The Free Press Initiative Zambia says it is saddened by the storming of Mpika FM by UPND cadres on Wednesday night who ordered a stop to a programme which featured PF Mpika Central Member of Parliament Francis Kapyanga.
FPI Founder Joan Chirwa said the behavior exhibited by the cadres is unfortunate as it does not align with not only President Hakainde Hichilema’s pronouncements that the media is free to operate, but also Minister of Information and Media Chushi Kasanda’s continuous pronouncements of government’s commitment to provide an enabling environment in which journalists will operate freely without any fear of intimidation or harassment.
Ms. Chirwa noted that just when Zambians thought barbaric behaviour had ended, seeing the now ruling party cadres also take up animalistic behavior, waters down everything that has been promised in this democratic dispensation.
She said media practitioners and Zambians at large do not want to see a continuation of harassment, attacks, and threats that the pf cadres put the media through.
Ms. Chirwa said the UPND must immediately act on this and stop such behavior which has potential to stifle press freedom and instill fear in women and the youth who may shy away from participating in politics.
Mpika FM radio station manager Allan Dumingu disclosed that a group of cadres stormed the radio station around 20 Hours on 1st December and ordered the presenter to stop the program immediately, failure to which they would attack him and the security guard on duty and destroy property.
He explained that they said no politician from the opposition should feature on radio anymore as they threatened to deal with the radio station, the MP and anyone else who would allow the station to feature opposition political parties and their members.
Mr. Dumingu said the presenter complied with the thugs and discontinued the program for fear of being attached.
He said the matter was reported to Mpika police station on Thursday, 2nd December 2021, and investigations are still underway by the police.
However, so far, no suspects have been apprehended.
It’s not what the president directs, it’s what is enshrined in our constitution. Even if the president keeps quiet, the law will always be loud and clear and the police must arrest those disrupting the free flow of ideas.
LT,
Why are you not balancing your reporting with what the primary school teacher looking minister of broadcasting and information has said on this matter ????
Are you now sponsored by the clique ???
SHOCKING NEWS
WHERE ARE THE POLICE !!!
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Ba Police niba muselela kwakaba.
Kajoba can’t act because he’s just another cadre. Let’s see if anyone will be arrested.
We shall never have a normal society as long as we don’t know what to do with these rogues pretending to be party cadres. Forget so-called human rights and round up all these layabouts and deposit them in Kambilombilo, Chilubi Island and any similar place.
HH of course won’t tolerate this. Consequences are on the way. But I do understand exactly how UPND cadres in Mpika feel because of what used to happen at that same radio station when the PF oligarchy was in power. The UPND cadres did not cause any violence and are therefore better thugs than the PF ones. Think of what happened to Chiengi radio station.
Don’t just be saddened, ensure this reported to relevant authorities if no arrests are made. The district police command should be held accountable for any inaction. Politicians & their ignorant cadres should not usurp our constitutional rights, we are sick of them all
SENSIBLE BLOGS FOR A CHANGE
ALL WELL STATED
#8 Please stop justifying a wrong. We want an end to all types of thuggery whether soft or hard.
And yet he promised you sanity. RULE OF LAW. Charge and prosecute the Mapatizya formula goons. Cage them.
What a boom shell!
One finger pointing at you and yet 3 others are in his direction.
No cadres at bus stops yet more are in social life, in minibuses, at radio stations, house breaks, more crimes in societies.
Criminals! That’s all they are. There is no telling but it’s the 3 fingers pointing back atcha. I see no change but worse situations under the lawless Government, we warned you.
The Golden Rule Is – do unto others as you would have them do unto you..
these are acts that were associated with pf during their time in power,,, so don’t make noise like baby chicks…
Deja Vu @11, do u know extenuating circumstances? Cultural change is always a process. Trendsetters move first and then others follow later. HH will act on this unlike Edgar Lungu and u of course know this difference.
#14. The current president never condemned violence perpetrated by Upnd members. He will talk about it now as PR stunt. Justifying a wrong to me is a crime.
The carders that stormed the radio station are PF faction supporting Chishmba Kambwili . They got annoyed because the other faction are supporting Kampyongo and mundubile.
I hope these fooools are captured and thrown away in prison…use them as an example this is part of the reason why the previous govt was thrown out!!
It is upnd cadres, these chaps are dull in mpika go to monze and live there because it free from PF.
In mpika you will be troubled either you go to live the three provinces where PF does not exist.
When I told you that upnd is the most violent, uncivilised party in history, some of called me sorts of names. I have been proven right. The upnd won’t last, Mark my words. They are lucky I was not at that station because I would have blown up a few heads with my pistol.
Well, if the UPND government is indeed a better regime than PF this is the opportunity to prove so by what action they are going to take on those cadres. We are watching
Tit for tat
We have not changed the tree. what we have done is jump from one branch to another branch of the same tree. Some believe that PF was very violent party, I believe that UPND is a worse political party when it came to violence. The death of a former uPDN member who later joined PF and was killed at a poling station is a case in point. No one talks about it because the UPND god is in power, even the police are now bootlikcking the new boots.
The POLICE in MPIKA are to Blame, They did not do their Job. This is stupid and should not blame the President or UPND unnecessarily. Let’s not use emotions. These Police officers should act than behave as if they don’t have powers. Unlike in PF, They used to be beaten by cadres, which is not the case this time around. DO YOUR WORK LAZY POLICEMEN.
Old habits die hard
The cadre mentality has resurfaced. We want to see arrests and condemnation from the upnd hierarchy and if police have inertia let them be retired in public interest.
I think the headmaster is weak… There is no way people should be disobeying instructions.. something is seriously wrong.
Ba Kaizer, mwinumfwa, all you are doing is running . Mwalipwa, lishinafye, lyashala. useless threats.
Where is the chushi that doesnt thunder when UPND is baying for blood? Ba Chushi kambani timvere kabili.
And they claim to have brought freedom in Zambia. What a heap of TOSH!!