Zambia / Information Minister accuses The Post Newspaper of paying some callers to tell lies on Sky FM Radio

Zambia / Information Minister accuses The Post Newspaper of paying some callers to tell lies on Sky FM Radio

LUSAKA, October 16, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ --

Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, Ronnie Shikapwasha has accused an independent newspaper, The Post of paying some people to call in to a live phone-in- programme on Sky FM, a private commercial radio station based in Southern Province of Zambia, to tell lies about government and insult President Rupiah Banda.

In an interview with MISA-Zambia on 12 October 2009, Sky FM Station Manager Esnart Hamoonga confirmed that the Minister whilst commending her station for its good performance, said the station had been allowing callers paid by The Post Newspapers to tell lies about Government and insult President Banda.

A report by The Post of 12 October 2009, said that Shikapwasha was speaking in an interview with Sky FM Reporter [Chilufya Mulenga] shortly after the 2010 national budget presentation by Situmbeko Musokotwane.

?This government has performed well and all what the opposition has been telling you are lies including those that are paid by The Post to come and speak on your radio station. They have all been telling lies,? he said.

He said there was need for all Zambians to speak on the station and not only those paid by the named newspaper. Shikapwasha explained that when a person is insulted, a bad seed is sown in the community and could lead to chaos. He cautioned the station to guard against what happened in Rwanda where he said the radio stations ignited the genocide in Rwanda.

He called on the board of the station to stop such kind of insults from callers to the radio station because they had potential to destroy the country.

?And you Mr Imbuwa and your people, to tell you the truth, you cant continue like this. Of course they are being paid to do that, they are being given all the talk time to go and speak like that,,? said the Shikapwasha.

Source: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

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