Zambia PRINT MEDIA Print media were affected by the declining economcy which saw a rise in the cost of doing business, worsened by the unprecedented load shedding by the main electricity corporation due to poor rainfall and low water levels at Kariba Dam, the main source of water for Kariba power station which operates the main Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) grid had a dramatic impact on the economy. Ownership and control of print media by state continues After 51 years of independence, the government’s firm grip on the print media continues despite past promises by the leadership to loosen this grip and privatise the affected newspapers. This control was clearly demonstrated when the newly appointed Minister of Information dismissed boards at the Zambia Daily Mail and the Times of Zambia in April 2015 before their mandate came to an end. According to a source quoted in the Post Newspaper of April 23, 2015, the Minister wrote to the President informing him of his decision to fire the boards and managing directors of the two companies because he felt they were not doing enough to protect the president from attacks. JOURNALIST SAFETY Continued threats over the years to regulate government were reiterated through the year, with government stating that the print media has failed to regulate itself and the Zambia Media Council – a self-regulatory entity launched in 2012 has failed. Peter Sukwa of The Post and Kelvin Phiri of Feel Free Radio in Chipata were brutally attacked allegedly by PF political party cadres. It is reported that the two went to verify reports that Malawians were acquiring national registration cards and registering as voters in the Chikoka area. Other political functionaries developed a habit of storming media houses during live programmes that featured guests or discussions deemed to be critical of the sitting government. In an unprecedented and mysterious attack, a gunshot was fired by an unknown assailant into The Post newsroom, with police describing the bullet as “non-lethal” while the findings of the investigations generally remained inconclusive. Government continued its attacks on media houses that were seen to be critical, on the premise that they were peddling an agenda against the republican president, Edgar Lungu. The most startling action was the threat to close Zambia’s oldest private radio station - Radio Phoenix, on October 21st, 2015, by Minister Chishimba Kambwili when he accused the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) of having a hand in the running of the station. This raised a lot of dust as it was a direct infringement of the station’s freedom of expression. Other violations included interference in the running of community radio stations such as the ‘dissolution’ of the board at Mkushi Radio by Central Province Minister, Davis Chisopa much to the surprise of citizens, activists and civil society alike. Journalists continue to face challenges with the existence of such laws as the State Secrets and other laws on classified information. For example, Post Proprietor Fred M’membe and one of his reporters, Mukosha Funga, were arrested and charged in July for publishing a story which quoted a letter written So This is Democracy? 2015 87