By ALICE NACHILEMBE
Chingola Youth Activist Joseph Kangwa has describe the directive by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) to media houses to be submitting their program recordings, news bulletins every two weeks as dictatorial.
Mr Kangwa noted with concern that this directive is indirectly taking away media freedom which the independent media institutions have been exercising and enjoying in their works.
He said it is one way of intimidating and overpowering media houses that stand for the truth and try to control them.
“The directive is taking away their rights and creating an environment that cannot accord them an opportunity of feeding the public with the government’s agenda. Thereby advantaging the ruling party to control the information that should be given to the public and that should not; like what they have done to ZNBC and other Radio Stations which operate under government,” he said.
“The move by the IBA is an affront to media freedom and speech aimed at changing democratic media institutions with dictatorial tendencies. This must be rejected by all well-meaning Zambians who believe in free press for we all know very well that the decision which have been taken by IBA exists only in dictatorial countries,” he said.
Mr Kangwa has appealed to the IBA to reconsider their decision and instead encourage media houses to be pioneers of democracy and free press.
He also said IBA should conduct educative programs that can provide ideas and solutions in the interest of developing this Country.
“I believe that without freedom of speech, free press and freedom of independent media institutions, people cannot have an opportunity to bring up ideas and solutions that can save the nation from any danger,” he said.
