By NCHIMUNYA MIYOBA
Opposition United Party for National Development UPND says the public broadcaster Zambia National Broadcast Corporation (ZNBC) has launched an onslaught in demonizing the UPND President Hakainde Hichilema without giving him and the party leadership the right to reply on national broadcaster platform.
UPND National Chairperson Mutale Nalumango said the party is dismayed that the interview carried on August 30, 2020 on ZNBC which featured opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) leader Edith Nawakwi centered on disparaging the UPND leader where she stated that Mr Hichilema acquired his wealth through dishonorable means.
Ms Nalumango said the FDD leader freely spoke of Mr Hichilema having duped government then when she was finance Minister without providing tangible evidence to the Zambian people.
“This is not the first time Me Nawakwi has made allegations against Mr Hichilema, but in this instance she has chosen to use the public broadcaster an institution that is at the service for all Zambians,” she stated.
Ms Nalumango stated that the national broadcaster has continued to carry news content about the UPND leader and the party leadership without giving them the right to reply on the same platform hence denying Zambians a balanced view.
She said the conduct by ZNBC is not only unacceptable but unfair and unprofessional as it perpetuates the typical dictatorial behavior of the ruling party that has suppressed people’s rights and freedoms.
“ZNBC has continued carrying other subsequent news items around the same issues without offering UPND leadership the right to reply. Typically this is the same conduct that the public broadcaster and the same officials are now enjoying in the PF regime subjecting the then opposition leader the late Michael Data in the run up to 2011 elections and they expect different results thinking Zambian citizens are dull,” she said.
