THE Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) national executive committee has admitted that its mandate has expired but said it cannot immediately hold an annual general meeting (AGM) because of financial constraints, according to a report in the Times of Zambia.
Speaking at a Press briefing in Lusaka, PAZA president Andrew Sakala assured the association's members throughout the country that the AGM would be held as soon as the executive found the money.
Mr Sakala said it was therefore wrong for some members and other stakeholders, including the Government to insinuate that the executive was clinging on to power.
"Speaking for myself I would have liked that the AGM was held even yesterday, we are not clinging on to power. The current PAZA management and executive are working hard to hold the AGM.
"The AGM will be held even sooner than November 2010 but we have to look for finances to ensure that every member that attends the AGM has transport and a meal and all the other logistics," Mr Sakala said.
Mr Sakala said the executive was not worried about being probed by the relevant investigative wings of the Government as stated by Home Affairs minister Lameck Mangani on Wednesday.
He said if it was proved that the executive was found wanting, they were ready to face the consequences of the law.
Mr Sakala said there was intimidation to the PAZA executive so that they could not hold a similar position on self-regulation with the rest of the associations in the Media Liaison Committee.
Click here to read the full report, posted on allafrica.com.
