Lungu a tyrant who can’t be trusted.

Lungu a tyrant who can’t be trusted.

Lungu a tyrant who can’t be trusted.

Edgar Lungu cannot be trusted on many things and much more so when it comes to media freedoms.

He has been extremely intolerant and ruthless when it comes to dealing with critical media.

This can be explained or demonstrated by how many news media outlets he has closed since he became President. Edgar is the worst president this country has ever had when it comes to his treatment of the media and critical voices. He has not hesitated to permanently silence them.

Edgar’s promises to respect the freedom of the media to freely gather and disseminate news during next year’s elections is a lie.

And why will there be freedom of media only during the elections when there’s none now?

Freedom of the media and of expression should be there all the time for it to make sense. It cannot be there at intervals or intermittently. This doesn’t make sense. It’s either one respects the freedom of the media at all times or he doesn’t.

But what we must know is that there’s no tyrant or dictator who openly says I am against media freedom or freedom of expression and of speech. They always say they support freedom of media and of expression and speech but…And with that “but” they take away everything they claim to be supporting or to be for about these freedoms.

And Ackson Sejani is right when he says it will be naive for anybody, including MISA Zambia, to sit down with Edgar and talk about press freedom.

Sejani says it would be more tragic to even believe a single word coming from Edgar about how he respects press freedom and how he intends to create a conducive environment for a free press to thrive.

“To the wise, his actions speak louder than his words,” says Sejani.

Last Thursday when he met Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambian Chapter representatives at State House, Edgar said: “We support the media, and as we go to the 2021 general elections, we will stand by you. We will ensure that our supporters are sensitised not to hinder the operations of the media. Politicians and the police need you. We would like to give the media the best environment so that they can report truthfully what they regard as newsworthy.”

But none of his known party cadres who invaded radio stations in Muchinga Province has been arrested and prosecuted.

Source:https://www.themastonline.com/2020/06/17/lungu-a-tyrant-who-cant-be-trusted/