TI-Z REFLECTIONS ON THIS YEARS’S WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

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E-mail: tizambiageneral@gmail.com
Website: www.tizambia.org.zm

SUNDAY 3RD May, 2020 For Immediate Release
The News editor

TI-ZAMBIA’S REFLECTIONS ON THIS YEARS’S WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) wishes to join the rest of the world in celebrating this year’s World Press Freedom Day under the theme “Journalism without Fear or Favour”. We believe that this is an extremely important day that allows us as a country to take a deep introspection and reflect on the progress that we have made over the years in enhancing media freedom at all levels of our society. As TI-Z, we believe that the media as the fourth estate plays an absolutely critical role in highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of our governance, thus contributing to the enhancement of accountability and to our democratic aspirations as a country. Currently, the world is glued to their Television screens, Phones and Radio waiting for latest information from the media on the deadly Corona virus. This is how important media is not only for Zambia but the entire world.

We are also cognizant of the fact that a free and vibrant media is an important aspect of the fight against corruption and it is therefore incumbent upon us as a country to do everything in our power to ensure that the media operates in an environment where – in line with the theme for this year’s World Press Freedom Day – they are able to do their work without fear or favour. It is however sad to note that the overall environment within which the media in Zambia operates continues to be one fraught with a myriad of challenges, more so for journalists from private media houses, who are increasingly treated with suspicion especially from the ruling elite and have in some cases become victims of violence from overzealous political party cadres.

As we join our gallant journalists across the entire media spectrum in commemorating this day, we would like to pay glowing tribute to them for their dedication and commitment to duty despite the challenges they continue to encounter. In doing so, we wish to encourage all journalists in Zambia to continue upholding their professional integrity and to stick to the ideals of their noble profession as they perform their crucial function as the fourth estate.
As TI-Z, our commemoration of World Press Freedom Day would not be complete without reflecting on some of the obstacles that threaten the continued existence of a free and vibrant media in Zambia. In this vein, we note with deep concern the continued absence of access to information legislation despite commitments that have been made by successive governments over this issue. We therefore make an earnest appeal to the Patriotic Front government to hasten the process of enacting the Access to Information Bill into law as we believe this will be an important step towards enhancing our democratic aspirations as a country. We also note with continued sadness government’s adamant stance over the issue of Prime TV, which has been taken off the air over what we consider to be unconvincing reasons advanced by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA). We therefore wish to call upon the IBA that on this day when we are celebrating press freedom, they should exercise a gesture of good will by reinstating Prime TV’s broadcasting licence.

It is our hope that as we all reflect on the work of our journalists from both the public and private media, we will appreciate the efforts that they are making in performing their function amidst difficult conditions, and that we will therefore do all we can to make their work easier. Happy World Press Freedom Day.

Yours Faithfully

Maurice K. Nyambe
TI-Z Executive Director