State of the media in Southern Africa - 2004 Kajimango, ruled that the proceedings would be held in camera, despite an application by Mukelabai’s lawyer, Vincent Malambo, that they should be open to the public. MISA-Zambia quite rightly pointed out that “... journalists are there to inform the public about what is happening, therefore, having the case of the DPP heard in camera is an infringement of the journalists’ rights as well as the denial of information to the public.” Police brutality: media under threat Other incidents included the four-hour detention by police of two reporters working for Radio Lyambai, a community radio station in Mongu (581 kilometres west of Lusaka), for allegedly inciting people in a local township to riot. Joseph Ngenda and Dennis Mwiiya, both producers at Radio Lyambai, were picked up on 20 February 2004, by three armed police officers for presenting a programme that police claimed led to a riot in which residents of Imwiko Township beat up and set on fire the home of a suspected child abductor. Mwala Kalaluka, a Zambia Information Service reporter who was covering the riot, was detained for two hours. Police threatened to shoot if he did not stop interviewing witnesses. He was also called a “fake reporter who reports lies”. On April 24 and 25, Samuel Botha, a sub-editor, and George Lwanja, a programme manager, both of Radio Chikaya, a small community radio station in Lundazi (about 800 kilometres north east of Lusaka), were arrested, detained and charged with “obstructing a police officer on duty.” In a related incident, announcer and volunteer Chaison Gwede Ngulube was arrested in connection with a murder investigation at a village in Lundazi. Botha was arrested after he prevented a police officer from entering the transmission studio to arrest Ngulube, who was anchoring a live discussion programme at the time. Lwanja was only arrested the next day when he tried to negotiate for Botha’s release from detention. Lwanja informed MISA-Zambia that he and Botha had been beaten up in the process. There were other sad cases of institutional or police intimidation, victimisation and arrests of journalists. An example is ZNBC’S one-month suspension of its Acting Director of Programmes, Ben Kangwa and another employee, Ignatius Sibetta, over the broadcast of “Unshackled,” an African film featuring a man addicted to masturbation on 3 August 2004. Silencing the detractors The period also witnessed the Minister of Home Affairs, Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha deregistering The Southern Africa Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD), after he accused the organisation of “engaging in activities inimical to the interests of the State.” SACCORD was a non-governmental organisation involved in human rights, promoting good governance, monitoring elections and lobbying for legislative reform. Around the time of deregistration, the organisation had been outspoken in calling for the amendment of the Public Order Act, which regulates public processions and gatherings in Zambia. The banning of SACCORD was greeted with alarm by a number of NGOs, particularly because it followed threats by President Mwanawasa that Government would introduce legislation to check the source of NGO funding. The President had accused some of the NGOs of trying to So This Is Democracy? 2004 121 Media Institute of Southern Africa