STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA Harassment of media practitioners and media houses The period under review experienced a comparatively high incidence of harassment and threats to media houses and media practitioners than the preceding three quarters of the year. This is because there were many recorded incidents of harassment or threats of media houses and media personnel during the three-month period. It should be noted that harassment of media practitioners and media houses takes different forms. a) ZICTA confiscated a transmitter from Vision Community Radio in Macha, Choma for operating the station without a frequency licence. The radio station failed to pay K3 000 penalty which ZICTA officers imposed.40 The seizure was confirmed by the Station Manager, Mr Beston Mudenda. b) The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) on 14 November 2017 suspended from duty its staffer, Mr Misheck Moyo for attending church service in Mufulira at the same time as Roan Member of Parliament, Mr Chishimba Kambwili. 41 Mr Moyo who confirmed his suspension referred all queries to ZNBC management but mentioned that he was a congregant at St Lawrence Catholic Church where Mr Kambwili and the National Democratic Congress leadership attended service on the material Sunday. Mr Moyo’s suspension letter indicated that he had brought the name of ZNBC into disrepute following the attendance of a church service where the NDC officials were. c) On 28 November 2017, MISA National Director, Mr Austin C Kayanda wrote to the Patriotic Front Secretary General to protest against Provincial Minister for Luapula Province, Mr Nickson Chilangwa who threatened to close down K-FM Radio station if it continued to feature people that criticised the government on its radio programme. The threats came after the radios station carried a news item that quoted Mr Chishimba Kambwili criticising the Patriotic Front government and labeled it as corrupt.42 40 ZND ZICTA confiscates transmitter for a Choma community radio station 19 October 2017 The Mast 15 November 2017 ZNBC suspends Kitwe reporter for attending church with Kambwili 15 November 2017 p.2 42 MISA letter dated 28 November 2017 41 19