Zambia: Scribes call for unity

The media in Zambia has stepped up preparations for the forthcoming World Press Freedom Day celebrations scheduled for May 3 with a call for unity among stakeholders.

World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) organising committee chairperson Sheikh Chifuwe said during a Press briefing yesterday that unity was important among the media and various stakeholders in Zambia.

He said the intended formation of the Zambia Media Council would help resolve the many differences between journalists and the public, especially politicians.

Mr Chifuwe said the council would help politicians to use the right channel of airing their grievances unlike resorting to physical confrontations with the media.

He said there were also plans by the media in Zambia to introduce a national media freedom prize meant to honour individuals and institutions that would make an outstanding and courageous contribution to defending, protecting as well as promoting Press freedom in Zambia.

Members of the organising committee include the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Zambia Union of Journalists, Catholic Media Services, Zambia Media Women Association, Zambia Union of Journalist (ZUJ), the Press Freedom Committee of the Post (PFCP), Press Association of Zambia (PAZA), United nations Information Centre, the Ministry of Information, Human Rights Commission and the UNESCO.

MISA Zambia chapter chairperson Henry Kabwe said the media had faced a number of challenges in the last 12 months.

Mr Kabwe said journalists had suffered a lot of unwarranted attacks on many occasions, including physical attacks, among other harassments, in their endeavour to carry out their duties effectively.

Mr Kabwe said the media should take advantage of the World Press Freedom Day to bring out issues that directly affected them.

This year’s World Press Freedom Day theme would be ‘Freedom of Information: The right to know’.

The organising committee also urged media institutions in Zambia to ensure that they publicised their day as it was meant to support their interests.

And Mr Chifuwe said various business houses had shown commitment to support some of the activities that the committee had lined up.  

- March 08, 2010 by Times Reporter

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Source: www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi (accessed on 08.03.2010)