load shedding, which has resulted in expenses continue going up as more money is being spent to run the diesel generator.” Generally, respondents felt the growth of the media sector was stifled by limited economic growth in the country. Overall, the continued general slump in the economy has continued to affect the media and particularly the broadcasting media largely because all broadcast equipment is imported and a weaker kwacha meant that radio and TV stations had to pay more. The print media has also been affected as newsprint and other equipment are also imported. Advertisers also had to make adjustments downwards. 3.3 Political and Legal environment The political and legal landscape was probably the worst in recent history of the media in Zambia and certainly the worst since Zambia’s return to liberal multiparty democracy. Barely had the media and the general citizenry come to terms (if at all they did), with the closure and clamping down of The Post Newspaper (which has remained under seizure and continued to be under state possession by the ZRA action throughout the quarter, making it four months since its closure) than the government through its agents, the IBA moved to further clampdown on three broadcast media houses in the name of MUVI TV, Komboni Radio Station and Itezhi tezhi Community Radio Station on charges that they were propagating hate speech and therefore posed a threat to national peace, order and security. Consequently, Muvi TV and Komboni Radio sued the two regulatory bodies in the Lusaka High Court where they were seeking relief in the form of a court order to compel the IBA and ZICTA reinstate the duo’s operating licences.10 The two media institutions were challenging the decision by the two authorities to suspend their broadcasting licences. The two contended in their application that they would suffer irreparable damage if they remained closed. However, the High court threw out their application on grounds that it was ill-conceived. In delivering his ruling on the matter, High court judge Mwiinde Siavwapa dismissed the appeal noting that it was ill fated. The judge stated that appellants to the High Court could only appeal a minister’s decision as opposed to appealing an IBA board decision as this was procedurally incorrect. He therefore ruled that in the case before him there was no decision by the minister which the appellants might have used to appeal to the High Court. 10 Daily Nation, 3rd September 2016 14