STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA defamatory to it. It also wants interest on all sums found to be due as damages, legal costs and any other relief the court may deem fit. Communique-31st March (News Diggers) MISA in Zambia has urged the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to expedite the process of liquidating arrears owed to media houses in order to cushion their financial challenges. In a statement, Monday, MISA Zambia chairperson Hellen Mwale commended ECZ for committing to liquidate the arrears it owed to media houses for disseminating information on the electoral process for the 2016 general elections. Alert-1st April (Zambia Daily Mail) Prime Television Limited wants the High Court to grant it an order declaring Government’s decision to stop all business transactions with private TV station as unconstitutional. The company is also seeking an order quashing Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya’s decision to cease all cooperation with the broadcasting company. Prime TV also wants the court to order that media houses have the right to access and disseminate information from government without undue hindrance. Further, the company is seeking compensation for the loss of business resulting from TopStar Communication Limited’s announcement that it has stopped to conduct Business with Prime TV. This is according to a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court yesterday Communique-9th April (Lusaka Times) The Zambia Union of Broadcasters and other Information disseminators ZUBID is concerned with the continued delays to pay salaries for ZNBC Workers. ZUBID Secretary General Andrew Mpandamwike says efforts to engage management on the timely payment of salaries for ZNBC workers have reached a deadlock. Mr Mpandamwike said what is worrying is that this trend of late payment of salaries has continued for a long time with no efforts from management to stop it. Mr Mpandamwike said ZNBC workers have not been paid their March salaries and are now wondering when the April salary will be paid which is due in the next few days. Alert-4th May (Walamo Radio) On 4th May MISA received reports that Walamo Radio and had been sued as 2nd Defendant, Mr Sinkala being the 1st Defendant by Honorable Freedom Sikazwe through Tutwa Ngulube and Company Law Firm. The facts of the matter are that on the 21st of April 2020, Walamo Radio published a news story regarding CDF theft allegations made against Hon. Freedom Sikazwe. Communique-9th May (News Diggers) INFORMATION and Broadcasting Services Minister Dora Siliya says the fact that the country had no journalist in jail during this year’s Press Freedom pg. 59