MEDIA LIAISON COMMITTEE (MLC) STATEMEN ON INTERNET SERVICES DISRUPTIONS

For Immediate Release 13th August 2021

THE Media Liaison Committee (MLC) has noted with disappointment the service disruption in some internet platforms such as WhatsApp and Face book that started on Zambia’s voting day, August 12, 2021.

The MLC would like to caution service providers against engaging themselves in such negative tendencies especially at a critical time like now when the majority of people want to be part of news sharing following the August 12 elections. The service providers should instead realise that they are in Zambia as investors whose aim is to offer a service to the public.

As MLC, we doubt if any of the service providers can have any explanation over the disruption of services which comes barely a few days after the Government issued a threat that it would shut down the Internet during voting and counting period if some members of the public do not stop abusing social media.

The MLC would like to remind service providers that apart from the fact that users of these platforms pay dearly for the service which even has expiry dates, services like WhatsApp are also used for communication between families and friends, informing each other about issues such as illness or death including business.

So any disruption of services has a serious chain reaction to the end users thereby causing a lot of inconveniences to the public. This also amounts to curtailing information sharing and receiving in a country that is supposed to be not only a democracy but also a Christian nation. Freedom of expression is equally curtailed.

The MLC is appealing to all those involved in this negative action that whether or not it is politically motivated, they must immediately bring back to normal all the products that they offer and at the same time unreservedly apologise to the people of Zambia for the inconvenience caused.
Enock Ngoma – Chairperson, Media Liaison Committee