MISA ZAMBIA CONDEMNS HARASSMENT OF JOURNALISTS BY POLICE IN KITWE

The Media Institute of Southern Africa-MISA- Zambia has condemned the harassment of Journalists in Kitwe by the police, during an economic Freedom Fighters-EFF press briefing yesterday.

Armed police officers from the Kitwe Crack Squad stormed into an EFF press briefing at parkland lodge and confiscated Hope TV Journalist Enock Chipenda’s camera, and other gadgets as well as apprehended him along with the opposition party leadership, who were all released later.

The armed police officers also threatened Lillian Chipeso of YAR FM radio and Diana Kafwala of Flava Radio and TV, asking them to delete the press briefing recordings and video footage, further preventing reporters, including Phoenix FM Staffer Michael Kaluba, from carrying out their duties at Riverside police station.

In reaction to this, MISA Zambia chairperson Lorraine Chisanga has encouraged the Zambia police to stop censorship and intimidation of the media and instead protect human rights, particularly freedom of expression.

Mrs. Chisanga says the police must treat the media as a stakeholder in the nation’s development and that all government leaders, police personnel, and political cadres must maintain freedom of expression and respect for the media.

According to MISA, Zambia Police Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga acknowledged that officers confiscated gadgets from Journalists but were handed back after screening.