Zambia Communiqu: President urges cadres to stop physical attacks on the press and concerned citiz

In a statement released by State House Chief Analyst for Press and
Public Relations Dickson Jere on 3 March, 2009, President Banda
appealed to the MMD supporters to immediately refrain from harassing
people at the ongoing Tribunal investigating the conduct of Transport
and Communications Minister, Dora Siliya.The President said he was a believer in the rule of law and therefore
would not condone members of the MMD or indeed any other political
party to intimidate or interfere with the ongoing Tribunal.

President Banda made this statement three days after MMD cadres beat up
The Post photojournalists Thomas Nsama in Eastern province of Zambia,
on 28 February 2009, where he had been assigned to take pictures of the
events leading to the traditional ceremony called N'cwala of the Ngoni
people of the Eastern province in Zambia.  The cadres also harassed a
former Transport and Communications Minister, William Harrington on 2
March, 2009 in Lusaka when he went to present a petition to the Zambian
Chief Justice Ernest Sakala requesting him to set up a tribunal to
investigate the conduct of Transport and Communications Minister, Dora
Siliya.

President Banda said the complainants and witnesses at the Tribunal
should be allowed to testify without any interference so that the truth
could be established.

Let us allow the Tribunal to conduct its work in a transparent and
impartial manner. Every witness should be allowed to testify without
interference from anybody, President Banda said.

MISA