Blog: Zambia Archives - Committee to Protect Journalists

Blog | Zambia

Zambian editor acquitted in hospital 'obscenity' case

By Mohamed Keita/Africa Research Associate

Chansa Kabwela speaks to reporters. (Thomas Nsama)

As the news editor of Zambia’s largest circulation newspaper and a mother to two young children, Chansa Kabwela already has her hands full. For the last four months, however, this 29-year-old journalist was mired in a court case with a peculiarity that made international headlines and sparked a debate on press freedom in this landlocked nation in southern Africa. The case was finally resolved on Monday.

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Blog | Zambia

Press freedom slips in Zambia

By Henry Kabwe

In Zambia, the coming week will mark the anniversary of the untimely death of President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa. The late president had championed press freedom with his commitments to reform, and, with his passing, the Zambian media lost an ally. Worse, the media freedoms gained in recent years are now slipping.

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Blog | Zambia

Media reform stagnates in Zambia

By Rui Correia/Africa Program Consultant

On September 27, the High Court in Zambia's capital, Lusaka, granted acting President Rupiah Banda an injunction restraining The Post newspaper from publishing libelous words against him. Zambia's Sunday Times reported that the court had also given a penal notice to Editor-in-Chief Fred M'membe to comply with the order. M'membe refused and appealed to the court to dismiss the charges against him, but the High Court threw out the application.

Despite promises made in early 2002 by the Ministry of Information and media stakeholders to review media laws that indirectly hinder press freedom, there has been no change in Zambian defamation legislation. Fred M'membe and The Post are in the news for the umpteenth time for the same offense.

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