STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA protection for its senior party officials from fraudsters using their identities to steal from innocent people using social media.21 PF media director, Mr Sunday Chanda called on ZICTA to protect the identities of cabinet ministers and other public office holders including the First Lady from conmen and fraudsters using their identities to swindle people. In view of the concerns raised over Facebook by various quarters in society the Minister of Transport and Communications Mr Brian Mushimba said his ministry would draft five bills aimed at curbing social media abuse.22 He said the laws and regulations around promoting ICT uptake and protecting consumers would be presented to parliament for enactment soon. Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation makes news In the last six years it was a remarkably noticeable rare event that the national broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) as a media house made news by allowing a leader of a political party, UNPD, Mr Hakainde Hichilema to be hosted on its weekly Sunday Interview on 17 December 2017.23 It is interesting to note that the ZNBC granted Mr Hichilema a chance to feature on its Sunday Interview only after the UNPD spokesperson, Mr Charles Kakoma wrote a letter to the ZNBC Director General, Mr Richard Mwanza to request that Mr Hichilema be featured on the programme, a request that was successfully granted.24 The programme was pre-recorded on Thursday, 14 December 2017 at 10.30 hours but aired on Sunday, 17 December 2017. For some explicable reasons, the fact that a leader of a political party featured on Sunday Interview generated considerable and almost unprecedented attention and comments. Mr Sam Phiri in his half-page TV Review feature praised the ZNBC for giving a new face and life to the Sunday Interview “by hosting a least expected guest, HH.” 25 In commenting on the Sunday Interview, a political analyst Dr Alex Ng’oma said that Mr Hichilema had wasted his opportunity during the ZNBC Sunday Interview by being confrontational and demeaning the interview instead of tackling national issues. In Dr Ng’oma’s view, Mr Hichilema tried to get back for the “humiliation he 21 DN PF asks ZICTA to flush out fake Facebook accounts 7 December 2017 p.6 The Mast Mushimba explains 5 social media bills 14 December 2017 p.2 23 The Mast ZNBC grants HH Sunday Interview slot 14 December 2017 p.7 24 The Mast UPND asks ZNBC to feature HH on Sunday Interview 13 December 2017 p.2 25 ToZ Kudos to ZNBC for hosting HH 24 December 2017 p.15 22 14