Media Liaison Committee dishonest – Mambwe
By Tony Nkhoma
The Media Liason Committee (MLC) is not being honest to the nation and the entire media fraternity over the inimical Zambia Institute of Journalism Bill, Kennedy Mambwe, the Chairperson of Media Self-Regulation Council of Zambia has said.
Speaking when he featured on HOT FM’s Hot Seat programme yesterday, Mambwe said the Zambia Institute of Journalism Bill was not produced by the MLC for serious reasons based on the features and content of the secretive document.
Mambwe said the circulating secretive Bill was not drafted by the MLC because they were not competent enough to produce such a document.
‘‘They do not even have the competence to produce this. This is done by drafters, technocrats within Government. Here is a stamp approved for Internal Registration Committee Parliament. Okay? There’s a name here. Chief Parliamentary Counsel. It’s been given to Parliament, this document. And look here. It’s even saying secret,’’ Mambwe said.
Mambwe also wondered whether the members of the championing secretive Zambia Institute of Journalism Bill were practicing journalists who could ably represent the interest of the media fraternity.
“Responding to my sister, Felistus, first of all, these are our colleagues, we know them. We know Felistus, we know Wendy Mporokoso, we know Joy, we know Ernest Chanda, and we know Brighton. But I ask you a question, when did they practice, at least for Ernest I know,’’ Mambwe said.
“Why do they want to represent us when we don’t practice together? Where are they practicing? Where is Felistus practicing? Where is Wendy practicing? Where is Brighton Phiri practicing? They are not practicing journalists, they are journalists who used to practice, they’re no longer practicing, we don’t know them and in fact journalists will be speaking on this matter,’’ Mambwe said.
News Diggers Editor-in-Chief Joseph Mwenda said it was sad that the technocrats in the Ministry of Information and Media who should be giving advice to the government based on the policy direction were doing the opposite.
“The problem, in our view, is certain individuals within the Ministry of Information and Media, they have vested interest and personal agenda to circumvent a process that is not theirs,’’ Mwenda said.
He wondered how the MLC, on their own record and admission that they had a validation meeting with officials from the Ministry of Information and Media, a meeting chaired by Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha would represent journalists’ interest.
He said the commitment by Minister of Information and Media, Cornelius Mweetwa on the promotion of a free media was different from what was validated in a meeting attended and chaired by Kabesha.
“So, when the Minister said the Government is not involved, why is the Attorney General, who is the Chief Legal Adviser to the government, chairing a validation meeting of a bill that has not been consultative and has never taken care of the interests of the journalists?” Mwenda said.
Mweenda said a validation meeting of a horrible bill chaired by the Attorney General, brought questions to the face of well-meaning Zambians.
Meanwhile, MISA Zambia Programmes Manager, Jane Chirwa said the revelations by MLC and the Mweetwa contradicted the policy direction of President Hakainde Hichilema on the proposed Bill.
Chirwa said Hichilema was consistent on media freedoms and self-regulation frame work, which journalists had appreciated.
At a press briefing held in Lusaka on Monday, MLC acting chairperson Felistus Chipako called for swift enactment of the Zambia Institute of Journalism Bill, a move which has been roundly condemned and denounced by the majority media stakeholders.
