Uncompromising police officers in riot gear last evening stormed privately run Muvi TV and Komboni Radio and forced the broadcasting stations to switch off their transmitters.
Around 19 Hours, police officers descended on the Muvi TV offices and asked all workers to vacate the premises and ensured that the station was switched off.
Another group of police officers in the group of officials from the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZCTA) moved to Kamwala South where Komboni Radio is located and switched off the transmitters and went away with the equipment.
The police officers were ordered by the Independent Broadcasting Authority to go and enforce the suspension of broadcasting licences for Muvi TV, Komboni Radio and Itezhi Tezhi Radio.
Itezhi Tezhi Radio located in the Central Province has also gone off air.
And Muvi TV legal Counsel Milner Kakubo of Milner Katolo and Associates has revealed that the IBA has set September 14th 2016 as the date for a hearing over the matter.
Mr Kakubo told Journalists that Muvi TV will take advantage of the hearing as it explores other avenues in addressing the issue.
He also revealed that ZICTA officers switched off power at Muvi TV and got company files.
Lungu is getting good lessons from Mugabe and Museveni.
If Muvi Tv and Komboni Radio are being closed for unprofessional reporting, why is ZNBC still on air?
Surely well coordinated doesn’t seem like an overnight action. This is just utter nonsense and has absolutely no justification if all past governments closed media like this we would have remained with nothing. Now they will all be cowered to report the PF way. What a Shame indeed…. in the world of ICT and Media on the go… these are very Neolithic ages we are being pushed back to
This is madness, how would they close Muvi TV, ZNBC is the most bias, Let Zambian people get an explanation on how unprofessional the so call IBA have shown. silliness added to dum leadership. all to impress Lungu..
Owe @Wake…, ZANBC and MUVI Tv operate under totally different governing bodies. ZNBC is not an INDEPENDENT (that’s what “I” stands for in IBA) broadcast station. ZNBC has its own separate overseer and operates under different rules—in fact rules much stricter than those imposed on private/independent broadcasters. All media in Zambia may fall under certain common ETHNICS regulations, but that doesn’t mean Govt/Public media (ZNBC, Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 4, etc) fall under IBA. Get it?
And being BIASED (since that’s what seems to be gripe you all have about ZNBC) is NOT the same as being DANGEROUSLY UNETHICAL in news coverage and reporting. None of you have said or pointed out anything unethical that ZNBC has done. The only thing I heard people complain about ZNBC is their…
Its seems like the only way we better things is by banning. At one time they even banned Channel O….lol remember?. Complaining & Pointing Out Problem = 99.9%..
Solutions = 0.1%..
Continue…
@Wake…,
… is their skewed coverage towards the Govt. And not being unethical. So your companion fall flat!
There must be a limit to everything. Freedom of speech does not mean inciting hatred, tribalism, violence and the likes..! Most of our media houses have abrogated journalism ethics of informing, educating and entertaining the public..! Its because of the same negative reporting that has resulted in some shallow minded cadres attack innocent people..! Good move..! We want peace in Zambia.
Don’t cloud your thinking with political affiliation. Democracy is about discerning views. Look at South Africa. Is the Nandos advert depicting Zuma insulting? Guess if it were Edgar MNET would be shut.
Munene what sort of hypocrisy is this? The media houses that have been shut speak the truth and crooks hate the truth. If it is hate speech, this is common on ZNBC, in the Zambia Daily Mail, Times of Zambia and the Daily Nation. Your president and his cronies parade themselves on these media to spread hate speech, insults and divisive messages. The media houses that have been shut just provide a platform for the opposition to refute the usual stup.id claims made by the PF. Don’t behave as though people have no eyes to see and ears to hear. This is utter rubbish and a degeneration of our dignity as Zambians. We have tyrants and crooks ruling this country who don’t want their evil schemes to be exposed and they think they can achieve this by gagging the media. Only those with shallow…
DICTATORSHIP AT WORK!
What crimes have these people that are against Freedom of Speech committed that they want to hide away from and not be accountable to the people of Zambia?
Corruption? Stealing? Defying the Constitution? Rigging? Murder?
Let the people SPEAK!
Zambia’s Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) has shut down three private broadcasters for alleged professional misconduct.
