By REBECCA MUSHOTA –
FORMER Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia chairperson Kellys Kaunda has urged the public to refrain from concluding that the Patriotic Front (PF) is behind the decision by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) to suspend licences for three media houses.
Mr Kaunda said it was wrong for some members of the public to assume that the IBA acted under instructions from the PF or President-elect Edgar Lungu when it suspended the broadcasting licences of Muvi Television, Komboni Radio and Itezhi-Tezhi Radio.
The media houses’ licences were suspended in the interest of national security on Monday this week.
Mr Kaunda was speaking yesterday when he featured on a radio programme on 5FM, together with spokesperson of the embattled Nevers Mumba MMD faction Irene Musonda.
The programme was discussing whether the suspension of the licences of the three media houses was Government’s ploy to silence the media or if it was a sign that the media had undisciplined elements.
Mr Kaunda said as MISA chair years ago during the MMD government, he and other media practitioners fought for the establishment of the IBA, because it was important to regulate broadcasting houses.
He said regulating of the media was a technical process that people did not easily understand and should, therefore, refrain from making conclusions.
“Solidarity comments from members of the public are not helping, but are just making the situation worse. It is necessary to regulate the media and it is important to wait for the IBA to give us details on the matter because regulation is technically just like court matters,” Mr Kaunda.
He said the best way forward was for the media houses to negotiate with the IBA in a sober engagement.
When responding to callers who complained against the content of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) news, Mr Kaunda said he was a fair person who was on record stating that the news content on the national broadcaster was not balanced and did not fulfill the needs of the public.
However, Ms Musonda on the other hand accused the IBA of not following the right procedure before suspending the licences.
She said the regulator should have engaged the affected media houses before taking any drastic measure such as suspending licences.
Ms Musonda said many people watched Muvi Television to have another view of the political happenings in the country.
She said she was proud that the MMD in its years in power opened up the airwaves and promoted freedom of the media.
“We never even shut down any paper or radio station at the time we were in power, but now media operations are not the same,” Ms Musonda said.
Mr Kaunda, however, said the media were not free enough under the MMD administration, because journalists ran many battles with MMD cadres and they were assaulted by party members.