under sufficient laws that recognise journalists and provide specific privileges as well as protection against such vices 5. There is also need for media houses to ensure such cases are not withdrawn as this only encourages a continuation of the vice as perpetrators will always endeavour to settle matters out of court. While media outlets are at liberty to ‘reconcile’ with their attackers, the course of justice must be allowed as the vice not only affects the individual media outlet but the profession as a whole. There are several precedents in which perpetrators of attacks on media houses and journalists have been convicted. The most recent of such cases is when the Lundazi Magistrate Court handed a two-year custodial sentence to Frank Mwale, a PF cadre who attacked a Breeze FM journalist-Grace Lungu and her driver during the Mkomba Ward by election in 2019. Below is a representation of (reported 6) attacks against journalists and media outlets from the first quarter to the quarter under review: DATE/ PERIOD AFFECT ED OUTLET Liberty Radio DISTRICT SUMMARY DAMAGE Mporokoso Ruling Patriotic Front cadres attempted to disrupt a paid-for programme which featured Opposition Democratic Party President, Harry Kalaba. A fracas ensued between DP supporters and the PF cadres on station grounds Damage reportedWindows and doors 21st February Radio Luswepo Mbala Patriotic Front cadres disrupted a live programme featuring Democratic Party President Harry Kalaba, Damage reported-Wirefence and other private property 10th March Radio Chete Nakonde The Station was tear-gassed by PF cadres for running a programme which featured the opposition UPND Provincial Chairperson and an aspiring candidate, George Sinkala None reported 9th February Journalists in Zambia do not have any formal recognition, save the implicit provision in Article 20 (2) of the Zambian Constitution which states that “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution no law shall make any provision that derogates from freedom of the press”. This, however, does not define the press (and journalists), the privileges and protection they enjoy as well as their corresponding responsibilities, thereby leaving them at the mercy of the many derogations promulgated by the same Article and made more explicit by various provisions in subsidiary laws such as the Penal Code, among others. As a consequence, attacks on journalists are tried as ordinary assault offenses. 6 MISA Zambia collects media violation alerts as reported by victims, the police or in other media outlets 5 14