(MISA/IFEX) – On 22 and 23 December 1997, police visited the offices of the independent daily “The Post” looking for reporter Dickson Jere, reports the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA). Although the visiting police officers said they merely wanted to have a “friendly chat with Jere”, the paper’s editors link the sudden visits to a […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 22 and 23 December 1997, police visited the
offices of the independent daily “The Post” looking for reporter
Dickson Jere, reports the Zambia Independent Media Association
(ZIMA). Although the visiting police officers said they merely
wanted to have a “friendly chat with Jere”, the paper’s editors
link the sudden visits to a story reporting that former President
Kenneth Kaunda had threatened disturbances in the country a day
before the failed 28 October military coup.
On 27 October, “The Post” published an article by Jere in which
he quoted Kaunda predicting an “explosion” if the ruling
Multiparty Movement for Democracy (MMD) government failed to
address opposition demands for constitutional reform, among other
issues. The following day, Captain Stephen Lungu led other army
officers and staged a coup that was later thwarted. Kaunda left
the country shortly after warning the MMD government.
“The Post” special projects editor Masautso Phiri told ZIMA that
the police visits were “not a bluff” and were indicative of the
government’s intention “to arrest Kaunda and all those who
provide him a platform such as `The Post’.” Phiri further said
that, if arrested, Jere faces an indefinite detention because of
the state of emergency currently in force.
ZIMA chairman David Simpson said in an interview: “In view of the
recent behaviour by the police, we don’t see any reason to trust
their claim that they just want to have a `friendly chat’ with
the reporter. This is another case of harassment,” he said.
Jere told ZIMA he, too, believed the police wanted to interrogate
him in connection with the article warning of an “explosion”. “I
think they are trying to implicate me in the coup attempt. They
will probably say I had advance information about it, but failed
to report this to the police….It is illogical to say this
because I merely reported what Kaunda said,” he told ZIMA.
Jere further said he believed the police action was a prelude to
a government clampdown on “The Post” for its coverage of
opposition to the MMD government. In addition, the government was
not happy with the paper’s extensive coverage of the 28 October
coup attempt and its aftermath. “We were tipped that [editor]
Fred M’membe, Masautso Phiri and I would be arrested. But
following the MISA alert and the pressure which followed,
everything died down. The government seems to have brought up
this issue again because Kaunda has returned,” Jere told ZIMA.
Former President Kaunda returned to Zambia on 22 December after
spending about two months abroad. There was widespread
speculation in Zambia that he would be arrested upon his return.
Although Kaunda has not been arrested, police are said to be
building up a case against him.
Kaunda ruled Zambia for about three decades before he lost to
Frederick Chiluba in 1990 in the first-ever multiparty general
elections. Kaunda, however, made a come back in the 1996
elections, but did not stand for presidency after he was
disqualified on grounds of not being “Zambian enough”. He was
born of Malawian parents.
