THE Human Rights Commission (HRC) has launched investigations to establish if the photographer who took a picture of Mwiya Sihope at Lewanika General Hospital in Mongu got permission from the subject, as not doing so would be an infringement on his rights.
HRC chairperson Pixie Yangailo said yesterday the commission wanted to know if Mr Sihope, aged 70 years, gave consent to the photographer to take a picture with a bare body.
Ms Yangailo said HRC officers in Mongu had been to the hospital and would soon go to the police and the local prison to establish some facts before issuing a comprehensive statement.
She said the photographer and the publishers, the Post Newspaper, should have considered implications of exposing nudity to the general public.
The Post edition of Wednesday, April 13, 2011 carried a picture of Mr Sihope with a bare body on the front page.
Ms Yangailo said a professional photojournalist or photographer should have covered the upper part of Mr Sihope’s body leaving the amputated leg for the picture instead of exposing him to the public in the manner the newspaper did.
“The message could have been sent by just showing the leg unlike exposing the old man’s body to the public like that, which is against human rights,” she said.
She said the picture was sensitive and was likely to injure the cultural sensibilities of Mr Sihope’s family.
The Committee of Citizens also expressed concern over the picture, with executive director, Gregory Chifire saying in a statement on Wednesday that it was not only misleading but also alien and unacceptable to Zambia.
Mr Chifire said the publication of the picture showed how low the Post had sunk ethically, morally and professionally in pursuit of its political agenda.
He advised the newspaper to desist from using innocent and unsuspecting Zambians to advance its well-known political agenda.
He said the Post raised no medically-proven connection between the patient’s condition and his detention and that if the picture was taken from hospital, the paper neglected to clarify matters with hospital medical authorities.
“The fact that they did not do so showed that their story was fuelled by ulterior motives. Contrary to the story, medical records we have accessed show that the patient referred to has been an out-patient for a chronic illness long before his detention,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Zambia Police Service refuted the story in the Post linking the amputation of Mr Sihope’s right leg to his detention in connection with the January 2011 riots in Mongu sparked by disagreements over the Barotseland Agreement.
Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde said in a statement released on Wednesday evening that when Mr Sihope was released from detention through a nolle prosequi, he had both legs.
Mr Kabonde said Mr Sihope was admitted to Lewanika General Hospital for asthma-related complications, which later made medical authorities to amputate his right leg.
He said information obtained from the hospital showed that Mr Sihope had been an out-patient undergoing treatment for chronic asthma.
He had developed wet gangrene on both legs and subsequently admitted to the hospital.
Mr Kabonde said that was the condition that led to Mr Sihope’s leg being amputated last Friday.
He appealed to the media to refrain from publishing inflammatory and unsubstantiated stories that could make people react negatively, leading to a breakdown in law and order.
[Times of Zambia]
umhu! what about the continued enjoyment of the use of his (amputated) leg? Are they probing it as well?
No morals what so ever!
Please the thing is mr sihope is an eldery man who has inlaws who respects him and wouldnt like to see his nakedness.please politics should not ruin our tradition and customs.just a story of mr sihope could have been ok.it seems the one who got the picture was a paparazi, had no time to tell mr sihope to cover his upper part.journalism realy has gone to dogs.i ve ready and watched so many news items and have never come across something like this.
are you sure there are probing or are trying to justify wrong things. from the average zambian or indeed any un-predijuced mind, the HRC is a lameduck that is busy sucking our PAYE without any tangible representation of the masses it was created for. this is another way of misusing our funds, nothing new will come out of this. it is a story of hens roosting with hyenas
bigsta, you really think this is unethical, imagine there was no picture, all these guys were going to deny and start accusing the people that it is a doctored picture. that is the reality right now in the hospital bed where he is. why dont you tell mr. kunda to visit him as he goes to grace kuomboka ceremony (this year will have more policemen watching than tourists and local people)
Even HRC is now under MMD. Now they want to put pressure on the photographer for doing his job, how stu.pid. A couple of years ago RB whilest in Swaziland exposed the upper part of his body, is Ms yangailo going to investigate the Times of Zambia photographer that took the picture because as far as we know there’s no evidence to show that RB gave him permission.
Probe the killings you i.d.i.ots, not the picture!
Except if it was your dad exposed like that hey!
why do we like covering wrong things in zambia with so called culture. you must understand that culture is dynamic and as such its not static, yangailo must just own up because she is right now in atight corner. the HRC clearly has taken a stance in the barotse issue and the earlier they stated it the better for all of us. in as much as exposing nakedness is not good, i find it starnge that we wholesomely condemn such an exposure. that man was an outpatient and wen he was arrested, he was confined in a container (not a cell) without windows. those people who were arrested were doing everthing inside and i suspect the sanitatry conditions deteriorated to a point where people could easily acquire some communicable diseases and for some whose immunity is weak it is a catalyst
WHAT RUBBISH IS THIS, INVESTGATE WHAT CAUSED HIS AMPUTATION NOT THE PHOTOGRAPHER YOU FOOLS.
