By Mubanga Mubanga
Panos Institute Southern Africa executive director Vusumuzi Sifile has observed that issues of debt have not been given adequate attention by the media in Zambia.
And Sifile says his institute is training journalists to ask questions that will help citizens to hold decision makers on issues of public debt.
Speaking on the sideline of the media training workshop on the Eurobond debt at Garnet Hotel organized by Panos institute southern Africa, Sifile said issues of debt are at the center of all aspects of our economy and there is no sector which is not affected by debt.
“We believe that issues of debt are at the centre of all aspects of our economy. There is no sector in this country that is not affected by debt,” Sifile said. “But you find that the media is not reporting the subject of debt in a manner that reflects the extent or impact of debt on different aspects of the Zambian economy.”
Sifile said the purpose of the workshop was to equip the media and individual journalists with knowledge so that they raise awareness on public debt.
“We are running this initiative where we are building capacity of Individual journalists and also establishing alliances with media actors like media houses, press clubs and other stakeholders, we are trying really to get the media to compliment what the media is already doing. To raise awareness about debt, to facilitate public engagement about debt, to also equip the media to ask questions, relevant questions that will help ordinary citizens hold decision makers on issues of public debt,” he said.
Sifile said if the media does not understand issues to do with euro bond debt, China debt and all kinds of bilateral debt, they may not raise the relevant questions.
“Then if the right questions are not asked, it means some answers may not be provided. Except where the holders of the information proactively disclose it and if the information is not shared, it means we as the people that pay the taxes, people that are repaying the debt, are in the dark or we don’t fully understand the extent to which we are carrying out or responsibility,” said Sifile.
