PF, EFZ, MISA condemn arsonists

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 09:45:02 +0000

By CHIKUMBI KATEBE

Patriotic Front Media Director Sunday Chanda has said bitterness cannot be divorced from attempts to torch the Daily Nation Newspapers offices on Sunday night.

And Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) said political desperation was at play in the sabotage of public and private property with the gutting of Lusaka City Market and the Daily Nation Newspapers.

He said it was unacceptable that people’s lives and their businesses should be disrupted as a result of continued intolerance and acts of sabotage by heartless people and agents of destruction.

Reverend Mwanza said the implication of such acts goes beyond just burning a market or two but actually extended to dragging the entire country’s economy backwards.

He said criminal acts must stop as they are affecting many lives of innocent Zambians who remain traumatized.

“This should stop and the police should intensify patrols and provide security protection on critical and strategic installations, buildings, shopping malls, institutions of higher learning such as colleges and universities, post offices, government, parastatal buildings, heavy industrial sites, rail and air transport infrastructure including strategic bridges across the country.

And Rev Mwanza has called for sensitization of the general public to be vigilant and cooperate with the police in their duty and help to strengthen security in the country.

He said Zambians must not allow anarchy and lawlessness to disturb the peace of the country, and called for continued prayer and trust in God for the peace and tranquility within the borders.

Meanwhile, Mr Chanda said PF condemns in the strongest terms the barbaric attacks on the privately owned newspaper.

He described as cowardly the act of torching property which he said was aimed at silencing credible voices in the media industry in Zambia.

Mr Chanda said some sections of society had hidden behind a banner of democracy when their true intentions were to defile and corrupt society’s judgment on key issues of national development.

“The Patriotic Front condemns attempts by some bitter section of society to burn down the Daily Nation. These are cowardly attacks aimed at silencing the credible voice of the Daily Nation and must be condemned by all Zambians.

“It is very clear by reasonable Zambians to understand why a media institution such as Daily Nation would be targeted by criminals pursuing narrow political objectives. This is because it has remained as one of the remnants of objective media reporting,” he said.

He said as the party in Government, they were concerned with the safety of the media against those with hate and malice to destroy and injure without remorse.

Mr Chanda accused some media houses in the country of fueling divisions and sowing seeds of discontent supported by known political parties saying that they had called for lawlessness in society.

“They desire that their political project, funded by imperialist forces, ascends to the highest office of the land,” Mr Chanda said.

He said Zambians must begin to question why some foreign imperialists should take special interest in what was going on in Zambia to the extent of having some of their members within the political space who serve as their mouthpieces.

Mr Chanda has since called on the police and members of the public with information about these criminals to report them to relevant authorities.

“The PF wishes to assure the Media fraternity in general, including those who seek our fall, that we shall continue promoting the growth and independence of the Media in Zambia. “PF considers media institutions as partners in development and a key component of our thriving democracy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia chapter is saddened by attempts by unknown people to set ablaze Daily Nation Newspapers offices in Lusaka.

MISA Zambia chairperson Hellen Mwale said it was unfortunate that certain people want to wage a criminal war against media houses.

She has called on the police to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring the culprits to book.

“What happened at the Daily Nation is an injustice not only on the media house but for the people of Zambia as they rely on the media for information,” she said.

She urged police to ensure media houses and media personnel were protected at all times in their line of duty.