STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBA current PF regime was out to see to it that M’membe is harmed. It was alleged at the time that Post Newspaper liquidator Lewis Mosho, working with state house agents wanted to M’membe and his lawyer Nchima Nchito arrested for impersonation to stop them from challenging the liquidation matter in court. But Mwanza noted that the “…the selective application of the law is injustice… they have closed the The Post Newspaper, now it is actually clear that they want to see M’membe dead. What level of desperation, what level of persecution is this…It is very silly that somebody could say comrade M’membe did personate to be an employee of The Post Newspaper because Fred M’membe is The Post…” he lamented.xv Another voice critical of the move was that of Brebner Changala, a vocal commentator on governance matters in the country. He expressed concern that the owners of The Post Newspaper (in liquidation) had been treated unfairly by the courts because the one presiding over their matter was the newspaper’s ‘enemy’. Mr. Changala wondered why judge Sunday Nkonde had been allocated The Post case, knowing very well that he was ‘an enemy’ of the company, who later appointed a long time ‘enemy’ of the newspaper, Lewis Mosho, as provisional liquidator. “The failure I have seen is that the liquidation was done ex-parte not inter-parte. The Post was not heard. The question is who calculated the benefits of those former workers who filed for liquidation? How did they arrive at those figures when the application was made before the judge? Before issuing the pernicious order to liquidate The Post, they needed to have an inter partes hearing…”xvi It was even more fascinating to note calls from civil society activists who urged international organisations such as the IMF to take interest in the PF government’s attacks on a critical media. These are calls coming against the backdrop of a sustained campaign against critical media and other critical voices since President Lungu assumed office in 2015. In this breath, Water Aid country representative Pamela Chisanga, a seasoned civil rights campaigner, said the country’s economic woes could only be resolved if the bad governance record was reversed. She said the country could divorce the current economic woes from waning governance credentials shown by the regime’s insatiate attacks on independent media. “…IMF must also be interested in supporting reforms in areas around governance so that we can have an accountable government that will be able to deliver on some of these measures. One of these things we have seen over the last few years is challenges around freedom of the media. You may ask; what does this have to do with the IMF? For us as citizens to stay informed, to be engaged, to have this interaction we are having beyond this room, we need an effective media platform and so having a media that is free is critical to the success of this programme…”xvii 16 | P a g e