STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA MISA Zambia wishes to call upon the government through the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Hon. Dora Siliya to accept the apology from Mr. Shawa in his capacity as well as on behalf of Prime TV as an institution and engage in dialogue that would benefit both parties and turn a new page6. The move by Prime TV received commendations from several sectors of society. In a shock move, however, Topstar Communications Ltd. Removed Prime TV on its bouquet of channels, claiming this was in compliance with government’s directive for cessation of business with the TV station. Several stakeholders condemned the move, with PANOS Institute issuing the following: Panos Institute Southern Africa (PSAf) appeals to signal distributor Top Star Communications Company Limited to reconsider its decision to remove Prime Television from its platforms, and immediately reinstate the station on the Top Star bouquet. On Friday, 27 March 2020, Top Star said the company was “hereby ceasing all forms of cooperation” with Prime TV, and that they were removing the station from the Top Star platform “with immediate effect”. The company said this action was taken in line with a Ministry of Information directive for government agencies to terminate all business transactions with the privately owned television station. Panos believes private media actors such as Prime TV have an important role to play in advancing Zambia’s development, complementing the national broadcaster and other information actors to ensure increased availability of and access to media and communication platforms by the most affected and most vulnerable groups, and ensuring that information is effectively used to drive development. Given Prime TV’s position as a leading private broadcaster in Zambia, the station provides an important platform for citizens to access and share information on important issues. The removal of Prime TV from Top Star may have far reaching negative effects on the station’s employees and on the many citizens who rely on the TV station as their preferred channel for accessing information. At a time when the whole nation is focused on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, the media has a duty to inform and educate citizens, raising their awareness about the pandemic and providing them with 6 https://zambia.misa.org/2020/03/24/apology-by-prime-tv-commendable-misa-zambia/ pg. 14