Metro

Balancing press freedom, state control in Zambia: The struggle for media independence

Published

4 months ago

August 24, 2024

The music that guides a dancer’s movements is crafted by the instrumentalist, much like how the press, known as the “fourth estate,” plays a crucial role in a democracy through its level of freedom.

However, while “freedom of the press” is often touted by politicians to project a democratic image, the real measure of media freedom lies in whether journalists can report accurately, truthfully and objectively without facing intimidation or pressure, regardless of the political status of the subject.

This raises crucial questions: Who controls the media, and how does such control affect the key players in this field?

Read More: Zambia’s media freedom promises questioned amidst threats, intimidation, by Hannet Mwimbe

Caroline Katotobwe, Executive Director for the Centre for Policy Dialogue, highlighted in a 2022 blog post that in many countries, journalists and civil society leaders who investigate and criticise corruption, trafficking and human rights violations face significant risks.

She noted that the freedom of expression in Zambia, guaranteed under Article 20(3)(c) of the Constitution, was historically undermined by laws such as criminal libel and defamation before these were revoked.

Katotobwe pointed to an Amnesty International report from June 2021, which observed an environment of fear in Zambia, where human rights defenders, including journalists, lived under constant threat of arrest, intimidation and violence.

Her personal experience in the media world echoed these concerns, as she found the need to self-censor to avoid potentially severe consequences from powerful and influential politicians.

These issues highlighted the importance of media independence, emphasizing that journalists must operate without state regulations or fear in order to function freely.

For instance, a publication from ‘Support the Guardian’ reported that the Zambian government had intensified its harassment of independent media outlets by arresting journalists and blocking two news websites.

Furthermore, in a statement released in Lusaka on August 17, 2024, Acting Spokesperson, Simon Mulumbi, of the Human Rights Commission urged the public to exercise their freedom of expression responsibly, particularly on social media.

However, the term “responsibly” was left undefined, raising concerns about its potential misuse to curb free speech.

In conclusion, Katotobwe’s observations reveal that in many countries, including Zambia, journalists face significant risks when investigating corruption and human rights abuses.

This underscored the need for an environment where they can work without fear of intimidation.

The repressive actions reported by ‘Support the Guardian’ and the ambiguous call for ‘responsible’ expression by Mulumbi reflect the ongoing challenges to media freedom.

For journalists to truly fulfill their role in a democracy, they must be able to operate without state interference or fear of reprisal—a principle that remained crucial for the functioning of a free and fair society.

This story is sponsored by Project Aliyense.

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Metro

Nigeria: 614,937 killed, 2.2m abducted in 1 year— Report

Published

8 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A new report released on Tuesday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that over 614,937 Nigerians were killed and 2,235,954 others kidnapped across the country in one year between May 2023 and April 2024.

The NBS report, titled, “The Crime Experienced and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024”, says based on the surveys conducted between May 2023 and April 2024, the 2.2 million Nigerians who were kidnapped across the country paid a whopping N2.2 trillion as ransom, with an average amount of N2.7 million per incident.

The report also disclosed that murder rate was highest in rural areas with 335,827 incidents and 279,110 in urban areas.

A zone-by-zone analysis of the report showed that the North-West had the highest murder cases of 206,030, followed by the North-East which stood at 188,992, while the least was recorded in the South-West at 15,693.

The report also revealed about seven in 10 households reported murder cases to the police nationwide with 33 per cent of households responding that the killer was an unknown person, and 23.4 per cent confirmed that the murderer was a member of the household; while 1.0 per cent reported that the murderer was either a spouse or a lover.

The report said 1,668,104 persons were kidnapped in rural areas and 567,850 in urban areas with the North-West having the highest cases of kidnapping with 1,420,307 abducted, followed by the North-Central with 317,837 and the South-East at 110,432.

“Of the estimated amount of N2.2 trillion payments to free victims, the North-West reported the highest ransom paid with N1.2 trillion; while the South-East was the least with N85.4 billion.

“Disaggregated by zones, the North-Central reported the highest proportion of payment of ransom at 83.4 per cent, followed by North-East at 78.6 per cent.

“Households in urban areas paid an average of N3.7 million compared to N2.3 million in rural areas,” the report stated.

It added that about 91 per cent of kidnapping incidents were done for ransom in the form of money, goods or other benefits.

“While 2.4 per cent of cases were attributed to political, criminal, or terrorist objectives; 2.1 per cent were linked to personal or family disputes. Custody disputes accounted for 0.5 per cent of cases,” the report said.

Metro

Nigeria: Army denies reports of plans to establish French military base in the country

Published

2 days ago

December 16, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Nigerian Army has debunked reports claiming that the French military was planning to establish a base in Nigeria.

The rumours gained momentum on social media and some traditional media platforms following President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to France where he met with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

But a statement on Monday by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said the clarification was necessitated by reports doing the rounds that French soldiers had arrived in the country in preparation to set up a base in Maiduguri, Borno State.

“The attention of Defence Headquarters has been drawn to online reports alleging the arrival of the first contingent of French soldiers in Maiduguri towards establishing a French Military base in North East Nigeria,” Buba said.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria hereby state unequivocally that this information is fake, totally false and mischievous.

“It would be recalled that Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa CFR, recently addressed this matter in different media forums. In which he debunked the news and such speculations.

“It is clear that these are the antics of mischief makers,” the defence spokesman saif.

Buba also urged the general public to disregard the news and speculations still making rounds in some quarters, adding that the military will continue to carry out its constitutional responsibilities, most professionally and ensure the territorial integrity of Nigeria.