STATE OF THE MEDIA REPORT QUARTER 4, 2020 POLICE in Lusaka have arrested and charged Ministry of Finance Public Relations officer Chileshe Kandeta for Communication of Certain Information contrary to section four of the State Security Act, Chapter 111 of the Laws of Zambia. In a statement today, acting police spokesperson Danny Mwale stated that Kandeta was charged alongside Ministry of Finance budget analyst Lazarous Mwelwa. He stated that this was in relation to the leaked 2021 budget speech. “Police have charged and arrested Ministry of Finance Public Relations officer, Chileshe Kandeta aged 50 of Kabulonga and Lazarous Mwelwa aged 46 of Chamba Valley, a Budget Analyst at Ministry of Finance for the offence of Communication of Certain Information contrary to section Four chapter 111 of the State Security Act,” stated Mwale. “This is in relation to the leaking of the 2021 National Budget Speech which went viral before it was officially presented in Parliament. They are detained in Police custody awaiting court appearance.” So far the Police have quizzed ZNBC reporters, Brian Mwale and Ellen Hambuba. The Police also summoned Diamond TV CEO, Costa Mwansa and Head of Current Affairs, George Chomba. Alert update-1st November (Lusaka Times) As the Green Party we are shocked of the news of the arrest and detention of Messrs Chileshe Kandeta and Lazarous Mwelwa allegedly for communicating the 2021 budget speech to the media before its presentation to Parliament by the Minister of Finance. For starters, the news of the arrest is extremely ridiculous. A budget speech of any country is never a classified document for two simple reasons: first, there is no public and national safety and security risk, whatsoever, for leaking such a document to the public before its presentation to the Parliament. Second, the budget process is a public process. Budget proposals are submitted by the public. This, what logic is there in classifying and criminalising lease of information that was obtained from the public? I recall in 1996, the Chairman of the Constitutional Review Commission late Mupanga Mwanakatwe released to the press the final Report before presentation to late President Fredrick Chiluba. Of course the late President was upset with that action, but that did not constitute an offence at all, and therefore, the late Mwanakatwe was not arrested. The simple reason was that the report was a product of the people’s views, and therefore, the people deserved to know the outcome of their inputs at any time, whether before or after the report was presented to the President. During UNIP days, we had a gentleman by the name of Kadansa, who always announced key reshuffles hours before Dr. Kaunda announced the same at press conferences. Late Kadansa also announced key budget items hours before the Ministers of Finance announced the same. P a g e 47 | 56