I said politics a side the issue is the newspaper is not like a tv where the caster will always warn sensetive viewers but for the newspaper it is the duty of the editor to protect such people.now coming to the political view the post has got an agenda it is an interested part so there is motive behind that.it wasnt done in good faith.
What about the killings, who is going to probe them?? What about the right of association for the people of Western province?? Are these not double standards by HRC or what ever they are called?
Comedy of errors as usual. HRC you are a crap! Instead of condemning the police and Government for causing this amputees you are busy dwelling on useless issues? The man was in pain and you think he can not allow anybody to see what has been done to him?
#4,5,6,7.
Please have EMPATHY for Mr Sihope as a FATHER with children,HUSBAND with wife,GRANDFATHER with grandchildren with and RELATIVE and FRIEND to many.
The photographer should have asked for the waste part of the body to be covered WHILE leaving the amputated part,stomach,chest and head exposed.
EMPATHY means putting or imagining yourself being in the position of that person.
I AM NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR RB BUT I WILL NOT GO BY THE HATE STYLE OF CAMPAIGNING TO INJURE AND DE-HUMANISE MR SIHOPE AND FAMILY FOR THE SAKE OF SATA/PF.I feel tears coming -“PLEASE GOD SERVE US FROM THE HATE AND CORRUPTED CULTURE BEING PROPAGATED BY SATA/PF/POST”.
#4,5,6,7.
Please have EMPATHY for Mr Sihope as a FATHER with children,HUSBAND with wife,GRANDFATHER with grandchildren with and RELATIVE and FRIEND to many.
The photographer should have asked for the waste part of the body to be covered WHILE leaving the amputated part,stomach,chest and head exposed.
EMPATHY means putting or imagining yourself being in the position of that person.
I AM NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR RB BUT I WILL NOT GO BY THE HATE STYLE OF CAMPAIGNING TO INJURE AND DE-HUMANISE MR SIHOPE AND FAMILY FOR THE SAKE OF SATA/PF.I feel tears coming -“PLEASE GOD SERVE US FROM THE HATE AND CORRUPTED CULTURE BEING PROPAGATED BY SATA/PF/POST”.
HRC HAS JOINED THE MMD’S VUVUNZELA LIST…….HOW UNFORTUNATE……..MADAM PIXIE YANGAILO, CONSIDER YOURSELF BOUGHT (LIKE IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF SLAVE TRADE)….YOU ARE NOW IRRELEVANT TO THE ZAMBIAN EQUATION OF POLITICAL EMMANCIPATION…………SO WE SHALL TAKE YOU ON TOGETHER WITH THE FAKE NON GOVERMENTAL INDIVIDUALS (NGI) LIKE CIFIRE, KAWANA, MUMBI ETC………PIXIE (OR IS IT PIKI NA FOSHOLO),,,,,,YOU ARE A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT…..
Comedy of errors as usual. HRC please concentrate on real issues of compensating these vulnerable people who have lost their limbs through the carelessness of this Rubbish Government instead of waisting time in trivial matters.
LT, follow up the HRC true findings and keep us informed.DO IT TO THE GLORY OF GOD and NOT TO THE GLORY OF SATAN ,the DECEIVER.
#14. Had the man not been arrested for exercising his right of assembly, he would not have been in the cells where his health deteriorated and hence he would not have been hospitalized and further required to have his leg amputated and The Post would not have taken a picture of him in that state. Its called ”cause and effect” my comrade!
With due respect and sympathy to Mr Sihope, i think its morally right that they establish the truth here. There certain rules of journalism which do not allow to publish pictures of dead people, nakedness and the like. I am sure if permission was given, the old man would have let the photographer to capture the amputated leg only. Can you imagine if that old man was a father or grandfather to the editor who allowed that picture to pass, would the editor have allowed that picture to be published? Definitely no, the editor would have tried to cover the nakedness of his father or granfather and would have ensured that the amputated leg was captured for the public to see. Its simple logic which should not be politicised by the Post. Journalism bent on inciting despondency in the nation is bad.
