Zambia: President launches a verbal attack against 'The Post' newspaper

On 1 July 2010, Zambian President, Rupiah Banda launched a verbal attack on The Post newspaper by alleging that The Post Newspaper was an upside-down newspapers and said people should interpret whatever it published in the opposite.

 

According to a report in The Post of 4 July 2010, the President was speaking when he arrived at the Ndola International Airport. President Banda said if the newspaper was such an important one, he would never have become President.

 

“You should read this paper in the opposite. When it says President Chiluba was jeered, it means he was cheered. It is an upside-down newspaper.” He said.

 

He said that all former presidents of Zambia would not have completed their terms if the paper were important or influential on the political situation because it subjected them to daily vicious attacks.        

 

“ Zambians do not care a damn about The Post because they call the same people to comment about issues. They have never had any new ideas so don’t mind them. Each time they attack me viciously, more people come to welcome me, the more abuse they pour on me, the more people come to welcome me,” He said.

 

He said The Post also alleged that he kept the Namibian President waiting.  “ I can’t keep people waiting. That is why I tell you to read it upside-down because they love publishing the wrong things. What would delay me from fulfilling my national function? I am a man who is very conscious with time,” he said.

 

The paper reported that the President said it was unacceptable for young reporters to call him Rupiah when he was old enough to be their grandfather. He said he understood the disrespect because people that referred to him as Rupiah were badly raised. //End//

 

 

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Reagan Malumo

Programme Specialist: Media Freedom Monitoring and Research

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat

21 Johann Albrecht St

Private Bag 13386

Windhoek

Namibia

Phone: +264 61 232 975

Fax: +264 61 248 016

Mobile: +264 81 311 2626

Official Email: reagan@misa.org

Private Email: reagan32002@yahoo.com

 

-July 8, 2010 by MISA

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Source: www.misa.org (received via email alert 08.07.10)