STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA thereby occasioning her actual bodily harm. And in second count, Mwale jointly and whilst acting together with other persons’ unknown, stole money amounting to K400 cash, property of Lungu. And when the matter came up before Resident Magistrate Edward Chisanga for plea, Mwale denied both charges. But before magistrate Chisanga could grant Mwale bail, he noted that the accused had a record of failing to attend court sessions on two occasions, a thing he said, left the court in doubts. He however said bail would be granted upon Mwale producing three working sureties based in Lundazi and ordered that he remains in custody in the meantime. Lungu who is a producer and reporter for Breeze FM in Chipata, was attacked when she was in Lundazi to cover the Mkomba Ward by-elections in February this year. The case which was set for 18th June for ruling has dragged on with 9th September being set as the new date for ruling. Similarly, on 28th June, 2019 the Times of Zambia Newspaper Publication carried a headline, “Court orders Koffi’s arrest” the paper reported that: Lusaka magistrate, Mwandu Sakala has issued a bench warrant against Congolese Rhumba maestro, Koffi Olomide, to be detained upon his arrest whenever he sets foot on the Zambian land. The paper added that: Ms. Sakala issued the bench warrant yesterday after the complainant, photojournalist Jean Mandela, said that he had difficulties getting to Olamide because he was in another country. The development relates to the incident in which Olamide was accused of assaulting Mr. Ndayisenga during a show in Zambia three years ago. In her ruling yesterday, Ms. Sakala said for as long as Olamide remained at large, the bench warrant would remain in effect. The two incidences above have a similarity in that they point to the fact that cases involving media seem to not have a conclusive end to them. Just like in the cases involving the harassment of the media by political cadres at Power FM and Radio Maria Zambia, there exists a trend of not conclusively dealing with cases that pose a threat to media freedoms and an endangering of the lives of journalists. 18