citizenry. Such a law would further help to create standards and obligations
with regard to integrity of information, thereby reducing vices like corruption,
which flourish in an environment of secrecy. It is, thus, important that the
enactment of the Access to Information Bill is reconsidered a priority. Further,
content of the Bill which is already under consideration by government must
be made public as it is a people’s document.
It is no wonder, then, that during the period under review some stakeholders
expressed reservations on government’s plans to conduct nationwide
consultation on the Bill, stating that any such move would merely delay the
process of enacting the Bill as sufficient consultation had been undertaken in
the twenty-one years of the Bill’s existence7.
Globally, close to 135 countries have enacted ATI laws, including at least
eighteen in Africa, among them Kenya, Tunisia, Malawi, Ghana, Tanzania,
Angola and Zimbabwe, to mention a few8.

4.2.

Media regulation

With regard to media regulation, there appears to be agreement on the need
for regulation of the media sector in view of the vices observed. Among those
vices is the influx of untrained individuals masquerading as journalists, the
low wages and lack of protection as well as the lack of professionalism.
As noted by most discussants, and from the materials reviewed, Media
regulation has been a need for a long time in Zambia, evidenced by the
number of censures on professional misconduct by media houses as well as
infringements against the rights of journalists.
For example, one FGD discussant, a practising journalist stated:
Despite the process and all that is going on, I feel media regulation is
important in Zambia. There are times I feel embarrassed to be a journalist

7

https://www.lusakatimes.com/2022/03/29/governments-plan-to-take-the-access-to-information-bill-to-10provinces-for-fine-tuning-opposed/
8
A full list of the 135 countries with ATI legislation and the corresponding Global Right to information Rating
can be viewed at https://www.rti-rating.org/country-data/

15

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