STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA broadcasting station to lodge a complaint to the IBA. The procedure is clearly provided in sections 34 to 37. It is, therefore, total violation of the IBA Act, and an embarrassment to the Government and its leadership, for any person to procure other people to storm a radio station and disrupt a broadcast programme or to order a broadcast station to broadcast in a certain manner. Government condemns, in the strongest terms, reported incidents involving some suspected PF cadres who attempted to stop a radio programme on Muchinga Radio that featured the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema. Government also condemns the incident in Mpika district where Mr. Hichilema is reported to have been barred from featuring on Mpika Community Radio. The two unfortunate incidents have no blessings from Government. Government remains committed to the promotion of citizens’ rights, including the right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed in the national Constitution, provided that the freedom is exercised within the confines of the law. Further, government remains resolute in its support and promotion of media freedoms in the country, as can be seen by the growing numbers of licensed radio and television stations. It is important to appreciate that broadcast houses have standards to which they conform and therefore, if any person is aggrieved with any radio or television programme, they should follow the complaint procedure as outlined in the IBA Act to seek redress, as has been demonstrated by very high ranking officials in the ruling party before. As the country continues to fight the Covid-19, government appreciates any support aimed at enhancing the fight against the pandemic be it material contribution or information dissemination for as long as that information is void of politics. Therefore, government can only wish that the UPND leader would also use the opportunity on radio to encourage Zambians to join hands in fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic. pg. 31