MISA ZAMBIA CHALLENGES GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT IBA AND ZNBC (AMENDMENT) ACTS, ENACT FOI BILL IN 2009

As Zambia delves into 2009, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia is challenging the Government to operationalise the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), appoint a new Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Board and enact the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill. MISA Zambia is saddened that this process, that began in 2002 continues to drag.

We note with regret that in 2008, very insignificant progress as far as these issues are concerned was recorded despite late President Levy Mwanawasa’s promise that the IBA and ZNBC (Amendment) Acts would be operationalised in 2008, and that the FOI Bill would be enacted. We are disappointed that despite a budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services (MIBS) for the creation of IBA and appointment of ZNBC Boards in the past 2 years, this has not been done. In 2009, MISA Zambia would like to see new boards at ZNBC and IBA in order to democratise the broadcasting media.

As the Third Session of Parliament resumes sitting on 16 January 2009, MISA Zambia would like to urge Parliamentarians to continue encouraging the executive to implement the IBA and ZNBC (Amendment) Acts and enact the FOI Bill. When 2009 shall end, we challenge the Government to have fulfilled its own promises in the implementation of these laws.

MISA Zambia would also like to reiterate its stance against statutory regulation in 2009 and beyond as this threatens a key democratic tenet, the public’s right to know. We thank government for assuring the media that they are against statutory regulation. We would like to assure government that media bodies are doing everything possible to ensure that we come up with a self-regulatory framework that would be acceptable to all.

MISA Zambia will continue engaging the government on these and many issues affecting the media in Zambia.


Henry Kabwe
CHAIRPERSON
MISA ZAMBIA

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