Zambia as usual – leaving the issue at hand to discuss the picture. remember the Kabwela case- at the end of it all due to leaving the issues behind, the government has not made any steps to prevent the same problems from re- occuring.
we know gregory and his empty mind
truth pains and bigsta, you’re idealists and subjectivitsts who dont look at things quizically, what you ought to do is find out out the genesis of something. icimuti pakucionaula kucishula rather than cutting off the fruits or branches. the root of this problem is clearly the double standards that are being exhibited by the state media and the other rented moinions. the post is a private paper whose mission is very private. ZNBC, Daily Mail and Times on the other hand use our hard earned kwachas to further polarize the nation. I dont mince my words, if exposing our grand father is wrong HOW ABOUT SUBJECTING OUR FATHER TO INCACERATION IN A VENTLESS CONTAINER AS AN OUTPATIENT eh eh eh ???? this is DOUBLE STANDARDS.
The HRC is so scared of government that it is now pursuing people doing what it si supposed to do. Highlight the plight of the downtrodden. It is a waste of taxpayers money to have such institutions as there existence means nothing to Zambians. Can’t someone scrap such meaningless institutions please. I have followed the activities of a similar organization in SA; It is much more robust and agitated in protecting the rights of S Africans. Poverty is a disease indeed.
What kind of name is PIXIE? Some names yaba!!
Thank you RB, thank you Chifire and Ms Yangailo for you steadfast courage. Lets make amputees of these westerners. An amputed Lozi is better than one with two legs! And it is nice that we are going hard on those who report and take pictures of these rascals inorder to gain public symphathy for them. We will show them that Boma ni Boma. And IG Kabonde I used to have doubts about you but now I understand that you’re one with us on ‘Project one legged Barotse’. Thanks IG for the 600 cops 4 that primitive ceremony. Lets hope it will be a succesful harvest of legs! Long live Kumawa! There is only one ruler and his name is Rupiah!
#18 Mulo wa ndombe.
SO YOU ARE JUSTIFYING THAT YOUR FATHER’S NAKEDNESS CAN BE USED FOR HATE AND AS POLITICAL CAPITAL FOR SATA/PF/POST. DISREGARDING MR SIHOPE AND FAMILY’S HUMAN RIGHT AND DECENCY.Exposing the amputated part is VERY MUCH OK but exposing NAKEDNESS (especially for a still alive person .with alive wife,children,relatives and friends) can only be justified by SATA/PF/POST supporters as political capital through HATE AND CORRUPTED mind.LET GOD JUDGE.
#25 Get lost you id/io/t when did you start caring for Bo Sihope’s Human rights? Isnt it after the crimes of your chibululu chi RB have been exposed? Why the heck did RB incacerate this man with no charge? Does he look like a guy who wanted to overthrow RB? Ulicupuba iwe. So your st/up/id logic is that it is okay to go amputating innocent peoples legs as long as you dont look at their dick or birth canal. What warped thinking! #25 go sc/re/w yourself you i/di-ot!
If governmet caused mr sihope to lose his leg it m must be condemed.and also the post must be condemed for exposing our father’s nakedness.remember the story of noah and his two sons the one who became exited by seeing his father nakedness was cursed together with his clan.wrong is wrong whether post,daily mail,hh or sata.
this is rubbish for sure you people are losing it how can you investigate what caused the amputation and not the photographer . this is a clear sign that MMD does not care about peoples WELL BEING God please help us we have suffered a lot at the hands of MMD
#21Ine wine.
The big difference BETWEEN my reasoning and use of mind AND yours is that you seem to block your mind and reasoning from the GODLY TRUTH,while me I subject and surrender my reasoning and mind to GOD (you have surrendered yourself to SATA/PF/POST way of thinking,hating anddeceiving.I have not surrendered myself to the party I support)
1) Private POST or Public ZNBC,TIMES,DAILY you can not support and justify the use of nakedness to sympathise on amputation. 2) If you find someone lying down injured you dont step on him/her to show sympathy. 3) BE INFORMED THAT HH,RB,SATA,POST,ZNBC,TIMES,DAILY,LUSAKA TIMES AND ANY MEADIA DONT MEAN ANYTHING TO MY LIFE OR CONTROL MY MIND AND CONVICTIONS- BUT GOD DOES.When I blog I am conscious that I am using GOD’S hands,head,time and life.
Certain things do really pain! I find myself subjected to the same angish@26 feels.What ve we become in this capitalistic world.?Even dogs are showing more sympathy to each other.That old man for whatever crimes he is alleged to have commited will never be the same.Wiat until yr own maiming catches up with you cos u wil run around looking 4 de post and you wont find them.THINK.
The truth pains/ you are the man.many blogers have inclined their sauls to political parties rather than to God.as i am blogging am looking at mr sihope’s picture and and my soul bleeds what is this.even a hollow movie is rated 18 and not for sestive viewers what about a public thing shame.i ve never seen the naked man of mr sihope’s age until the post exposed one to us.GOD put this country in you hands there is an evil spirit around.
