President Michael Sata has no powers to revoke the broadcasting licenses of Radio Phoenix and QFM and the abuse of the powers of decree has the potential to frighten both local and foreign investors, Edward Mumbi has observed.
Mumbi has charged that it was extremely dangerous to govern the country by decree because that was dampening Zambia’s investment climate.
Reacting to President Sata’s decree that national broadcasting licences issued to Radio Phoenix and QFM radio should be revoked, Mumbi who is former special assistant to UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema said investment licenses were issued with accrued rights that could not easily be revoked by a Head of State.
He told the Daily Nation that investment licenses such as broadcasting had accrued rights which were meant to help the prospective or established investor acquire investment finances from financial or shareholders.
Mumbi said while President Sata had all the powers, he should have realised that revoking broadcasting licenses could not be carried out by the work of mouth because there were legal implications in the licenses.
He said it was shocking that President Sata could choose to damage the investment climate of the country by wantonly directing the revocation of licenses for institutions that were eager to expand and contribute to employment creation.
He said President Sata should not be using the name of Hichilema to gag the media because the opposition leader like any other citizen had the right to express his views using any form of medium.
Mumbi has advised Radio Phoenix and QFM radio to seek the intervention of the courts because the issuance of licenses was done with wide consultation from a wide range of experts.
“What is worrying is that President Sata has shown a propensity to govern the country by decree and this is a dangerous way of running the country. While President Sata has all the powers, he cannot by decree revoke investment licenses because such licenses come with accrued rights. The accrued rights are meant for the investor to source funds for reinvestment or even get business proposals,” Mumbi said.
Mumbi said President Sata should have sought for expert advice from the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) before announcing that the licenses should be revoked.
He explained that Sata should have found out why such licenses were issued adding his unilateral decision had sent a wrong signal to the prospective investors.
Mumbi said the presidency did not lack intelligence information and that it was doubtful if the Head of State was briefed on how and why former ministry of information and broadcasting had issued the broadcasting licenses.
Rob peoples rights day light Satan!!
Is it still the IBA -Independent Broadcasting Authority or SBA- Sata Broadcasting Authority? We are back to square one; kaunda era.
we are in hot soup, am not gonna vote again…. 2011 was my last time. atleast i will live my life without regrets….
What if your vote becomes reason of even worst administration get to govern? No regrets?
That is true Chunsu.Just being roasted in the sun and all you get are funny characters in government.Wasting precious time on a voting line.Will also think twice this time around.
Takafwa kashi mwana aka, kanshi?
Democratic Peoples Republic Of Zambia in the making.
Please, drop the Democratic. There are to many “Democratic Republics” already. North Korea, Eritrea, Ethiopia…..
Afromode, I think we already there. So DRC will now be neighboring DRZ… Ungacayeyo!!!
I wrote off Sata from the word GO!
Mohammed Morsi’s downfall started after he gave himself” sweeping powers to oversee the country’s political transition.”
Yet here in Zambia, the President can wake up one day and unilaterally create a province, re-align districts from one province to another, create new districts, rename airports, revoke licences, appoint the chief justice, etc. etc without consultation what so ever.
Really Scary
The Zambian Presidency (and African at large) has little to no regard for systems and prcedures. Neither do our laws have a framework to convincingly and explicitly prevent the President in blatant abuse of his assumed unbridled power. We need to reconstruct our lawframeworks and ensure their enforcability. Otherwise despots like Michael can even fire your garden boy, repossess your garden, designate your house as a parking lot for his use, and still act “within the law”. Look at how he wantonly plays with the Police Command- supposed enforcers of the law. Sata has turned our country into the propverbial Banana Republic…anyone missing RB?
I wish RB was still in office.
RB used to work with fear coz sata (opposition) was on his toes.
This guy wont, after all no one is on his toes.
Worse is yet to come…wat a life!!!
RB was the man. not this thing.
