THABO Kawana has roundly been chastised for having developed the propensity of storming broadcasting media houses and imposing himself as the uninvited guest on programmes mainly featuring leaders of the opposition political parties.
The Zambia Institute of Independent Media Alliance (ZIIMA), the Patriotic Front (PF) and civil rights activist Brebner Changala have described Mr Kawana’s behavior of storming media houses and intimidating hosts of programmes and their guest as politically ill-mannered.
Yesterday, Mr Kawana stormed Lusaka Music Radion which was hosting PF deputy information and publicity chairperson Emmanuel Mwamba, barely a week after he forced himself on the Diamond TV which was hosting Raphael Nakacinda, the PF information and publicity chairperson and declared himself part of the programme without being invited.
And now Mr Kawana’s conduct has attracted the concerns ZIIMA consultant Wilson Pondamali, Mr Mwamba and Mr Changala who have said the Ministry of Information and Media director and spokesperson was over-stepping his authority as a civil servant.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Pondamali said ZIIMA had taken note of the unbecoming behaviour of one civil servant in the name of Mr Kawana of storming studios during live programmes.
“Firstly, we want to register our displeasure that such behaviour is coming from a director in our parent Ministry. This is a Ministry that is supposed to uphold our independence and media freedoms in line with the aspirations of President Hakainde Hichilema and the new dawn administration, we call upon the Permanent Secretary in that ministry to censure Mr. Kawana,” Mr Pondamali said.
And Mr Changala said the excitement by Mr Kawana as a politicking civil servant was shocking and has advised that he (Kawana) should tone down on his new agenda of storming broadcasting media houses and verbally attacking politicians.
