Thabo Kawana Defends Arrest of ZNBC Employee, Says 'No Journalist Has Been Arrested'

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Media Thabo Kawana has dismissed claims that the Government has arrested a journalist, insisting that the recent arrest of a Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) employee is a criminal matter involving an individual alleged to have broken the law.

Speaking during a media briefing, Kawana said concerns from some stakeholders that the ministry had remained silent over the arrest were misplaced.

"We want to make it very clear that there is no journalist who has been arrested. Rather, there is a lawbreaker that has been arrested," Kawana said.

He argued that people should not be defined by their professions when they are alleged to have committed criminal offences.

"When you break the law, you do not break the law whilst wearing the jacket of your profession. If you are a teacher and you break the law, it is not that a teacher has been arrested. It is the person who broke the law that has been arrested," he said.

Kawana said the Government was aware of the case involving the ZNBC staff member but maintained that the individual would have an opportunity to defend themselves before the courts.

"The person that broke the law has since been arrested and will face the law, defend themselves, and face the consequences of the law if they are found wanting. If they are found not wanting, they will be let off the hook," he said.

His remarks come after some media stakeholders and civil society organisations expressed concern over the arrest of the ZNBC employee, arguing that the case has implications for media freedom.

No Load Shedding, Only Power Faults

During the same briefing, Kawana dismissed reports suggesting that Zambia had returned to load shedding.

He said ZESCO is not implementing load shedding, explaining that power interruptions experienced in some areas are largely the result of equipment faults caused by increasing cases of vandalism targeting electricity infrastructure.

He urged members of the public to report outages promptly to enable ZESCO to restore power as quickly as possible.

Defends Government Policies and ZNBC Coverage

Kawana also criticised opposition political parties for claiming credit for free education, saying the New Dawn administration had significantly expanded access to education since taking office.

He further rejected allegations that the national broadcaster, ZNBC, is biased in its election coverage.

According to Kawana, ZNBC is providing coverage to political parties and candidates across the political spectrum.

"ZNBC is covering all political players without segregation, without selection and without bias," he said.

He challenged critics to monitor the broadcaster's news bulletins, insisting that opposition leaders continue to receive airtime alongside the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND).

Kawana said the Government remained confident that ZNBC was fulfilling its mandate as Zambia's public broadcaster.