Zambia: Scribes need protection too, says PAZA

The Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) has proposed that the public interest disclosure Bill (protection of whistle blowers) should include protection of media practitioners because they are key figures in the fight against corruption.

 

PAZA vice-president Amos Chanda said when he made submissions to the parliamentatry committee on legal affairs, governance, human rights and gender, chaired by Monze Central Member of Parliament Jack Mwiimbu, that journalists also needed protection.

 

Mr Chanda said the law would be a major step in boosting the fight against corruption and other malpractices in the public and private sectors.

 

“As PAZA, we believe that a deliberate effort must be made to strengthen the Bill for it to contribute effectively to the fight against corruption, and one such measure is the inclusion of the right by the media players to information,” he said.

 

He said the Bill, which aimed at protecting people who gave information that was of public interest to law-enforcement agencies, also had to make specific mention of the media because they were whistle blowers.

 

“There are many cases in which a journalist can come across information about a wrongdoing which they may publish but later face victimisation which they will need to be protected from,” Mr Chanda said.

 

He also submitted that institutional frameworks on which to hang such initiatives should be strengthened while the media should be given a special place in the fight against corruption, especially in the new Public Disclosure Act.

 

Mr Chanda was, however, concerned that there were sections of the Bill which were in the Mung’omba draft Constitution but were deleted by the National Constitutional Conference.

 

Appearing before the same committee, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia chapter suggested that the Bill be expanded to include the civil society because some whistle blowers could be more comfortable with giving information to the civil society than law-enforcement agencies.

 

MISA Zambia president Henry Kabwe said the civil society was key to the fight against corruption, hence the need for them to be protected under the public interest disclosure (protection of whistle blowers) law.
Mr Kabwe said the law would be an effective tool in the fight against corruption.

 

-March 4, 2010 by Times of Zambia

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Source: www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi (accessed on 05.03.10)