(MISA/IFEX) – On 2 February 2000, Zambian Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Newstead Zimba warned of “drastic action” against the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA), which is also the Zambian Chapter of MISA, and the Inter-African Network for Human Rights and Development (AFRONET), a human rights organisation. In a statement, Zimba accused both organisations […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 2 February 2000, Zambian Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Newstead Zimba warned of “drastic action” against the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA), which is also the Zambian Chapter of MISA, and the Inter-African Network for Human Rights and Development (AFRONET), a human rights organisation.
In a statement, Zimba accused both organisations of “betrayal” and being “agents of foreign sponsors.”
“Clearly the betrayal to the cause of the nation of AFRONET and ZIMA is worse than that of Judas Iscariot. David Simpson of ZIMA and [Ngandi] Mwanajiti of AFRONET are behaving like a government of their own or shadow cabinet. They have no mandate whatsoever to want to betray the government in a treacherous manner like the one they have engaged in except maybe the mandate from foreign donors who are directly sponsoring them,” he said.
The statement said: “this is a timely warning to ZIMA and AFRONET to work with government in promoting democracy, human rights and development. Anything other than this will be stretching government too far or else drastic action will be taken against them.”
Zimba’s attack was in response to claims by the two organisations that his ministry had influenced the decision of Radio Phoenix to cancel the phone-in programme Let the People Talk, which focused on a strike and subsequent dismissal of junior doctors in Lusaka and Kitwe. The programme was later reinstated after ZIMA and AFRONET intervened (see IFEX alerts of 2 February and 27 January 2000).
ZIMA chairperson David Simpson refuted Zimba’s charges as “distortions, lies and insinuations.”
“We also strongly object to being described as obvious agents of foreign sponsors. At no time has any donor dictated to us what we should say or do. We are guided solely by the association’s aims and objectives, in accordance with the Windhoek Declaration of 1992 on “Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press”, which the Zambian government has endorsed through the Southern African Development Community (SADC),” he said.
Simpson further pointed out that ZIMA’s agenda was merely to support the independence of the media.
“One important aspect of this is to protest violations of media freedom, and it seems that because these instances are so frequent the minister has misinterpreted this as being consistently anti-government,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) has also come out in defence of ZIMA and AFRONET and has condemned Zimba’s attack on the two organisations. PAZA described the attack as a “real threat to the civil society and the development of democracy in Zambia.”
“We feel that ZIMA and AFRONET have contributed a lot to the fostering of free expression, press freedom and human rights, which are the tenets of a successful democracy. These organisations should continue doing so,” said PAZA President Hicks Sikazwe.
Zimba’s attack came just days after another senior member of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) issued a threat against AFRONET and another local human rights organisation, the Zambia Independent Monitoring Team (ZIMT).
On 31 January, MMD chairperson for information and publicity Vernon Mwaanga warned that government would withdraw recognition from non-governmental organisations it deemed reckless and irresponsible. Mwaanga said AFRONET and ZIMT would be victims of the ruling party’s impending action if they continued “their irresponsible conduct.”
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
– condemning the attacks on these organisations
– pointing out that while public officials indeed enjoy the right to be emphatic in responding to any inaccurate or false information perpetrated against the government, the nature of the attacks on ZIMA, AFRONET and ZIMT are nothing more than veiled threats aimed at harassing and intimidating these organisations to tone down their
work and criticism of the government
– further protesting any attempt on the part of the Zambian government to muzzle political debate in the country, pointing out that an integral part of accountability and responsibility in a democracy is freedom of expression and the right of all persons and
groups in society to engage in political debate and discussion
– calling on Zambian public officials to respect and uphold the right of Zambian citizens and groups to engage in free political debate and discussion, noting that this right is entrenched in the Zambian constitution as well as in other international conventions to which Zambia is a signatory
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:His Excellency Frederick Chiluba
President of the Republic of Zambia
Fax: +260 1 221 939
E-mail: state@zamnet.zm or mfalus@zamnet.zmThe Hon. Newstead Zimba
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services
Fax: +260 1 253 456 or +260 1 253 457Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
