transparent and accountable.
And MISA-Zambia chairperson, Henry Kabwe said the media appreciate that President Mwanawasa had shown commitment in ensuring the implementation of the FOI.
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He further challenged the media to educate the people about media law reforms.
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