Zambia's Post newspaper alleges that ruling Movement for Multiparty
Democracy (MMD) had assigned four thugs to attack its reporters
whenever President, Rupiah Banda is travelling and likely to meet the
media in the country, according to an alert from Misa.
The MMD accuses The Post of reporting President Banda negatively.
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Quoting anonymous MMD insiders, the newspaper alleges that the youths are present at every public function attended by the Zambian president. It reports that one of the vigilantes tried to harass Edwin Mbulo, Livingstone based correspondent as he was taking pictures of Local Government Minister Benny Tetamashimba.
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“You guys have to be very careful with these cadres, they are dangerous. I am sure you saw them in Monze and they are here. If you are not careful, they will harm you, I am sure if you are observant, you have seen them everywhere the President has been since January or February this yearâ€ÂÂ, the source is quoted by The Post newspaper on 10 July.
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The Post story states that the party supporters were also assigned to ensure they noted every accommodation facility that the reporters from the newspaper would lodge while covering the President during his out of office assignments. The story alleges that the quartet demands payment from MMD leaders, seniour government officials and the President’s advisors.
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And reacting to the story, MISA Zambia chairperson Henry Kabwe urged the MMD government to put in place measures to protect journalists as the 2011 tripartite elections were approaching.
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He said the trend of journalists being either physically attacked and harassed was obtaining and could worsen as the election year approached. Kabwe said the attacks on media practitioners was not only practiced by MMD cadres but other opposition political parties as well