from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia Bureau
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – THE Zambian government has denied accusations of a deliberate clampdown on media and dictatorship after the country’s regulator suspended the operations of four radio stations whose signals it said were interfering with aircraft communication and navigation systems.
The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) announced the temporary shutdown of the stations operating from the mineral-rich Copperbelt province on Wednesday.
The yet-to-be-named stations were said to be emitting signals outside their assigned frequencies, which directly interfered with aircraft systems at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport (formerly Ndola Airport).
Hanford Chaaba, ZICTA Corporate Communications Manager, said this could endanger aircraft and threaten the lives of people on board.
“Aviation communication and navigation systems need clean, interference-free radio signals to keep aircraft safe, including contact with air traffic control and accurate navigation,” he said.
He said the stations were thereby contravening sections of the 2009 Act.
ZICTA said the stations would be permitted to resume operations upon full compliance with applicable regulations.
Government critics have questioned the timing of the suspensions, coming at a time the administration of President Hakainde Hichilema is accused of enacting cyber security laws allegedly to stifle opponents.
This is ahead of crucial elections in August.
Thabo Kawana, the Permanent Secretary: Ministry of Information and Media, disputed these claims.
“Government, through this ministry, or the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), has not closed down any radio station in this country since 2021,” he said.
The government has been in power since 2021.
The incident coincided with the presence of a European Union (EU) delegation in the country to discuss economic reforms in Zambia.
Kawana on Wednesday received a delegation from the EU, assuring it of government’s commitment to media freedoms.
“Government remains an open and inclusive partner, and we will continue to enhance the environment for media practitioners to do their work without hindrance,” Kawana told the visitors.
– CAJ News