.LUNGU

By CLEVER ZULU –

THE Access To Information Bill (ATI) will be tabled before Parliament this year, Information and Broadcasting Services minister Chishimba Kambwili has said.
“The process towards the enactment of the Access To Information Bill (ATI), has reached an advanced stage.
“The Bill is set to be tabled in Parliament before the end of the year,” he said.
Mr Kambwili, who is Chief Government spokesperson, said this last night when he launched commemorative activities of the 2015 World Press Freedom Day.
The theme for this year’s World Press Freedom Day is “Media and Gender Equality in the Digital Age.”
The process to enact the ATI Bill has dragged for several years. Initially the Bill was called the Freedom of Information Bill.
ATI seeks to provide for the right of access to information and set out the scope of public information under the control of public authorities to be made available to the public in order to facilitate more effective participation in the good governance of Zambia.
The Bill is also meant to promote transparency and accountability of public officers.
Mr Kambwili said Government had also accelerated the formulation of the national information and media policy to guide the growth of a free and professional media that would contribute meaningfully to national development.
“These and other measures represent Government’s desire and determination to enhance the free flow and public access to information, a pre-requisite for our thriving democracy,” he said.
He said the theme for this year was not only appropriate, but also consistent with Government’s commitment to promote the growth of an independent, free and professional media that would contribute meaningfully to the gender agenda for sustainable social and economic development.
Mr Kambwili said instead of using the social media to insult, defame and malign others, as has become common on some social media platforms, media practitioners should use the platform to fight social ills such as Gender Based Violence (GBV), child defilement and other gender-related vices.
Mr Kambwili said Government, under the leadership of President Edgar Lungu, has resolved to create a conducive environment for the media to flourish.
He said the Government believed in plurality of voices as a key attributes to the countries democracy.
“Therefore, it is our conviction that the more diverse our media becomes, the more we shall broaden the marketplace of ideas. It means people will have a wide array of information to choose from and to make informed decisions,” he said.
Mr Kambwili said it was for this reason that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government had accelerated the issuance of radio and television licences.
“There are now over 70 private and community radio stations and no less than 12 television stations now on air countrywide – making the Zambian broadcasting sector one of the most liberalised on the continent and beyond,” he said.
Mr Kambwili said several activities had been arranged in Lusaka and other parts of the country, starting today, to commemorate this year’s World Press Freedom Day.
The activities include a mentorship training workshop targeting journalists from community based media houses and an exhibition by media houses to showcase their works to the public.
Others are a media sports day and media women’s conference.