Mwamba inks ZNBC board names

MINISTRY of Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba says Government is finalising the compilation of names of people who will sit on the new Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) board.
The national broadcaster has been operating without a board of directors for the past two years.
Featuring on ZNBC’s Sunday Interview programme on Media reforms and access to information, Mr Mwamba said the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services will announce names of the board members in the shortest possible time.
He also said government is working at ensuring that the Zambia Daily Mail and Times of Zambia operate profitably and efficiently because they are partners in national development.
“We realise that you are a very critical partner in national development. It is not right that the Zambia Daily Mail and the Times of Zambia have not changed in their operations for the past 50 years,” Mr Mwamba said.
He called for a strong on-line presence for the two media organisations and the use of social media as the best ways of capturing young people.
Mr Mwamba said young people always form their opinion by what they read from the Zambian Watchdog, an on-line publication which he said was not credible enough.
He said young people need to know the development programmes that Government is undertaking and that the only way they can do this is through on-line and social media from the public media.
Mr Mwamba also said government has an ambitious programme of developing the country, which has not adequately been covered by the public media.
“I have given the challenge to the public media to ensure that they make their presence on-line strong and see the changes that will come with it,” he said.
And Mr Mwamba said the vernacular newspapers that were recently launched by Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Mwansa Kapeya will be spread to all parts of the country.
He said there are also efforts being made to bring sanity to the journalism profession and restore its credibility by protecting and ensuring that the tensions that exist in the newsroom come to an end.
On the Access to Information Bill, Mr Mwamba said once the 13 pieces of legislation are amended, the Bill will be taken to Parliament.
“We have engaged a consultant to look at the 13 pieces of laws and advise on what should be done. People should not panic, we are on course and we will deliver this Bill as we promised,” Mr Mwamba said.
And Mr Mwamba said the cancellation of the digital migration tender was done after being advised by the Zambia Public Procurement Authority following irregularities in tendering and awarding of the contract.
He, however, said his office is pushing for policy guidelines and has since activated the tender process.
“We hope by the time we are finishing the tender process, the policy will have been ready,” Mr Mwamba said.