The Zambian culture,,,,whatever the president says it is illegal now. With or without the word illegal life continues.Ba Sata is president and enjoying all the presidential powers just like all the past ones.
R u sure the president has no power to revoke broadcasting licenses?
Yes. If he has power let him do it otherwise he will pay a ransom to his lunacy.
Cry mother Zambia, cry, Cry beloved ones. We have brought Satan’s government upon ourselves.
Wee banama ya mpanga iwee, ka Mumbi!
Is anything sacred in Zambia? This is the kind of issue our MPs should be jumping up and down about. Surely the IBA is an independent body established by an act of parliament and designed to operate at arm’s length from political interference. We also have an acting chief justice who, by definition, is in the pockets of politicians. She is prepared to compromise an important office of state for personal gain. MPs are easily dismissed by party managers. All that is needed is to expel one from their party and they lose the seat. The will of the people dismissed so easily. No institutions are sacred in Zambia!
THE PRESIDENT KNOWS WHY PRIVATE
TV AND RADIO LICENSES ARE NEVER
GRANTED AT ALL WITHOUT CONSULTATION.
RADIO AND BROADCASTING LICENSES
IN S A ARE ISSUED BY AN INDEPENDENT
BROADCASTING BODY AFTER A LOT
OF DEBATE AND CONSULTATION AND
NOT BY AN INDIVITUAL.
THE PRESIDENT ALWAYS HAS A FINAL
WHAT IF OSAMA BIN LADEN ACQUIRES
ONE!
THE PRESIDENT WAS NOT CONSULTED.
THE PRESIDENT WAS RIGHT
WHAT IS THE IBA FOR IF INDIVIDUALS
LIKE MWAMBA COULD SIMPLY
ISSUE LICENSES LIKE DRIVER’S
LICENSES!
WHO WILL BE ANSWERABLE IF
PROPAGANDA SLEAZY PROGRAMS
ARE BROADCAST TO OTHER
COUNTRIES?
Mwamba was very clever because he was aware of the president’s thoughts and he had to do what he did without consulting the dictator. Mwamba was also aware that the president has no powers to revoke the radio license once it has been issued. You guys you must congratulate Mwamba for what he did because Zambians need instruments to disseminate information in every corner of the country.
Even if he had the right to revoke, if that is so, he should have done in a professional way than than to cite HH as being the main reason.
We are in a political arena, that is the way. People of Zambia which professional way do you want in politics? That is the name of the game………
In a banana republic like Zed revocation is done by the autocrat in office but in a nation of “rule of law” its done by a communications commission. Now i really miss RB.
Enka,
A few months ago, Obama reversed the sale of a wind farm to a Chinese firm because it was near an army base and it was done by decree. ZTE and Huawei got licences to enter USA, by executive order Obama revoked their licences because he suspected that they will be used as tools to spy on America by the Chinese government. Communication is delicate, no country in the world which just issues licences to cover their countries. Investors should not be allowed to make policies for them selves, just like they want to export concentrates from the mines, this will have negative consequences in near future. If these radio stations want to expand, the should form regional radio stations in other provinces. A radio or TV licences can be revoked at anytime even in UK or USA eg PRESS TV in UK!
WALASA……THE PRESIDENT IS RIGHT!!!!
So, are saying the opposition and private citizens in Zambia are a threat to National security and development and, therefore, their access to the media must be curtailed?
All these sentiments from concerned Zambians border on constitutional deficiencies – unless a referendum is used as a mode of adpotion we will continue to be subjected to such…..perhaps thats why we needed the Vice Presidency to be a running mate and not appointed by the Head of State.The tenets of democracy in Zambia are actually under siege.
LT its not mumba as yo headline reads, its mumbi.
Whatever the case maybe we need private radio and TV stations with nationwide coverage. They cannot be censored before they even broadcast a single word or sent a single picture. The IBA should start doing their job and not just sit in their offices. Some of these community radio stations are a big disappointment. Radio PETAUKE for example broadcasts in CHICHEWA instead of CHINSENGA. These are some of the issues IBA should be looking into. Petauke is a NSENGA area not CHICHEWA area.
