STATE OF THE MEDIA REPORT QUARTER 4, 2020 Mwale said it was unlawful for police to threaten Mpika radio staff if they had failed to provide the recording of the programme. “So we would like to challenge the police, when did it become law that the radio station should not feature opposition party leaders? When did it become law that when a radio station features someone then they should provide a recording for them? What is it they are investigating? So we challenge them to take Mpika Radio to the courts of law, if Mpika Radio committed an offence,” said Mwale. “We do not see any sense in them summoning the radio station or asking for the provision of the recording. We would have understood if it was IBA because IBA is the regulator and IBA do sometimes ask for [any recording]. So we cannot in our own way agree with the police that Mpika Radio must provide the recording, that is not fair and that is injustice and a hindrance to free flow of information. It is interference with the operations of the radio station and we would like to ask the police to desist from such behaviours.” Other stakeholders, such as US Embassy Charge D’Affaires raised concerns on the need for a level playing field and guarantee of rights, freedoms and liberties of all citizens such as the freedom of expression. US Charge D’Affaires David Young noted in part that: “As we look ahead at the elections next August, we know that is a very important thing. Elections are important, elections have consequences. I want to say that we the United States, like other donors, our fellow democracies, we support the will of the Zambian people and the democratic process. So we want a level playing field, we want all parties and all candidates to be able to campaign fairly and equally with a level playing field. If you have listened to my statements before I talked about the number of concerns that we have particularly been about the issues of a level playing field. The use of the public order act is very concerning because it is applied unequally between parties, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of press, freedom of radio stations not to be harassed by party cadres. Cadres violence is a huge problem for intimidation of people in a democratic space. So we want to support a level playing field, equal treatment for different parties, freedom through the press. Certainly I would say we have some concerns.”5 On a positive note, however, the quarter under review witnessed steps towards addressing political attacks on media outlets. This was in the form of workshops held by four major 5 The remarks were issued at a press conference held on Wednesday, 14th October, 2020. P a g e 14 | 56