Mobi TV, a Lusaka-based and privately owned television station, was
raided by four plainclothes police officers demanding a copy of a live
programme ‘Meet your MP’ which had featured an outspoken opposition
party, Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament, according to a Misa alert.
Chishimba Kambwili who is MP for Roan Constituency on the Copperbelt province of Zambia featured on the programme that is broadcast every Wednesday. The MP commented among other issues on the controversial reappointment of a former Transport Minister, Dora Siliya to the Education Ministry.
Siliya early this year resigned after being found guilty by an independent tribunal of a breach of the constitution as a result of her disregard of advice from the Attorney General’s Office in the conduct of her duties.
In an interview with MISA Zambia, Madube Pasi, the Managing Editor for the station, said during the June 17 raid, the officers asked for a copy of the programme without producing their police IDs or a warrant.
General Manager for Mobi TV Sandra Sweetman explained that no reasons were given why the police wanted a copy of the programme. The programme is repeated on Thursday at 16:00 hours and the station says they will run the programme because the station had done nothing wrong.
“We have done nothing wrong, we will not withdraw it," says Sweetman.
MISA Zambia Chairperson Henry Kabwe condemned the action by the police and described this as a violation of freedom of the press and free expression. He added that this action is meant to intimidate the station to stop featuring persons deemed critical of the state. Kabwe said that the act amounted to censorship of the station.
