Founder of the Free Press Initiative (FPI), Joan Chirwa, has described the court injunction preventing News Diggers from airing its investigative documentary on Chinese investments as a serious infringement on press freedom. Chirwa has also called on the judiciary to carefully consider the broader implications of issuing gag orders that …
The Lusaka Magistrate’s Court has ruled that Chiengi Member of Parliament, Given Katuta, has a case to answer in a matter where she is accused of threatening violence against Times of Zambia photojournalist, Henry Chunza. Magistrate Idah Phiri announced that the State had presented sufficient evidence to warrant placing Katuta …
The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) has renewed licenses for nine radio and television stations and extended the license renewal window by four more months for stations that missed the initial deadline. In a statement issued yesterday, IBA Acting Director General Susen Ndumingu announced that community radio stations such as Kabangabanga …
The Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Zambia has secured the release of 28-year-old Jeremiah Nkunika, who was arrested on Monday, May 12, 2025, and charged under the newly enacted Cyber Crimes Act No. 4 of 2025. Nkunika was detained at Kabwata Police Station on a charge of Prohibition of Harassment …
Lusaka, May 14, 2025 – The Zambia Police Service has confirmed the arrest of Jeremiah Nkunika, a 27-year-old resident of an unmarked house on Chovu Chovu Road in Ng’ombe Compound, Lusaka. The arrest follows an incident on April 15, 2025, in which Mr. Nkunika allegedly published a false and malicious …
President of the Cleaning Association of Zambia, Lawrence Makumbi, has been arrested for allegedly publishing defamatory content on social media targeting senior public figures. The posts in question were directed at Deputy Inspector General of Police for Special Duties at State House, Fanwell Siandenge, and Zambia Airports Corporation Board Chairperson, …
A Lusaka resident magistrate has sentenced Facebook blogger Elias Musyani to six months in prison and fined him K70,000 for cyber harassment involving threats directed at Kidist Kifle, wife of popular musician Elton Mulenga, also known as Yo Maps, and their daughter. Delivering judgment on Monday, Magistrate Mutinta Mwenya found …
Efforts to establish effective media regulation for journalists in Zambia have faced persistent challenges. Since the early 2000s, when self-regulation initiatives began, the local media landscape has remained fragmented. The first significant attempt came in 2002, when the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and the Press Association of Zambia …
United Party for National Development (UPND) media official Amos Chanda has reaffirmed the party’s commitment to media freedom, stating that the media in Zambia remains self-regulatory and will continue to operate independently. Speaking during a press briefing, Mr. Chanda emphasized that President Hakainde Hichilema is a firm supporter of media …
Former State House press aide and lawyer Dickson Jere has advised the Media Liaison Committee (MLC) to stop criticizing the Swedish Embassy for its support of self-regulation in the media sector, pointing out that even President Hakainde Hichilema has publicly rejected statutory regulation. In his commentary, Mr. Jere described the …
Thirty years ago, Zambia witnessed a historic turning point in the fight for press freedom—a legal battle that continues to shape media rights and regulatory debates both locally and across Africa. In 1995, on the eve of the General Elections, the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) government under President Frederick …
Media Owners Association of Zambia (MOAZ) President Costa Mwansa has cautioned that journalists facing poor working conditions are a potential threat to society. He emphasized the need for a supportive environment in which media professionals can fully benefit from their work. Mwansa disclosed that MOAZ is engaging key institutions, including …
