(MISA/IFEX) – On 19 March 1999, the state-owned “Zambia Daily Mail” refused to print the twelfth issue of the “Zamcom Digest” – an in-house training newspaper of the Zambia Institute of Mass Communication (ZAMCOM) – claiming that it contained sensitive material. ZAMCOM course coordinator Edem Djokotoe told the “Post” that “Daily Mail” marketing director John […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 19 March 1999, the state-owned “Zambia Daily Mail”
refused
to print the twelfth issue of the “Zamcom Digest” – an in-house training
newspaper of the Zambia Institute of Mass Communication (ZAMCOM) –
claiming
that it contained sensitive material.
ZAMCOM course coordinator Edem Djokotoe told the “Post” that “Daily
Mail”
marketing director John Mbofwana had said his company would not be held
liable for printing sensitive material. The articles they referred to as
sensitive concerned the “Post” reporters who appeared in court in the
week
of 15 March, and another on the manner in which Angolan-Zambian
relations
were affecting business in the country.
Djokotoe approached “Daily Mail” editor-in-chief Charles Kakoma for an
explanation, but Kakoma would only say that as printers, they reserved
the
right to refuse to print material they deemed unfit without having to
provide an explanation.
“This is the first time they have not printed our material on grounds of
content,” Djokotoe said. He added that this was interference with
academic
freedom and Zamcom would no longer be taking any printing jobs there.
The Zambian Independent Media Association (ZIMA) described the refusal
by
the “Mail” to print the “Zamcom Digest” as typical of an effort by the
state
enterprise to frustrate independent media and investigative journalism
in
the country.
The “Zambia Daily Mail” also refused to print the “Citizen” newspaper
about
a week ago for the same reason. The “Citizen”, a weekly tabloid paper
has
also been carrying stories on allegations that some top officials in the
Zambian government were involved in gun-running.
