. Musenge

By CHATULA KAMPO –

COPPERBELT Minister Mwenya Musenge has urged Radio Stations in the country to notify police whenever they are hosting political leaders on air.

Mr Musenge said yesterday that radio stations should seek security from the police when political leaders feature on radio to protect their equipment from being damaged by rival party cadres.

He said the political party leaders should also desist from carrying a horde of cadres when featuring on radio programmes.

Last week, United Party for National Development (UPND) and Patriotic Front (PF) cadres clashed in Ndola temporarily disrupting operations at Sun FM when UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema featured on the station.

Mr Musenge said radio stations should always take precautions whenever they invite political leaders on radio to protect their own property and personnel.

“Radio station should inform the police so that they can be advised on how to go about it, especially where political leaders appear on radio and make statements that anger supporters of other parties.

The media, especially radio stations should always liaise with police,” he said.

Mr Musenge said the community radio stations were playing an important role in informing and entertaining the nation and that Government would not want to see them close due  to damage of property by unruly political party  cadres.

The minister also urged opposition leaders to seek police advice whenever they were had meetings including appearing on radio stations.
He said that Copperbelt was a PF stronghold and that opposition leaders should always have this in mind whenever they were in the province and make negative statements against Government on public radio.

Mr Musenge, however, condemned the behaviour of the cadres from the ruling party and the UPND when Mr Hichilema featured on Sun FM.