By Beatrice Chabaya
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Democratic Solidarity Africa of the Forum 2000 and Amnesty international have condemned the detention of Zambian Whistleblower journalist Thomas Allan Zgambo, demanding his immediate and unconditional release.
Zgambo was arrested on October 16 and remains in police custody.
He has been charged with criminal libel and cyber harassment following complaints lodged by special assistant to the President for projects monitoring and implementation Lawrence Mwananyanda and Auditor General Roy Mwambwa. However, since his charge on Monday, Thomas has remained in police cells despite all sureties being raised to guarantee his release.
This is his third arrest within a year, with previous detentions on charges of sedition.
CPJ Africa Program coordinator Muthoki Mumo demanded that Zambian authorities should drop all charges against Zgambo and let him work freely.
He said that Zgambo’s arrest “exposes president Hakainde Hichilema’s empty promises on freedom of the press”.
“Zambian authorities should drop criminal cases against investigative journalist Thomas Allan Zgambo and allow him to work freely,” Mumo said in Nairobi. “The judicial harassment of Zgambo exposes the emptiness of president Hichilema’s repeated commitments to press freedom”.
“These persistent arrests over my work are meant to silence me so that I begin to report positively about the government,” Zgambo told CPJ from his police cell.
The DSA of the Forum 2000 has also denounced Zgambo’s arrest and continued detention, urging authorities to release him and end targeted repression of journalists.
Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for East and Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda, emphasized that Journalism is not a crime.
He said Zambia’s Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and media freedom, further urging authorities to uphold human rights obligations.
“Journalism is not a crime, infact, Zambia’s constitution guarantees tye right to freedom of expression and Media freedom. Authorities must uphold their constitutional and international human rights obligations and allow journalists to freely carry out their work, he said.
Meanwhile, the Zambia Free Press Initiative (FPI) has condemned the continued detention of Zgambo and demanded his immediate release.
FPI founder and executive director Joan Chirwa described the arrest as an infringement on press freedom, which should not be condoned.
She advised that those aggrieved with Zgambo’s writing should utilise the media self-regulation body in place.
“FPI calls for his unconditional release. Those with complaints against journalists’ reporting must utilise the complaints platform created by the media self regulation body whose ombudsman is a respected and objective media person,” said Chirwa.