Contact* : UPND Media Director, Ruth Dante
0976503165/0977780397
*Email* : info@upndzambia.org
Lusaka (08.07.2020)
The United Party for National Development-UPND has noted the perpetual abuse of the country’s State controlled media, particularly the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC).
Of particular interest is yesterday’s news bulletin in which ZNBC ran a 30-minute clip dedicated at condemning the citizens of Monze who booed President Edgar Lungu during his visit to the district over the weekend as well as parading persons with disabilities to support the failed, rejected infamous Bill Number 10 of 2019.
The UPND is of the view that the biased reporting by ZNBC, if not curtailed, has the potential to lead to genocide especially in the wake of heightened tribal sentimentalism in the country especially the one the PF is using to demonize and mudsling the Tonga ethnic grouping.
As an institution that is established by an Act of Parliament, and funded by the public purse, particularly taxes, we expected the media institution to be fair, balanced and objective in the way they serve the general public, late alone broadcast its news.
The churning out of news slanted towards the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) and its surrogates who hero worship and sing endless political praises at the ruling party after lining their pockets with stolen loot.
How could the PF turn ZNBC into its campaign tool by allocating much of its space to showing President Lungu’s endless trips and globe-trotting; then show him jogging, later show him laying a foundation stone, then later show him commissioning a 2 by 2 classroom block and call it “massive development” when the majority of the people are wallowing in abject poverty.
We note that this trend has led to the erosion of public confidence in the national broadcaster.
UPND would like to assure all Zambian citizens that we will, upon forming Government in 2021, swiftly and expeditiously reform the ZNBC, Zambia Daily Mail and Times of Zambia so that these public institutions could serve the interests of the Zambian people and not that of a particular group of people or organization like it is under the PF.
It is such acts that have left majority of citizens bleeding with the closure of the Post Newspaper and Prime TV.
However we wish to commend a few media houses that have put their business at risk as they broadcast and report issues affecting the people of Zambia.
UPND MEDIA TEAM
