State of the media in Southern Africa - 2003 of his family and his views on Zambia’s current political situation. Sinalungu said the officers led him to their “command post” within the hospital and questioned him for about 30 minutes. • DATE: October 18, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Journalist(s) VIOLATIONS: Censored O n October 18 2003, journalists from both private and state-owned media outlets were barred from reporting on the deliberations of various committees at a government-organised national convention (Indaba) taking place in Lusaka, Zambia. The journalists, who had been accredited to cover the four-day meeting, were told on October 18 that, in order to avoid intimidating the delegates, they would not be allowed to cover the deliberations of the 12 committees formed at the convention. • DATE: November 1, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Omega TV VIOLATIONS: Censored O n November 1 2003, a team of two plainclothes and two armed and uniformed police officers raided the privately-owned Omega TV station, based in Lusaka, and ordered staff to immediately cease test broadcasts. The officers referred to “orders from above” as the reason for their actions. The station closed until November 3, when the order was reversed by Lusaka Province Police Commanding Officer Chendela Musonda. The station’s closure followed an October 27 letter by Solicitor General Sunday Nkonde to Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Mutale Nalumango, which said the station was operating illegally and should be shut down by police. • DATE: November 11, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Omega TV VIOLATIONS: Closed O n November 11 2003, Omega TV, a privately-owned, free-to-air television station based in Lusaka, was ordered closed following the reversal of a High Court order allowing it to continue its test broadcasts. The closure of the station followed a successful appeal by Solicitor General Sunday Nkonde against a “stay of execution” granted to Omega TV on September 19, which had allowed it to continue its test broadcasts. Nkonde argued that there was no legal basis for the stay of execution because the “construction permit”, or temporary licence, that Omega TV was trying to protect had expired. Omega TV had applied to the High Court for a judicial review of the cancellation by former minister of information and broadcasting services Newstead Zimba of its 18-month “construction permit”, which was valid until July. The minister had cited “public interest” when cancelling the licence. So This Is Democracy? 2003 108 Media Institute of Southern Africa