Prime Television Proprietor Gerald Shawa has apologized to the government and Zambians over his refusal to air messages on COVID 19.
In a meeting Organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting chaired by Permanent Secretary Amos Malupenga to engaged media owners and News Heads, Mr Shawa said his station would not air any messages on COVID 19 without government paying anything.
However, at a media briefing yesterday, Mr. Shawa said he regrets his outbursts.
Mr.Shawa admitted that he was emotional during the engagement with government when he refused to help the government to publicize messages on the dreaded COVID-19.
He said Prime TV cannot operate without Government who is a key stakeholder in the media industry and asked for forgiveness for his auctions.
Recently, Government announced it had ceased to cooperate with Prime Television Station with immediate effect until further notice.
The move followed the decision made by the Television Station proprietor Gerald Shawa on Friday, March 13th, 2020, that his station shall not help the government to sensitize members of the general public about the coronavirus.
In a statement issued to media in Lusaka, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Dora Siliya, had said the development meant that government and any of its agents shall not conduct any media transactions with the television station.
Ms Siliya, who is also Chief Government Spokesperson, added that there shall be no appearance of public officers and officials on the television station’s programmes whether paid for or otherwise, and categorically stated that journalists from Prime Television shall not be invited to cover any government-related business.
There is still no comment from Government on whether the stance taken by the Information Minister will be reversed after Mr. Shawa apologised
Yamunyokola njala.
Gerald is UPND. HH is smart. HH uses weapons of destruction from home to have your names tarnished while he is watching. Imagine how his MPs are being perceived by its electorates. All the MPs except those 3 are useless in the eyes of voters. Mwetwa looked stupid on Sunday interview. He had nothing but blame game interview.
That’s the way to go nigger. But the way your journalists carry out their duties leaves much to be desired.
THIS MAN WAS TOO EMOTIONAL AND NOT WISE. BUT I FEEL THAT EQUALLY OUR OWN MINISTER OF INFORMATION WAS EMOTIONAL TO TAKE AN EXTREME, EXCESSIVE POSITION SHE TOOK. PRIME TV MUST BE LIKE HER CHILD AND NEEDS TO BE NUTURED, PROTECTED AND GUIDED. THE BEMBAS SAY “UMWANA KASEMBE, KAPONA, KA KUKOMA, WATOLA WAKOBEKA”. I HOPE SHE WILL LOOK AT THE APOLOGY FAVOURABLY.
Thats the way to go, but next time dont play with bene lusambo, dora and ba sunday you will die of hunger they know how to fix people. A pride man fails
Be careful what you wish for. Ask GBM young man and others. Lessons learned the hard way.
The man has apologized. So Government should reverse their decision. Also these Business houses that are donating cash in the fight against the deadly virus let them also contribute to the well being of Prime TV by paying for adverts on coronavirus. For example they can be saying “this advert is brought to you with the compliments of Trade Kings Zambia Limited”
That what we call maturity!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good gesture Mr Shawa. We all make mistakes but very few have the courage to apologize.
I think he was scared of ending up like Fred Mmembe
Fred Mmembe’s downfall is due to a government that practices selective justice and total disregard for court orders. Every right-thinking Zambian knows Fred Mmembe was very unfairly treated by a government anchored on lawlessness
We welcome your apology and hope you have learned from your mistakes. The ministry will decide how to work with you should they decide to. It is not for me or the president to decide. Thanks
The ministry is not an independent unit from government
That apology can never be taken seriously
He has just seen NJALA next to him
Last night news analysis tells it all the news caster and the analist they very much bosted about the way they air their news.
Doesn’t the same SHAWA listen to this?
Government please forget about him completely his master will provide for him.
You must tame those three News analysts on your 19.30 News. They think that have the monopoly of insulting others .
Actually govt should distance itself from Prime TV until the Corona Virus period is over. GOVT can do without this ka ma useless and pompous TV Station. Balakulanya amenshi.
He has apologised. Great. But just like a murderer goes to jail after apologizing, Mr Shower must face the music .. So Mr Shower no sweets from Government. Go in the naught corner for 5 years…case closed.
Where is the President?!
This is to show that no one is bigger than Zambia. I am sure Mr. Shawa has learnt his lessons. You can not Government for granted. For the time being Government should still not deal with Prime TV because of its continued negative reporting of Government programmes. I watched the clip and I was disappointed with the outbursts from Mr. Shawa.
