NDISWE TULELA – UPND cadres dare police, journalists
UPND cadres dare police, journalists
By Mast Reporters
THE Mazabuka Press Club has condemned the harassment of journalists by United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres who have reportedly been boasting that ‘ndiswe tulela [we’re the ones ruling], you cannot arrest us’ when they are reported to the police.
In the latest incident, a WAVE FM radio station journalist Hope Chooma was assaulted by known UPND cadres in connection with his work.
But after he had reported the assault to the police, the officers began looking for him instead and detained him allegedly at the instigation of his politically connected assailants.
Mazabuka Press Club president Luckson Hamooya yesterday appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema, Magoye Member of Parliament (MP) Mweemba Malambo and Mazabuka MP Garry Nkombo to advise their supporters to refrain from violence against the media and the people it covered.
“They even say it in Tonga, ‘ndiswe tulela [we are the ones ruling], you cannot arrest us’. So, that is very unfortunate, and it’s unfortunate as well that it has happened to our colleague, Mr Hope …. I don’t know what you can even think about it because the person who’s actually alleged to have been assaulted by Hope was the person that was on the wanted list by the police,” Hamooya said.
“So, we are appealing to the President and the MPs from Magoye and Mazabuka Central to, please, advise their people to stay away from violence; to respect the media. We have the right to cover anyone who requests our services as long as it’s not illegal.”
Hamooya said it was “saddening and very strange, very peculiar, so to say” because there was no way somebody who had reported the case as a victim of assault had become the culprit and was detained without proper reason.
“So, this is an assault on the media. This is an assault on the journalists and it also reeks of serious political influence because one way or the other, we know the real reason behind this matter,” he said.
Hamooya urged the police to remain professional and resist the negative influence of politicians.
“It’s very unfortunate, and we are calling on the local leadership to put their house in order when it comes to political influence with the police. We are also [appealing] to the police to conduct themselves professionally,” he said.
“But look at what’s happening. Is this what the President means? Is it what the UPND stands for when it comes to protecting the media?” he said.
“We have a right to do that. We’re not going to be intimidated into stopping our work because this is the work that we’re called to do. We are the Fourth Estate and we will cover anyone, anywhere, as long as it’s not illegal and it’s within our mandate to do that,” Hamooya said.
“So, we need to be protected and we need the police to stop being used by politicians to fight their battles.”
