TIZ Calls For Lungu To Reopen Prime

The executive director of Transparency International Zambia (TIZ), Maurice Nyambe, has said President Edgar Lungu should have used Monday’s celebrations for Africa Freedom Day as an opportunity to reinstate Prime Television’s broadcasting license and restore freedom of information to Zambian citizens. 

Speaking on Monday, Mr Nyambe said it was not enough for the president to pardon 2,984 inmates to commemorate Africa Freedom Day; he should also have addressed the corruption and assaults on liberty that stem from his own government. 

“We believe that the Head of State should pronounce himself on the unfortunate trivialisation of corruption that we have seen in the recent past from a senior government official. We also believe that the Head of State, also being the leader of the party in government, should further pronounce himself on the unfortunate incidents of lawlessness that have been exhibited by suspected cadres from the ruling party in disrupting radio programmes featuring opposition leaders,” he said. 

The statement follows several attacks by suspected PF cadres on radio stations scheduled to broadcast messages from UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema. The latest attack in Isoka last Monday saw some 30 attackers gas and assault members of the local Community Radio Station. 

Mr Nyambe went on to call on President Lungu to reinstate broadcasting privileges for Prime TV, as part of a wider appeal to undo restrictions of freedom of information enacted by the current government. 

“We wish to reiterate our call to the government, through the IBA, to exercise a gesture of goodwill on the day of celebrating Africa’s freedom to immediately reinstate Prime TV’s broadcasting licence in order to restore the freedom that citizens had to choose their own preferred source of news,” he said. 

The Independent Broadcasting Authority rescinded Prime’s broadcasting licence in April after a fallout between the broadcaster and the government over the free airing of Covid-19 infomercials. Officials from both the European Union and the United States have criticised the move and called on President Lungu’s government to reinstate Prime’s licence.