#26 Kamizhi
It is a cry to GOD that the amputation and nakedness of Mr Sihope has given you an impetus to reveal your inner EVIL spreading and shouting on top of SATAN the DEVIL’s mountain through insulting me. AS FOR ME I WILL PRAY TO GOD FOR YOU TO RENOUNCE HATE AND INSULTS BECAUSE YOU GRIEVE GOD MORE THAN YOU GRIEVE ME.
fOOL..ISH HRC..NO BRAINS AT ALL. WHATS WRONG WITH PICTURE YOU BURGAZ.FIND A SOLUTION TO BAROTSE PROBLEMS FIRST B4 YOU CONDEMN THE POST.VIVA POST
I dont know much about Media Ethics – but I just dont understand what the fuss is about the picture. We see all the time naked bodies on TV, Magazines etc. So called celebrities (and Ncwala dancers) pause nude and people enjoy that.
The real issue here is – are the human rights of Mr Mwiya Sihope being protected and defended? Was he lawfully imprisoned? Did the state take reasonable care to look after him while in Prison? Is there a link between his incaceration and his amputation! That is what tax payers money should be spent on. What will the HRC say or do when Mr Sihope says he has no problem appearing in the paper in that way? Will they then say that is it?
We need to protect our people from ABUSE of POWER by the POWERFUL.
For your own information, the Vietnman war was not stopped by the politicians or the Soldiers. It was stooped by the American public when they saw the horrible pictures of children being burnt and soldiers with gross wounds and dying in pictures.
SO think about that
If there was not picture no one was going to react but as it is, a picture tells a thousand stories. Haven’t seen the picture but I can see that it has drawn the right attention. Investigate the cause of the gangrene not the morality of taking that picture. Gangrene and asthma are no where related but our politicians and Chifire are too dull to know this.
Iwe PIXIE…Iyo kwaliba amashina pa calo..!!!i wonder what PIXIE means,please investigate and compensate the victims…Dont behave like a carder PIXIE…Mukacinjeko ne shina limbi kuti mwayamba ukutontonkanyako bwino..tamwakwata ilyapamutoto bena PIXIE??
Most of you are just shocked to see the chilonda…manta ma Zambians. Also, if they had cropped the photo somehow, you would have said it’s a fake… so, shock it is.
Bloggers,is that PIXIE a real name or LT Nickname for our HRC Chief?Anyway,PIXIE,please help the victim.Hon.Mpombo please interprate the meaning of PIXIE for me.I seem not to find one from my Oxford dictionary
This is all nonsese.Investigate the amputation and not the picture.In such sad situations no one can concetrate on the so called nakedness.Once again investigate the amputation you useless woman.Waba I.c.h.i.ny.o.Masepa ahaho!
#25. look at the big picture stop being petty! That man’s rights were abused far much worse than what you are complaining about.
What is nudity? The picture was SPOT ON. HRC you have lost credibility no wonder you supported the Mongu killings. How dare you leave the point at issue and opt to investigate a picture? Investigate what caused the amputation and bring culprits to book. There is nothing nude or untraditiional about that picture.
So many mwenda njangulas being made in Lozi land by police and these useless HRC whicha can not deal the real issue at hand.
“umulwele tafisa itako” – a patient does not hid his nakedness.!!!!!!!
ku hater sitikana, manje ka hatedwe …..
# 40 .
Please ,free your mind and reasoning from captivity of addiction of support for SATA/PF.To simplify my reasoning for you ,I mean .
” I HAVE NEVER OKAYED THE AMPUTATION. All what I am saying is that 1) In any justice be it in your father’s court (if you practice fair justice) or HEAVENLY GOD’s court you dont make right with a wrong ESPECIALLY where it concerns a human being at the expense of the victim and his loved ones FOR the sake of fixing your enemy politically. I STILL MAINTAIN EXPOSING Mr Sihope’s nakedness does not in any way help him and the family and genuine and respecting friends and others.AMPUTATION AND EXPOSURE OF THE OLD MAN’S NAKEDNESS WHETHER BY POST TO FIX BANDA OR MMD AGENDA TO ME THEY THEY BOTH DESERVE CONDEMNATION FOR HUMILIATING THE MAN.
Did the picture show Sihope’s things?
you think its ponography, than the moral fibre of the story, masipa a bomamina linja tuwe. people are suffering and you want to blame it on the one that has exposed it. **** you. one day we will have heroes, just one day history will be written u
… MMD wants to covered up and twist people’s attention. people of western province have some how been provoked .MMD has poorly handed the barotse issue.I dont see the photographer being found wrong in this.I just hope the seeming in coming party PF will resolve this issue. We are all Zambians.