Editor's note : An important article on the ongoing attack on press freedom in Zambia by Bruce Chooma. Media freedom is important because as Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen reminds us "development is freedom". The work of journalists is becoming increasingly difficult in Zambia due to growing intolerance by the state to independent media and a rise in cases of harassment of journalists. A recent report by Freedom House, a US based human rights organisation showed that in 2013, Zambia fell 21 places from 72 to 93 out of 180 and landed in the category of states that are classified as "not free".
The Southern African Editors Forum (SAEF) recently joined many other organisations in raising alarm at the deteriorating state of press freedoms in Zambia. In their statement to the media the organisation expressed shock at recent developments that were clearly a violation of the rights of journalists to practice freely and also bent on gagging freedom of expression and speech.
Most journalists working for independent media and community journalists are now working in fear and wonder who will stand up for them.
It is clear that the Media Institute of Southern Africa MISA Zambia is no longer an effective voice for independent journalism in Zambia. The institution has of late spent time collecting money from government institutions and other institutions for hosting media awards and abandoned its core business which is the promotion of press freedom in Zambia. MISA did not issue any statement on the reported clobbering of media workers and journalists by suspected security officials on Saturday, 28 June, 2014.
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