Good bye Prime TV and Goodbye Shawa. Your sensentional journalsts will move on to other TV stations. Remember a number of them were at Muvi TV before they joined you. Where was Mwape, Musokotwane etc before they joined you? Costa knows better!!!
Where is President Lungu?
The apology is timely and i hope he puts it in writing to the line Ministry.For viewers/Zambians that was enough & courageous.But for Govt he needs to go a step further by showing remorse & repentance in his TV’s biased,unethical,derogatory,inflammatory & unprofessional reporting.As a CEO he needs to reprimand his erring workers & advise his reporters to be factual.Projects of Govt are literally given airtime/attention.In short he needs to strike a balance.
The PF is good at one thing and I wish to give them credit for this one achievement: their ability to humiliate anyone who attempts to stand up to them. First it was Samoa miles who was made to kneel on asphalt to apologize, then Mwamba Godfrey followed. And now it’s Shawa’s turn. There is nothing to gloat about. Just be sure of this one thing: time will come when PF will be out of power and those apologies will be null and void. To deal with Pf your testosterone genes must be driven by a strong promoter and your nerves must be made of steel.
We are now witnessing the law of the jungle. whoever has opposing views has to be punished whether right or wrong. when illiterates are given power!
Ala ukuboko bapota ukwauma just forgive because he has shown remorse and that in itself shows leadership uniqueness. God forgives and welcomes everyone who repents. May God continue to bless every citizen.
What I know is that Business in Zambia is supported by GRZ. All Lodges and Hotels in Zambia depend on GRZ. Remember how Hotels and Lodges owners cried when President Mwanawasa said all Ministries and government agencies shall hold meetings in Ministries Conference Rooms and not in Hotels and Lodges. The Hotels and Lodges went broke in just a Month. It is the same with Shawa …he has no business now and he has no option but to plead for mercy ati Ndi chipuba chenu ba GRZ…forgives me.
All media transmission is paid for, whether radio or televised messages costs need to be covered in advance or on evidence of dissemination of that message. All other political parties make payment to media houses for these services. PF government pile up credits for these services without any sign of paying for past services. Prime Tv is not a charity to offer pro bono services, the government should be the last to be unaware of Prime Tv status. It was registered as a commercial news media house. Its services need to be paid for and not intimidated on account of unpaid bills just because its a government in power.
Regardless of the apology, we shouldn’t be entertaining this bullying that is the hallmark of the PF regime. Total disregard for freedom of expression and endeavouring to shut up views critical of it’s performance. Are some of you ready for totalitarianism?
Gerald Shawa should have known that he was not helping government but the larger Zambian public. His sharing information about COVID 19 is good for all Zambians and not just PF
Henry it’s *****s like you that’s why Zambia is becoming useless. We have foolish people like you who cannot understand anything about the impact of decions made today for the future generations. You are just useless
Saying sorry, is one of the hallmarks of the greatness of ones soul. You are a good leader Mr. Shawa. I hope many people can emulate this spirit of humility.
Mr. Shawa, try to employ objective and patriotic journalists. We seriously lack the critical mass of seasoned world class journalists in Zambia.
There was absolutely nothing to apologize for, the only “cororra”problem this country suffers from is primitivity. Kikikikikikiki.
“Social media is for all; while journalism is for trained communicators. But if you allow all and sundry to masquerade as journalists, your profession will perish and you have yourselves to blame.” ~ POTROZ Edgar Chagwa Lungu a.k.a ECL.
“Social media is for all; while journalism is for trained communicators. But if you allow all and sundry to masquerade as journalists, your profession will perish and you have yourselves to blame.” ~ POTROZ Edgar Chagwa Lungu a.k.a ECL.
Gerald Shawa and his so-called Prime tv should thank the PF government for allowing the station to continue operating in the country, despite it’s alarming levels of unprofessionalism, hate promotion, pettiness and bias. This station has continued propagating hate with impunity!
The apology does not appear genuine as it was made out of desperation. The man is just worried about his business interests.
He’s been showed that Boma ni Boma, she seized him by the balls
Well done, this has been a sensitive period, hearty actions actions mean much more than money, it is commendable that he apologized.
Think before you talk shawa. We know you hate PF but don’t show it like that. you have dug you own hole
Even when he apologizes it does not remove our exposure as a Banana republic! Or in trump’s words “Sh!$0le country”” a normal and sensible government would not even react to a small business like prime TV. It was childish for the whole honorable to be seen to be fighting with a private entity! The public sector has an obligation to provide public services, private sector can only meet its obligations such as tax as well as regulatory Compliance!