According to media reports, Sakeni said this on Tuesday, 6 November 2012, as he received a petition from the Media Liaison Committee (MLC) against continued harassment of media practitioners by some political activists and cadres.
The MLC is an umbrella organisation representing media associations and trade unions in Zambia, with a focus on advocacy for media law reforms, protection of media practitioners and self-regulation of the media. It comprises of the Zambia Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Zambia), Press Association of Zambia, Panos Institute of Southern Africa, Zambia Media Women Association (ZAMWA), Press Freedom Committee of The Post (PFC), Zambia Union of Journalists (ZUJ), United Nations Information Center (UNIC) and Zambia Union of Broadcasters and other Information Disseminators (ZUBID).
“Police should act swiftly on anybody regardless of their political affiliation for harassing and beating up journalists. Police should immediately arrest anyone who breaks the law,” Sakeni is quoted as saying in the press.
The minister assured media practitioners of government’s maximum protection, especially during their course of duty, saying they [government] will ensure that media practitioners operate in a free and conducive environment without intimidation or harassment from any individual.
However, he was also quick to point out that media still had a duty and obligation to abide by their codes of ethics and to aspire towards higher standards of professionalism in executing their duties, reporting in a manner that is fair and balanced.
MISA Programme Specialist for Media Freedom Monitoring & Research, Levi Kabwato, has described Sakeni’s comments as "positive" but was quick to caution against easing pressure on the government in demanding media freedom.
“The minister’s comments come in the wake of series of media freedom violations that have been caused by various political agents in Zambia and have been recorded and reported on by MISA. We see this as a positive step towards our broader efforts in ensuring that journalists within SADC operate within a safe environment that is free from harassment and even bigger risks like the loss of life. Hence, we are delighted that the Zambian government is talking the talk but a lot more will need to be done for them to prove that they can walk the talk too,” Kabwato said.
Post published in: Africa News