The Zambia Institute of Independent Media Alliance (ZIIMA) has described as a betrayal the pulling out of two media bodies from the media self-regulation process.
Alliance President Jajah Coulibaly has charged that the reasons why MISA Zambia and BBC media action have u-turned on a process they fully supported from its inception is just to please foreign funders.
Mr Coulibaly said that their actions amount to treachery, recalling that the media in Zambia failed on two occasions to regulate themselves through voluntary means.
Mr Coulibaly has therefore urged journalists and media houses across the country to remain calm as the Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC) draft bill will soon be ready to be taken to parliament.
Yesterday, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia and BBC Media Action withdrew their participation from the Media Self-Regulation Technical Working Group (TWG) that proposes to set up the Zambia Media Council(ZAMEC).
Media Liaison Committee Chairperson Enock Ngoma said that the two organisations will no longer be part of the media self-regulation process in Zambia.
Mr Ngoma said that Media Laison Committee however remains indebted to the two organisations for their technical and financial support rendered to the process.
In a joint statement issued to the media by Mr Ngoma and the Technical Working Group Chairperson Ernest Chanda, further disclosed that the new Technical Working Group Secretariat under MLC has since moved from MISA Zambia to the Media Network on Child Rights and Development (MNCRD) offices.
And, Mr Ngoma, said the TWG has submitted the final draft of the Zambia media council bill to the Ministry of Information and Media and is currently at the Ministry of Justice waiting for the Government to table it in Parliament.
He has invited stakeholders, cooperating partners and other well-wishers to come on board to support the process.
