Lubinda said this during a joint press briefing with LAZ where the association announced its decision to rescind its decision to sue the Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation over its libelous stories in the run-up to the elections held in September 2011. He called upon all those who have sued Times of Zambia, ZNBC and Zambia Daily Mail to consider what LAZ has done.
He said legal costs over libelous stories are to be covered by Government and Government will ask necessary questions including naming the individual behind those stories.
“Some of these stories might have been influenced by other people, and we want to know who they are before we pay using tax-payers’ money, said Lubinda. He also stated that the PF intends to keep its promises to allow journalists in both private and public media to practice their profession without any undue political pressure.
And on 21st November, 2011, The Zambia Daily Mail reported that the Zambia Union of Journalists (ZUJ) was commending President Sata for dropping court cases against the Zambia Daily Mail and two of its reporters, Rebecca Chileshe and Wallen Simwaka.
ZUJ president, Anthony Mulowa stated, “As journalists, we welcome the wise decision by the President to drop court cases against Simwaka and Chileshe. I commend the President for withdrawing the court cases against our journalists. It’s a mark of good leadership.”
This is a matter in which President Sata has discontinued the libel cases against Daily mail and the two reporters who were sued in their individual capacities. Sata instructed his lawyers, Ellis and Company, to discontinue all his legal cases against the public media institution and the reporters.
MISA Zambia Position
MISA Zambia, Vice Chairperson, Nalumino Nalumino stated, “As MISA, we can only welcome these developments. First and foremost, we would like to thank institutions and individuals, such the President, who has decided to withdraw their lawsuits. This will foster new relationships between the people who have withdrawn the legal suits and the media institutions involved. This is the spirit of Ubuntu or forgiveness where people bury the past. We hope nothing of this sort will occur again. This should be a lesson to every public media journalist to give information peacefully, ethically and professionally without influence from the powers that be at the time, because next time they will not be forgiven so easily. It should also be a lesson to those with appetite for libelous and scandalous stories, to repent.
Carelessness and unprofessional conduct should be a thing of the past, in terms of how journalists and public media go about their business. They should remember that they are mouthpieces for the ordinary people in places like Chienge, Chiwama and so on. They should capture the ordinary citizens’ issues and concerns and take them to the government so that development can triple.” //End//
Neo Mooka
Intern: Media freedom Monitoring and Research
21 Johann Albrecht St
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek
Namibia
Phone: +264 61 232 975
Fax: +264 61 248 016
Mobile: +264 81 311 2626
Official Email: internd(@)misa.org
Back
