Media Institute of Southern Africa : Promoting Media Diversity . Pluralism . Self-Sufficiency . Independence

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

According to Chris Conybeare, Secretary General of the WAPC; “Zambia is positioned to be a leader among African nations in the struggle for democracy. The proposals for media regulation and denial of FOI legislation, on its own merits, are a giant step backward.
“ These proposals evidence no faith in the ability of Zambia’s citizens to sort out conflicting views and process information. When government starts saying, ‘we are in a superior position to the citizenry with regard to information.’ it sets foot on the slippery slope toward thought control and emulates the mindset of colonial rule.”
As these proposals appear to be an emotional response to recent election coverage, we note that there are ample laws on the books with regard to election coverage.
We also note that modern democracies require robust FOI procedures. Such laws are almost a requirement for international trade and business dealings. FOI should not be held hostage to media regulation.
We join with the leading media associations of Zambia and urge Parliamentarians to reverse their decision to support statutory regulation, to support the self-regulation movement through the Media Council of Zambia (MECOZ), and to support FOI legislation without statutory media control.

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