STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA
The paper read in part:
She (Dora Siliya) said players in the television industry want to know if
Government is really involved in Top Star through the Zambia National
Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and the corporation’s role in ensuring a
fair play for everyone.
She said while all the issues raised by sector players are significant and can be
resolved the bigger picture should be supporting initiatives aimed at growing
the television industry in Zambia.
From the response given on the issue during the quarter under review, the license given to Top
Star is not pronounced and is not clear to the public.
4.4.2 Journalist Safety
Journalist safety in the third quarter of the year was unassured following threats of journalist by
government as well as the arrest of a photo journalist for capturing an image of a ZESCO
substation. The fact that the police would arrest a journalist for performing their duty and delete
images after detaining a media practitioner does not guarantee the safety of journalists in the
country.
Apart from the arrest of a photo journalist, another case that resurfaced during the period under
review is the dragging case in which a photo journalist was kicked by a musician in 2012 and is
still in court in 201822. The case is that of Jean Mandela, a photojournalist who wrote to the DPP
over review his case with Koffi‟s Olomide.
Lusaka Times report that:
Mandela said he is surprised that the Zambia Police is now claiming that Koffi is free to
perform in Zambia saying the only case he was facing was dropped for lack of evidence.

22

Lusaka Times – Photojournalist Jean Mandela writes to the DPP over Koffi Olomide‟s case – 24th July, 2018

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