HH condemns Post Newspapers closure

Hakainde Hichilema

The levels of media censorship and manipulation under the government of Edgar Lungu are unprecedented during Zambia’s years of multi-party democracy and if we do not speak out now then it will be too late, says UPND presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema.

Reacting to yesterday’s closure of The Post newspapers offices and printing press by the Zambia Revenue Authority over disputed tax liabilities amounting to K68 million, Hichilema accused President Lungu of being behind the latest attempt at sending the paper into oblivion

He charged that attempts by President Lungu and his government to use the ZRA case against The Post to intimidate the paper, its editor and its staff into following the editorial line of State House are in direct opposition to the values of democracy and threaten the very existence of a free press in Zambia.

“We wish to condemn the closure of The Post newspaper by the PF Government in the strongest terms. This is a blatant attempt to manipulate and suffocate any remaining free-thinking media ahead of elections in 50 days time,” Hichilema said in a statement.

The opposition leader described The Post, a paper that has so often been highly critical of him and his party the UPND, as “the last truly independent voice among our print media” and wondered why some public media houses – who he said owe ZRA more money – have not received the same treatment.

“While the last truly independent voice among our print media—The Post—has been hounded over the past 18 months and now closed on account of its tax obligations, the outstanding ZRA and statutory debts of the various pro government media outlets such as ZNBC, Daily Mail and Times of Zambia continue to go ignored,” he said.