STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA Recently, a number of videos have been duped by tricksters promising them huge amounts of money but only end up being blackmailed. 4.3.2 Detentions The media in the period under review saw a journalist detained for four hours after being found taking pictures of the ZESCO substation in Kamwala South. According to Lusaka Times 8, police confiscated Salim Dawood‟s camera before detaining him at Kabwata Police Station around 17:30 hours. He was released on bond about four hours later after the intervention of prominent Lusaka lawyer Keith Mweemba. Police handed back the camera to Salim after deleting the images and making him pay an admission of guilt fine. Earlier, MISA Zambia had expressed concern over the actions taken by police. MISA- Zambia Vice Chairperson Hyde Haguta was quoted by The Mast9 stating that the detention and subsequent release of Dawood for taking pictures of ZESCO substation was a source of concern because Zambia continued to lag behind in in Technology. “The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia raises this concern based on the fact that Dawood was kept in police custody for four hours and later released after payment of admission of guilt fine for taking pictures of the said substation when the world can see it through internet based map applications,” Haguta stated. “MISA-Zambia is worried with the continued enforcement of laws that are archaic, Moreover, the deletion of the pictures Dawood took amounts to censorship and it is a violation of the media and its ability to report news based on its newsworthiness.” 8 Lusaka Times – Reporters without boarders condemn arrest of Zambian journalist – 14th September, 2018 9 The Mast - MISA Condemns Dawood’s arrest – 15th September, 2018 11