MLC has itself to blame for divisions in the media
IT IS extremely reckless and unwarranted for Media Liaison Committee (MLC) chairperson Felistus Chipako to openly attack Swedish Ambassador to Zambia Johan Hallenborg for allegedly sponsoring the confusion that marred World Press Freedom Day last Saturday. It has become commonplace, and unfortunately so, for ordinary citizens to attack diplomats accredited to Zambia. This is a dangerous precedent to set.
Chipako and her colleagues in MLC should understand that diplomats have privileges and immunities, and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has established channels for resolving any differences that may arise with the diplomatic community. A major violation of diplomatic protocol and etiquette occurs when a news release is issued directly attacking a representative of another sovereign nation who represents his or her government in Zambia. It will not be shocking if the the Swedish government issues a demarche due to such behaviour.
It should be mentioned that Chipako and her associates should be held accountable for the rifts that marked the World Press Freedom Day celebration due to the Zambia Institute of Journalism’s 2025 Bill, which was leaked to the public slightly over a fortnight ago. This marked the beginning of the divisions in the media fraternity with the MLC pushing for the enactment of the the Zambia Institute of Journalism Bill 2025 aimed at imposing statutory regulation, while the other group wants to preserve the current state of affairs, which is self-regulation.
It is regrettable that Chipako opted to attack Wallenborg instead of channeling her organisation’s grievances through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Information and Media.
Chipako said in a statement yesterday that the confusion seen in Lusaka during the World Press Freedom Day celebrations was sponsored by the Swedish Embassy.
“The MLC is therefore writing to the owners of this Swedish money, the Swedish Government and copying the Zambian Foreign Affairs Minister, to take note of these foreign sponsored and chaos in the Zambian media and online space as sponsored by the Swedish Embassy led by Ambassador Johan Hallenborg.
“The MLC will also be writing to the Director of Immigration and copying the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security to look into the inimical media activities of BBC Media Action led by its Country Director Soren Johansen, who is Danish and is in Zambia on a work permit issued to him by the Immigration Department,” Chipako said.
It would have been appropriate for her and her colleagues to write to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in private rather than issuing the press release. We challenge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Information and Media to distance themselves from MLC’s irresponsible attacks on Ambassador Hallenborg. Their continued silence is an indication that the statement had their blessings and they are complicit in this embarrassing breach of diplomatic etiquette.
In our lengthy careers as journalists and throughout our nation’s history, we have never seen such divisions in the media fraternity that we are now witnessing and we have Chipako and her colleagues in the MLC to thank for this.
We have said this before and we will say it again. It is shocking that a selected few veteran, non-practising journalists who make up the MLC, some of who may even have forgotten how to write an intro, are advocating this harsh law that puts the same journalists they are supposed to protect in jeopardy, to the extent of lengthy prison sentences for perceived or real infringement.
This raises the question of whose interest the MLC is serving by pushing for the the enactment of the Zambia Institute of Journalism Bill 2025 which, if it becomes law, criminalises professional lapses which are adequately covered by codes of ethics and internal disciplinary codes of conduct. How can journalists worth their salt support clauses such as those in this bill? Additionally, we are forced to question why the process towards the enactment of this law was so secretive. Only a small cabal with close ties with the current government was aware of its drafting.
We must state here clearly that we remain resolute in supporting media self-regulation and our support is unshakable. Chipako and her colleagues in the MLC should get inspiration from Matthew 7:3: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
