STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA MISA Zambia Chairperson Helen Mwale said in an interview yesterday that paying for license fees is a requirement for media houses to operate. She said press freedom comes with a responsibility which calls for adherence to the set rules and regulations. “What IBA did was in line with the law. It is not new media houses need to be responsible and ensure that they pay license fees and adhere to the conditions upon which a license is used,” she said. Ms. Mwale lamented that some commercial radio stations owe government as far as 2014, a situation which negatively affect IBA‟s operations. Apart from license suspension, one legal case was reported. MMD National Secretary Raphael Nakachinda sued Prime TV for calling him a thief. A story published by News Diggers on 1st June, 2018, Nakachinda sued Prime TV‟s Managing Director Akakulubelwa Akakulubelwa, Prime TV‟s proprietor Gerald Shawa and Kalani Muchima18. The story read as follows – in part:National Secretary of the Felix Mutati-led MMD Raphael Nakachinda has commenced legal proceedings against Prime Television and its reporter Kalani Muchima for calling him a thief. On April 2, 2018, Nakachinda was invited on Prime TV‟s „Oxygen of Democracy‟, and during the interview Kalani brought up an issue of a Kabwe woman named Martha Mumba who accused Nakachinda of duping her in 2006. Kalani played a video in which Martha alleged that Nakachinda had failed to deliver a lorry despite getting K47, 000 from her to purchase the vehicle. But Nakachinda said it was unfair to be grilled on a matter, which he was not informed about before coming to the programme. 18 News Diggers – Nakachinda sues Prime TV for branding him a thief – 1st June, 2018 18