IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - ZAMBIA

28 February 2003

Information minister threatens to revoke radio station's licence

SOURCE: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek

(MISA/IFEX) - On 24 February 2003, Information and Broadcasting Services
Deputy Minister Webster Chipili threatened Radio Icengelo, a Catholic-owned
station in Kitwe, with closure, saying it risks losing its broadcast licence
if it continues to be used as a mouthpiece for opposition political parties.

Speaking on the state-owned Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC)
television news, Chipili accused the station of being a mouthpiece for
opposition Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata and called on the
station to desist or risk losing its licence.

The minister complained that he had previously advised the station to avoid
being used by opposition political parties and to adhere to professional
ethics. Chipili was referring to a paid-for political broadcast featuring
Sata that the station aired three weeks ago.

Radio Icengelo station manager Frank Bwalya described the threat as
"unfortunate and retrogressive." In a statement to Radio Phoenix, copied to
the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA), MISA's Zambian chapter,
Bwalya said the threats represent an "anti-democratic spirit and a serious
roadblock to the development of true democracy in Zambia."

"Media freedom is indispensable for the creation of multi-party democracy in
any society, and [the fact] that Mr. Sata used Radio Icengelo to exercise
his constitutional freedom of expression does not mean that Radio Icengelo
supports political parties," he said.

ZIMA Chairperson Dickson Jere criticised the minister's threat, saying Radio
Icengelo was merely carrying Sata's message to the people. "If the
government has a problem with Sata, let them deal with him and leave the
station alone," he said.

BACKGROUND:
This is the third incident involving Sata and the station. On 6 October
2001, Willie Nsanda, now deputy minister for transport and communications,
disrupted another political broadcast by Sata.

On 10 November 2001, about 50 Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) cadres
raided the station, disrupting a live paid-for interview with Sata and his
associate, who were beaten, together with a Radio Icengelo staff member (see
IFEX alert of 11 November 2001).

In 2002, Chipili also accused the station of being "unprofessional and
unethical." This followed another political broadcast featuring Sata.
Chipili is an MMD member of parliament for a constituency near Kitwe.

For further information, contact Zoe Titus or Kaitira Kandjii, Regional
Information Coordinator, MISA, Street Address: 21 Johann Albrecht Street,
Mailing Address; Private Bag 13386 Windhoek, Namibia, tel: +264 61 232975,
fax: +264 61 248016, e-mail: [email protected] [2] or [email protected] [3],
Internet: http://www.misa.org/ [4]

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of MISA.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit MISA.
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