We owe it to the Zambian people to keep printing, the Post Newspaper says, Joan Chirwa

WE owe it to the Zambian people to keep printing, The Post Newspaper says Managing Editor Joan Ngoma Chirwa.

In an Exclusive Interview with Mwebantu, Mrs Chirwa said the Post Newspaper did not owe ZRA K58 million as alleged by the institution. She said the figure is blotted and just aimed at shutting down the institution to silence its voice on National Issues.

“We contested that figure in court because it was incorrect, at first they said we owed K101 million and we disputed that and asked them to reconcile with our payments and they came back with K53.8 million We have been paying taxes and we have asked them to reconcile the figures with ours but they are not complying and that’s why we took it to court” She said.

Mrs Chirwa says its common knowledge that this closure is propagated by politicians. She alleged that President Lungu was on record on two occasions at his campaign rallies where he said he will close down the institution because it doesn’t pay Tax. The Zambian people are behind the Post Newspaper and we owe it to them to keep printing the publication until we sort out this matter through the courts.

“We believe there are capable people in the Judiciary that can exercise impartiality in discharging their duties. And through the courts we shall get justice and get our publication back on track. We have the same burning spirit that started the Post Newspaper in 1991 and not even this obstacle can bring us down” said Mrs Chirwa.

Yesterday ZRA seized property halting operations at The Post Newspaper Printing Plant in Lusaka. This was after a Supreme court’s ruling in favour of the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) in a case in which the High Court granted a stay of the ZRA’s levy of distress on the Post Newspapers.