(MISA/IFEX) – “The Post” newspaper reports that, on 13 June 1998, Lusaka Provincial Deputy Minister Sonny Mulenga accused some unnamed private newspapers of “having a hidden agenda of discrediting the [ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy] MMD leadership”. The paper quotes Mulenga, who was addressing MMD supporters in Lusaka, as saying that the MMD leadership was […]
(MISA/IFEX) – “The Post” newspaper reports that, on 13 June 1998, Lusaka
Provincial Deputy Minister Sonny Mulenga accused some unnamed private
newspapers of “having
a hidden agenda of discrediting the [ruling Movement for Multi-party
Democracy] MMD leadership”. The paper quotes Mulenga, who was addressing MMD
supporters in Lusaka, as saying that the MMD leadership was running out of
patience against people perpetuating insults against President Frederick
Chiluba and other leaders. “Our youth are ready for the battle but we are
restraining them because this can bring confusion in the country,” the paper
quotes Mulenga as saying.
In a letter to Mulenga dated 15 June, Zambia Independent Media Association
(ZIMA) chairman David Simpson defended the media, saying it was their
responsibility to criticise the government and its leaders whenever such
criticism was deserved.
“We hope that valid criticism of government leaders is not being
misinterpreted as a deliberate campaign to discredit the leadership. We are
sure, once again, that you will agree that leaders who flout the law, or who
abuse their positions to the disadvantage of their fellow citizens, deserve
to be criticised and any discredit which accrues to them as a
result is entirely their own responsibility,” he said.
Simpson expressed unhappiness with the veiled threats of violence against
the independent media saying that when these were publicised world-wide they
resulted in a poor image of the country.
“The Post” recently exposed a story of an extramarital relationship
involving
Mulenga.
