Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Kampamba Mulenga has refuted the story attributed to her in The Mast Newspaper on Thursday, September 28, 2017, headlined; Don’t depend on govt salary, keep chickens.
She said there was only one topic of discussion during the press briefing and all the journalists who were in attendance can attest to this.
Ms Mulenga says after the briefing, there were only two questions asked and both were related to the issue of the miners and Chambwa Moonga did not ask any question.
Below is the Full statement
*THE MAST STORY HEADLINED; DON’T DEPEND ON GOVT SALARY, KEEP CHICKENS – KAMPAMBA*
28th September, 2017
I wish to categorically refute the story attributed to me in The Mast edition of today, Thursday, September 28, 2017, headlined; Don’t depend on govt salary, keep chickens – Kampamba.
According to The Mast story, authored by a Chambwa Moonga, I am quoted as having said these words while responding to questions from journalists after a joint press briefing with Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Joyce Nonde-Simukoko yesterday, the 27th September, 2017.
On Wednesday, 27th September, 2017, I held a joint press conference in my office with Hon. Nonde-Simukoko at which I stated that Konkola Copper Mines should not proceed with the transfer of its workers to contractors before negotiations are concluded with unions.
There was only one topic of discussions during this press briefing and all the journalists who were in attendance can attest to this. After the briefing, there were only two questions asked and both were related to the issue of the miners and Chambwa Moonga did not ask any question.
It is, therefore, disheartening that a journalist can concoct a story and even fabricate direct quotations and attribute them to me.
This kind of behaviour by some journalists is what gives journalism a bad name, and as Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services I feel greatly disappointed that some journalists continue to be at loggerheads with the truth. What is even more scary is that I was not misquoted on the statement I issued in front of many people; I was drawn into a story I am not aware of and made a source!
Journalists must tell the truth and if they have misinformed the audience, they must own up and state so. I hope The Mast will own up and state so.
For the rest of the journalists let me encourage you to be factual and re-state what American journalists, Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel state in their book The Elemments of Journalism;
…the best new journalism will compete in the marketplace of ideas by being more deeply reported and more transparent, by correcting the record for audiences that have been misinformed and by answering questions other accounts have left unclear.
To all the civil servants that may have been offended by the said fabrication, please ignore the falsehood as it is a figment of someone else’s imagination and belongs to gutter journalism.
I am a responsible person and I respect all Zambians regardless of their status in society.
DIARRHOEA MOUTH …………..
Very dull woman for this position. She needs to go to livestock ministry. Communications minister needs to be a person with actual communication skills, better still a college education.
The name of the reporter says it all. I rest my case…
If the story is false, can you please sue the reporter or The Mast. Prove to us that you did not utter those words!!!
And if they do that you, the same one will turn around and say that PF is intimidating journalists, no press freedom bla bla
Zebige
Encourager said she should sue do you know there is a difference between criminal and civil proceedings.Suing is in the realm of civil proceedings.The process being abused by PF is almost entirely criminal proceedings.We are now waiting for Kampamba to sue and so should Kampyongo who has failed to marshall his overexcited policemen to arrest Kambwili because if what he is saying is not true at the very least he is alarming the nation.Kampyongo the police are at your beck and call arrest Kambwili Mr Home Affairs Minister.
She has just refuted that she issued the story and still you want her to the same thing again!
Just look at the name (Chambwa Moonga) of the Mast reporter who wrote lies and dont get amazed as to why the reporter wrote lies.those are HH’s soldiers.tribalism is in their blood.all they know is reporting or telling lies about PF Govnt so that voters can hate PF and vote for HH-shocking!!many of these dull tongas such as this Moonga have made lives of wise tongas working in Govnt hard as those in authority cant trust them.its a pity that more than 99.9% of them are pro HH.one wonders why because you can find a lot of Easterners who do not support president Edgar Lungu.even during late Sata’s time,many bembas never supported him.thats how things are done in a democracy!!but for tongas,its a taboo not to support HH!!BUT HON.KAMPAMBA NEVER MIND,WE KNOW M’MEMBE AND HIS EVIL CARTEL VERY…
Why can’t she sue Mast for a fake story? We all know where Mutinta Mmembe lives. That’s another Kampyongo being caught in a lie…
Every person is tribal. If you are not you have a problem.
She could be a very dull woman but that newspaper, a cousin of the post, is vile. Its a vendetta seeking newspaper without any ethics at all
If it’s true she said that, then I’m worried about my wife who is a teacher. She has to stop planning for lessons for the poor children to keep chickens.
In this day and age why should we be arguing about this? I’m sure there must have been someone who recorded her during that press briefing. It’s a fact that there are some civil servants who do not even touch their salaries due to the fact that they already have well established businesses but there are also young ones who just joined the civil service whose only source of income is a salary. Some Politicians should think before they open their mouths carelessly
Well, don’t see why they shouldn’t follow the advice to keep chickens, in any case. All Zambians should keep vegetable gardens and chickens in the yard.
But the refute is for those who print lies.