Police Teargas Post Employees; Premises Still Closed As M’membe Strikes Defiant Posture

The Post Newspapers has remained shut with Editor Fred M’membe addressing his employees outside the Bwinjimfumu offices premises.

M’membe struck a defiant posture labelling the closure an act of intimidation by agents of the state.

State security personnel have remained in charge of the premises after Zambia Revenue Authority officers sealed off the place following a K53 million contested debt.

M’membe said the paper will not succumb to forces that wanted them closed promising to use every means to stay in the business.

“It is not taxes they are after. There is no company in this country that has paid more taxes than The Post. What is happening that we are being discriminated for our beliefs and for defending our editorial policy,” he said.

M’membe said the ZRA were not interested in the payments The Post made and opted to insist on the closure of the institution.

He said that the KPMG audit firm and the ZRA team had been in the process of reconciling the figures of the contested amounts but the latter opted to serve a warrant of distress.

M’membe said the company was up to date with its VAT and Payee with the company contesting other aspects of the ZRA claim.

He said that out of the K101 million that the ZRA were claiming from The Post half of that amount was paid with the remainder being contested.

M’membe said some political party leaders had nothing a few months ago but were so rich and imagined everyone made easy.

“They had nothing 12 months ago but today they are so rich that are able to dress every tree that they can find,” he said mockingly of the campaign materials hanging off trees belonging to the ruling Patriotic Front.

The Wednesday edition of the paper was published as a contingency measure with its availability on the street limited.

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