Ireen Mundia, a student journalist, has contributed to the discourse on media freedoms, drawing from her internship experience at Byta FM radio in Choma.

Reflecting on her career, Mundia noted an improvement in Zambia’s media landscape, citing a lack of threats or harassment toward journalists or media institutions.

In an interview with Zambia Monitor in Choma, Mundia affirmed that she had not experienced harassment during her work and believed in the freedom to access information.

She defined media freedom as the right for journalists to obtain information without fear of intimidation, emphasizing its importance in conducting interviews and reporting.

“This is the freedom that gives us journalists to interview any person without fear of being harassed,” Mundia said.

However, she acknowledged challenges in accessing certain information, particularly from sectors like the police, health, and education, where individuals are often reluctant to speak without higher authority approval.

“So, there is certain information that is very strict, so I do not think they [news sources] can be able to give you such information unless if you are dealing with lighter information or issues.

“From what I have experienced if you are dealing with…let us say if you want to interview people in the police sector or health sector and teaching sector is where I found most challenges because you will find that most people in those sectors do no really come out and talk unless maybe someone who is higher in authority allows them,” she concluded.

Her insights highlight the paradox of journalists operating without harassment but facing obstacles in accessing crucial information necessary for news articles.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

President Bola Tinubu has reportedly mandated the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend the implementation of a controversial cybersecurity levy which had led to public outcry, even as civil society groups threatened to embark on nationwide protests.

The order of the President,! which will also see a review of the levy, came on the heels of the decision of the Nigerian House of Representatives which asked the CBN to withdraw its circular directing all banks to commence charging a 0.5 per cent cybersecurity levy on all electronic transactions in the country.

The apex bank had, on May 6, issued a circular mandating all banks, mobile money operators, and payment service providers to implement a new cybersecurity levy, following the provisions laid out in the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (Amendment) Act 2024.

Going by the Act, a levy amounting to 0.5 per cent of the value of all electronic transactions will be collected and remitted to the National Cybersecurity Fund, overseen by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONS.

In a circular issued by the bank, “financial institutions are required to apply the levy at the point of electronic transfer origination.”

“The deducted amount is to be explicitly noted in customer accounts under the descriptor “Cybersecurity Levy” and remitted by the financial institution.

“All financial institutions are required to start implementing the levy within two weeks from the issuance of the circular.”

The announcement of the levy was not recieved well by Nigerians with a lot of dissenting voices and opposition which has now forced Tinubu to ask for the suspension of its implementation.

According to sources in the Presidency, following a rejection of the levy by a large percentage of Nigerians and the fear of a breakdown of law and order, President Tinubu personally intervened and asked the CBN to suspend the levy pending its review.