The Press Association of Zambia has refused to be drawn into a fight with
committee of citizen’s executive director Gregory Chifire.
Yesterday Mr. Chifire accused the PAZA executive committee members of holding
office illegally and that they have sold the media association to the post
Newspaper. Mr Chifire said it was surprising that PAZA had allowed its
leadership to continue leading the association illegally as its mandate expired
in 2006 when, according to the PAZA constitution, new membership should have
been elected.
Mr Chifire went on to say that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by
the Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) and the Press Freedom of The Post where
PAZA receives a monthly grant of K10 million has compromised the independence,
integrity and morality of the association, Committee of Citizens executive
director Gregory Chifire has said.
Mr Chifire said the position PAZA had taken to agree on the terms of The Post
where it had accepted a K10 million monthly grant contradicted the very purpose
of its existence and that the existence of this servile working relationship
made it difficult for the general public to respect the views and activities of
PAZA as it had become an official appendage of The Post.
“PAZA’s recent vicious attacks on the Republican vice-president, senior
Government officials and their fellow journalists using similar, if not
identical, derogatory language with The Post is saddening. We wish to warn PAZA
membership countrywide that its leadership has rented PAZA to The Post and urge
them to restore any credibility left of PAZA by taking immediate action,” he
said.
But PAZA vice president Amos Chanda in response said people like Chifire are
bitter because the media and government have reached consensus on the regulation[quote]
of the media issue.
He says PAZA does not want to be drawn in to antagonist with people of Mr
Chifire caliber.
Mr Chanda says Zambians are aware that Mr Chifire survives on peddling lies to
government and now that the media and government have reached consensus on self
regulation, mr chifire is not happy.
Mr Chanda said it was not true that the association received a monthly grant of
K10 million, adding that PAZA received an amount which varied from time to time
depending on their requirements.
He said the MoU with the Press Freedom Committee of The Post was in mutual
cooperation for the promotion and defence of media freedom and development.
Mr Chanda said the money was meant for the procurement of materials and
acquisition of the venue for joint activities whenever need arose and challenged
Mr Chifire to prove such allegations.
“First, we have no agreement with The Post newspapers but we have a memorandum
of understanding with the Press Freedom Committee of The Post for mutual
cooperation, defence of media freedom and development. We challenge Mr Chifire
to prove his allegations on the money he is alleging that we have received,” Mr
Chanda said.
On being in office illegally, Chanda said his executive has already announced to
its members that the Annual General Meeting to elect new leaders will be held
next November.
He said Mr Chifire was judging the association by his low standards and wanted
to comment on everything that crossed his mind. Mr Chanda said while it was true
that the association’s mandate expired in 2007 and not in 2006 as claimed by Mr
Chifire, the PAZA board was mandated to discharge functions of the association
until the annual general meeting (AGM) is held.
He said because of that, PAZA was not in office illegally. PAZA needed a total
of K100 million to hold the AGM which was slated for November 2010.
[QFM news / Times of Zambia]
Chifire should just shut up! We are sick and tired of his likes. LT, may i propose an award category for his type? Most Disgusting Personality??
PAZA must justify what the Post would in return benefit from puting them on the newspaper payroll. How can the regulater and the regulated have such a relationship
I dont know why they even have to waste their time and breath answering back to a useless chap like Gregory
Gregory should just stick to what he knows best – selling vegetables at CBU at inflated prices!
Chifire, when will you ever grow up. Stop this bootlicking business. You and me know that you are just been used. The platform on which you are speaking is fully sponsered by some bunch of failures who think people can be managed through propaganda. Get your facts right, be objective and go back to CBU finish your degree then you can analyse issues at a higher level, not the way you mascarade as an analyst when in the actual sense you are a bought cadre. You don’t even have a voters card but busy talking on national issues which affect the whole nation. Stop thinking with your stomach.
I have no quarrel with PAZA signing MOU with the post, but 4 years without a mandate from the AGM leaves me with a lot of questions for PAZA.
Chifire was at CBU fo almost 10 years but still failed to graduate. so what sensible thing can he tell the nation. the chap is poverty striken.
What about you Mr Chifire , where did your mandate come from ? ..Have you signed a memorandum of understanding with the citizens of Zambia…?
If your allegations are true , then you have made some valid points….., only thing is , does your organisation have an influence on the powers that be ? If so , then all good and well. You are of benefit to the citizens .