By Patson Chilemba
State broadcaster ZNBC director general Malolela Lusambo says the public station was obliged to cover Vice-President Mutale Nalumango over the live-broadcast of the Easter Passover conference at her husband Max Lubinda Nalumango’s Oasis of Blessing Assembly Ministry.
And Lusambo said he noted the concern over complaints by some members of the public on what they viewed as a one sided documentary on the 2017 arrest of President Hakainde Hichilema, with some feeling that the documentary was intended to incite anger towards PF, Edgar Lungu and late president Michael Sata as there was no attempt to get in touch with those who were being mentioned in bad light.
Lusambo was asked by Daily Revelation if the live-event of the Church conference which Vice-President Nalumango herself attended was paid for. But responding, Lusambo said the institution was obliged to cover her.
“Here is how you should see it sir. For the Republican President and the Vice-President the institution has an obligation to cover them wherever they are. So there are certain instances when a company may probably come forth to sponsor or to associate for a particular coverage for the Head of State or the Vice-President,” Lusambo said. “There are certain instances and many instances when there is no one that is going to sponsor, but as a public entity, public broadcaster we have that obligation to cover.”
But put to him that the event was at her husband’s Church, which could also be interpreted in some way as offering free publicity to the activities at that Ministry through a public media, Lusambo said: “Yah! Well for us we are not even looking at the fact that it was from her husband’s place but that she’s the Vice-President. She’s the second in command of this country and the public entity, public broadcaster has that obligation to cover her. That’s how you should see it sir.”
Lusambo was also asked on concerns that there were people who felt that the public broadcaster should have balanced up the coverage of the 2017 arrest of President Hichilema by getting to the others who were being mentioned in the documentary.
Zambia’s former Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba has described the documentary as one sided, as featuring the sole narration of First Lady Mutinta, and asserting that the country was going back to the late Chanda Chiimba’s era of scandalising other citizens using the national broadcaster.
But Lusambo said the procedure whenever there were such complaints was to write to the public broadcaster so that things could be put into context.
Put to him that balancing up a story by getting to those being mentioned should be fairly routine in a professional media organisation, Lusambo said: “Very well noted. Very well noted. Very well noted. But like I have guided whenever there is a complaint it’s best you actually submit that complaint and then we will pick it up from there. But your concerns are well appreciated.”
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