FAJ Backs Zambian Media Drive for Self-Regulatory Mechanisms

The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the African regional organization of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), strongly protests the Zambian government’s on-going attempts to impose a statutory regulatory council on the media in the country, a move strongly opposed by the Zambian independent media community.

The Media Liaison Committee (MLC) of Zambia, the umbrella body of media houses, media associations and the Zambia Union of Journalists, the affiliate of FAJ in Zambia, officially declared that statutory media council has no place in Zambia and decided on a voluntary self-regulatory mechanism. The decision of the MLC came after the government pressed on the drafting of statute-driven regulatory bill which it views as the best model for Zambia. The government calls non-statutory media council “toothless and unenforceable”.

“Zambian media stakeholders came a long way and are successfully spearheading the formation of non-statutory media council. But the government’s efforts to obstruct, undermine and discourage the efforts of the media community to form such a council are unacceptable and clearly meant to impede media-driven media council for press freedom, professionalism and people’s interests,” said Omar Faruk Osman, FAJ President.

General Ronnie Shikapwasha, minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, told Zambian media that the government will use its majority in the Parliament to pass the law on the media council. “First let me remind them (Zambian media liaison committee) that we have the majority numbers in Parliament,” the minister was quoted as saying. “They are promoting lawlessness and as Government we cannot allow that. When we decide to do that, there will not be any discussion anymore,” he reportedly added.

“The will of the media community of Zambia has been clearly stated. We fully back the media stakeholders’ decision to form non-statutory media council. Our solidarity is with our colleagues in Zambia and we call up the government to abandon this dangerous move of creating forcefully statutory media council,” Omar added.

Delegates of the National Stakeholders Conference on media self-regulation adopted the proposal to form non-statutory media self-regulation, drafted constitution and code of conduct. “It is time for the government to respect the aspiration of the media stakeholders, if its intention is not to suppress media rights” he declared.

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