ZAMBIA-MEDIA: POLICE SEIZE DOCUMENTS

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

JOE CHILAIZYA

LUSAKA, Dec 8 1994 (IPS) - HEAVILY-ARMED PARAMILITARY POLICE STORMED THE OFFICES OF ZAMBIA’S INDEPENDENT BI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER, ‘THE POST,’ AND SEIZED FOUR UNUSED STORIES THURSDAY.

THEY ALSO CONFISTICATED A LETTER CRITICISING THE INSPECTOR- GENERAL OF POLICE IN THE FIVE-HOUR SIEGE, WHICH WAS WITNESSED BY THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO ZAMBIA, PETER SCHMIDT.

THE POLICE WENT THROUGH ALL DOCUMENTS AND COMPUTER FILES IN THE HOPE OF FINDING CONFIDENTIAL STATE DOCUMENTS WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN HANDED IN TO THE NEWSPAPER BY DISENCHANTED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

THE POLICE ALSO THURSDAY RAIDED THE “PRINTPAK” OFFICES, WHERE THE NEWSPAPER IS PRINTED, IN NDOLA, ZAMBIA’S SECOND LARGEST CITY, TO INTERCEPT ANY STORIES THAT MIGHT BE EMBARRASING TO THE GOVERNMENT.

THE SEARCH FOLLOWED A SERIES OF ARTICLES IN LOCAL PAPERS ALLEGING THAT PRESIDENT FREDERICK CHILUBA MAY BE HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH HIS PERSONAL SECRETARY.

REACTING TO THE RUMMAGE, POST MANAGING EDITOR MASAUTSO PHIRI SAID, “(THE POLICE) MAY HAVE HEARD FROM THEIR SOURCES THAT WE ARE CARRYING THE STORY IN FRIDAY’S ISSUE. I DO NOT REALLY KNOW, BECAUSE THEY CAME OUT VIRTUALLY EMPTY-HANDED AND TOOK A FEW HARMLESS STORIES FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS TO SAVE FACE.”

HE CONTINUED, “THIS IS PURE HARRASSMENT AND WE CONDEMN IT IN THE STRONGEST TERMS AS ALL FREEDOM LOVING PEOPLE SHOULD. I HOPE THE DONOR AND WESTERN COMMUNITY TAKE SERIOUS NOTE OF THIS INCIDENT.”

THE POST HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF THE GOVERNMENT’S RECORD ON CORRUPTION AND DRUG TRAFFICKING SINCE CHILUBA BECAME PRESIDENT IN 1991.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY INCENSED BY THE APPARENT EASE WITH WHICH THE PAPER OBTAINS CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS FROM SENSITIVE STATE ORGANS FOR ITS STORIES. IT HAS, IN THE PAST, THREATENED POST EDITORS WITH PROSECUTION UNDER THE OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT, SEEN BY THE PRESS HERE AS A GREAT HINDERANCE TO FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.