The country’s largest private TV station Muvi television, along with radio stations Komboni and Itezhi Tezhi, has been closed just hours after broadcasting a news story in which the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) confirmed its decision to rescind 8000 votes erroneously awarded to the incumbent president Edgar Lungu.
Yesterday morning, Muvi aired a story quoting ECZ’s Chris Akufuna.
The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) and the police subsequently moved in to secure the premises and take control of the broadcaster’s transmitters.
Hours before it was shut down, Muvi TV lawyer Milner Katolo said the station had…
Hours before it was shut down, Muvi TV lawyer Milner Katolo said the station had been served with a suspension letter by IBA.
Katolo said, “the company has been given the chance of a hearing by IBA on September 20 and that the company will utilise the opportunity to engage the IBA in order to lift the suspension.”
IBA chairman Brigadier General Justine Mutale said in a statement yesterday that the broadcasters posed a risk to peace and stability during this month’s general elections.
“The authority has observed that before, during and after the August 11, 2016 elections, Muvi TV, Komboni radio and radio Itezhi Tezhi have been conducting themselves in unprofessional manner contrary to the provisions of the IBA act,” Mutale said.
Zambian president Edgar Lungu’s re-election…
Is this all necessary sure? I thought the procedure is to ask affected parties to show why suspension should not be effected for breach of conditions. We all know that the targeted stations appeared aligned to the opposition. We are not f00ls please
*Breaking News*PETITION CASE ADJOURNED TO TOMORROW 14:30
THE petition against the re-election of Edgar Chagwa Lungu failed to take off and has since been adjourned to tomorrow 14:30.And UPND lawyers have still not served President Lungu’s lawyers with their summons despite them showing up at court today.Meanwhile Attorney General Likando Kalaluka has pushed in an application to be joined to the matter.The Supreme court was today characterised with police presence anxious NGO’s and international observers such as the European Union.However, to the disappointment of the anxious crowd the lawyers walked out after about 45mins from the matter which was being held in chambers.PF lawyer Prof Patrick Mvunga told journalists that he could not comment on anything because they still had not been…
Good move and it has been long over due.let them incorporate their stupid journalists in GBM milling and REGNA SATURNIA.
Baliya Sana bakapala, there is no absolute freedom in you can do and say whatever you want takwaba in the name of freedom of speech. Theses are the consequences. Airwaves were given to you by the same government you now insult, mwalashala muli mwamoneni muletasha bamambala.
Speech and the airwaves were given to people by GOD!
Not by repressive Government!
ONLY the GUILTY ARE AFRAID!
HATE MONGERS SHOULD NOT HAVE LICENCE TO SPREAD THEIR EVIL.
MMEMBE’S POST SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN IN THE SAME MANNER.
THESE OUTLETS ARE NOT ABOUT NEWS DISSEMINATION BUT HAVE AGENDAS OF INCITING THE MASSES.
GOOD RIDDANCE.
NEXT TIME LOCK THEM UP AND THROW AWAY THE KEYS IN LAKE KARIBA.
Did the police bring a search warrant in order to shut down these media houses and did they have probable cause? If they did not this was an illegal move and should not be condoned. See police cannot just act because they are told to do something and need to know the reasons for their actions. This is a serious threat to freedom of expression and a basic right. This is a witch hunt instructed by Lungu because he right now is viewing them as against the government. This situation is proving to be very dangerous for every journalist seen as not being on Lungu’s side. Under Lungu we have witnessed deaths, police brutality, people being detained and wrongfully imprisoned, to women and children being brutalized. Their is no mercy when it comes to age under Lungu. He needs to go!
BOMA ni BOMA. No Cabinet but BOMA is still biting. MUVI TV fully deserve their fate.
Just like that? No hearing?
3rd world is a sad world
God pour your anger on these people..we are fed up of this mediocrity!!
And they say Lungu is a Christian. You have pastors and Christians bought with brown envelopes saying Christians for Lungu. Bane you will go to hell with your Lungu unless you repent. No one shedding innocent blood and causing untold suffering about Zambians will go to heaven. Let unprofessional, Times, Daily mail and ZNBC be closed.
Every one’s job is just as important. We shouldn’t over indulge just because we are birds of the same kind.