Zambia

(MISA/IFEX) – On 1 June 1998, Zambian Attorney General, Bonaventure Mutale, told the Lusaka High Court that the state had no intention of proceeding with contempt of court proceedings against the “Post” newspaper. Mutale was addressing the court during a preliminary point in the treason trial stemming from the October 1997 attempted coup. **Updates IFEX […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 27 May 1998, the administrator of the Lusaka High Court, Philip Musonda, announced that only one journalist each from a selected number of local and international news organisations would be allowed to cover the treason trial stemming from the October 1997 attempted coup. The trial began on 1 June. Musonda said the […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The case in which the state has appealed against the release of “The Post” newspaper’s editor-in-chief Fred M’membe and former managing editor Bright Mwape from indefinite imprisonment imposed by parliament, has been adjourned to 27 August 1998. The case is being heard in the Supreme Court in Lusaka. M’membe and Mwape were released […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 19 May 1998, the Zambian government obtained an ex-parte injunction barring “The Post”, a privately owned newspaper, from publishing statements made by state witnesses due to testify in the treason trial of those allegedly involved in the October 1997 attempted coup. The trial is due to begin on 1 June 1998. The […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The privately owned “Post” newspaper reported in its 12 May 1998 edition that its editor-in-chief, Fred M’membe, has brought a lawsuit against Francis Ndhlovu, the Inspector General of the Zambian police, for illegal phone tapping. According to the newspaper, M’membe wants the courts to declare that Ndhlovu should be prosecuted for his actions. […]

(MISA/IFEX) – According to MISA, state-owned “Zambia Daily Mail” reporter Joy Sata is facing disciplinary action for exposing and condemning the newspaper’s editorial practices of censoring stories critical of government. She made the comments on a television programme. Sata is apparently out of the country for several weeks and could not be reached for comment. […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 7 April 1998, Masautso Phiri , former special projects editor for “The Post”, appeared before a magistrates court in the central Zambian town of Kabwe. Phiri has been charged with “conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.” **Updates IFEX alerts of 25 and 26 August 1997** Phiri, who has denied […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 8 April 1998, Dickson Jere, a reporter with “The Post”, who had been picked up by police for questioning, was released a few hours later without being charged. Reporter Amos Malupenga, who spoke to Jere at “The Post”‘s editorial offices after his release, told the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA) that the […]

(MISA/IFEX) – “The Post” newspaper reporter Dickson Jere, who has been in hiding since December 1997, has finally been arrested. According to “The Post”‘s senior reporter Reuben Phiri, Jere was picked up by police for questioning on the morning of 8 April 1998. Police caught up with the journalist at Lusaka’s Evelyn Hone College of […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 25 February 1998 opposition United National Independent Party (UNIP) member and writer Frederick Mwanza was released from detention by President Chiluba. Mwanza, 67, was released together with five others when Chiluba revoked their presidential detention order. He was arrested on 14 November 1997 for suspected involvement in the failed coup of 28 […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 17 February 1998, Fred M’membe, editor-in-chief of “The Post” demanded that parliament refer the contempt case against him to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to decide whether he (M’membe) should be prosecuted. M’membe was replying to a letter from parliament which sought his comments on deputy speaker Simon Mwila’s ruling that […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 27 January 1998, the Lusaka High Court dropped its intentions to have “The Post” newspaper editor-in-chief Fred M’membe, senior reporter Reuben Phiri and human rights activists Lucy Sichone and Alfred Zulu answer contempt of court charges, reports the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA/MISA-Zambia). The contempt charges followed remarks carried in Phiri’s 12 […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 28 January 1998, National Assembly deputy speaker Simon Mwila ruled that the editorial published in “The Post” on 16 January headlined “Useless House” was contemptuous of Parliament. On 20 January, Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) members of Parliament had demanded the arrest of “The Post” editor-in-chief Fred M’membe because his editorial stated […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Sans Fronti=E8res is most concerned about the= plight of Frederick Mwanza, a freelance journalist, who was served on 2 December 1997 with a presidential detention order allowing the police to hold him indefinitely under the state of emergency currently in force in Zambia. The journalist has been held for nearly two months, […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 20 January 1998, ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) members of parliament demanded the arrest of the” Post” newspapers’ editor-in-chief Fred M’membe, reports the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA). The call comes after the paper published an editorial critical of parliament on 16 January. **See IFEX alert of 20 January 1998 for […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 19 January 1998 “The Post” newspaper editor-in-chief Fred M’membe, senior reporter Reuben Phiri and two human rights activists appeared before the Lusaka High Court on alleged contempt of court charges. The case was rescheduled to 22 January following an application by Kaunda’s lawyers that it may take time to conclude and delay […]