Ho ho ho ho ho! I am back and back for good! I promised you I will see you nearer xmas and it’s almost here. The whole of November is filled with celebrations over here. Yesterday going into 1st November we celebrated Halloween – it was awesome! I dressed-up as SataN. In a few days we will be celebrating Guy Fawkes with plenty of fireworks display and then there is diwhali (sp) and then followed by Hanuuka (sp) – don’t ask me the order. Then we finally enter the month of real festivities world wide – December. So how’s tricks brethren? I see you are being ruled by decree now! What a shame! Hold on tight ladies and gentlemen. It’s gonna be harder before gets better. Always remember what you wish for in life and do not experiment with life as you just did allowing the known suspect….
AM LISTENING TO QFM HERE IN HOLLAND. WHAT IS THE CRY ALL ABOUT.
TELL SATA THAT MY MOTHER RIGHT IN DEEP NORTH IS ALSO LISTENING TO QFM THROUGH FREE TO AIR BROADBAND
….at the helm of the directionless canoe spiralling out of control. Hold on tight brethren. Haleluja Haleluja is waiting for you on the shores ready to fly you to drier lands to dressed, booted, wined and dined. Welcome back our prodigal children! Zambia is a christian country and you are all forgiven and hope you have learnt your lessons and go and live your lives free from sin.
….at the helm of the directionless canoe spiralling out of control. Hold on tight brethren. Haleluja Haleluja is waiting for you on the shores ready to fly you to drier lands to BE dressed, booted, wined and dined. Welcome back our prodigal children! Zambia is a christian country and you are all forgiven and hope you have learnt your lessons and go and live your lives in prosperity free from sin with me Haleluja Haleluja at the helm of a new and and shiny AirBus9990 made in Zambia and scouring the heights of the universe and bringing true meaning of the eagle in its flight. No Zambian should be homeless, hungry, uneducated and uncared for in retirement!
Lusaka Times is it Mumba or Mumbi. Heading Mumba, story Mumbi……………..
The Media is one of the most important tools of development if well used and it is also one of the most dangerous means of spreading hate if ill used. The Rwanda genocide was spread by the media, BBC purported there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq but nothing was there; we can go one counting what the media is capable of doing. Zambia’s intelligence is not yet capable of dealing with so much information passed on to the citizens. considering the level of education and exposure very few people are able to distinguish the facts from a mare belief, truth from insinuations. The President was wrong by addressing it in the manner that he did. The most unfortunate thing about us Zambians is that we are not patriotic we sell out the most shameful part about us. We aren’t ready.
What a poor advise kodi umuziba Wynter Kabimba and CJ ok it zakuona. Ati Mumbi has advised Radio Phoenix and QFM radio to seek the intervention of the courts because the issuance of licenses was done with wide consultation from a wide range of experts. hahahahahahah hehehehehe hihihihi yaba kwena ni mumzambia atini ya ooya nalema first nimpumule. ndobo waibelenga inyi Nkhani niyovensa chifundo… it be thrown out ga yayenda ku court. Mufunse ma MPs ba MMD basila nai court mukambapo
Vumbi MPs lost his position as area member of parliament for giving village headmen K20 each manje mufunse GBM nizingati zamene apansa bathu, fuel anangula mamotoka and manjinga kupansa banthu kunja ku Kasama. tionako chabe kwamene tinyenda
@Ubupuba wakwa driver – please tune in to FM not this ‘home service dial’ that you are on – can’t understand your flow
Ba mumbi jus shut up,u r a disgrace to politics,aint u da same retard dat failed 2 make proper political calculations wen u defected 2 upnd hopin HH will save ur bankruptness?u really r pathetic u kno that?
its not Sata’s fault , zedians r jst foolish to put there hopes in a fool. USA voted for an Afro- American Obama coz they r smart and well informed, substance not colours or race lol….