State of the media report July - Dec 2022 3.4 THE CLASH BETWEEN MEDIA RIGHTS AND POLITICAL INTERESTS Summary of Findings Case Location Matter Reason for Reported to Attack Police Arrests Effected Court Appearance Conviction MAFKEN COPPERBELT Political Yes No No No Kokoliko Copperbelt Political Yes No No No 3FM EASTERN Political Yes No No No PASME EASTERN Political Yes No No No The period under review recorded (4) incidents of cadres attacking the media. The incidents occurred at Mafken in Mufulira, and at Kokoliko in Chingola district. The third and fourth incident took place in Eastern province particularly Chipata and Petauke districts. Below are summaries of the said incidents. Barnabas Chisha is a 30 year old journalist working for MAFKEN FM in Mufulira When asked how political interests affect media freedom in Zambia, the respondent said it affects media especially, the cadres who take advantage of media houses .He added that media freedom is compromised because cadres tend to carry the law in their own hands. Regarding harassment or attack by political party cadres while performing his duties as a journalist, he said he was harassed by United Party for National Development cadres heard an announcement of the EEP President Chilufya Tayali on MAFKEN Radio and they went to the studio before the programme started to say they would not allow the programme to air. Regarding how he was affected by the behavior of the cadres the respondent said: ”I was afraid the cadres would do more than that because I felt my security was compromised and because Mufulira is a small town I was very worried for my safety”. When asked how his work was affected, the respondent said his work was affected because the programme was cancelled and the company lost revenue. The respondent was further asked if he reported the matter to the police and he said that he did but the perpetrators were not arrested. The respondent further said he heard that the UPND at provincial level disciplined the cadres who stormed the station on the material day. When asked whether he knew what law protects him as a journalist and he said that it is freedom of the press. EUNICE PHIRI is a journalist working Kokoliko FM on the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. She has 12 years’ experience working in the media. When asked how political interests affect media freedom in Zambia, the respondent said “It affects media freedom negatively because journalists are not able to freely or be critical in reporting political stories that may be perceived to be negative image of the state for fear of intimidation by cadres”. The respondent was further asked to give an account of what transpired when the said UPND cadres stormed Kokoliko FM and she said it happened when the station had a political programme featuring Chilufya Tayali, the EPP President. “When the cadres came and they came to stop a programmes. It was a bad experience. They made me feel like my job is not important,I was stressed, anxious ,and doubted my ability to do my work effectively “she added. 12