Niël Terblanché
The Southern African Editors Forum (SAEF) called on the President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema to uphold his commitment to press freedom in the country.
The forum expressed deep concern over the repeated arrests of Zambian investigative journalist Thomas Allan Zgambo.
The forum’s chairperson, Willie Mponda, in a statement released on Wednesday, criticised the growing trend of harassment faced by Zgambo, most recently arrested on 16 October for allegedly defaming political figures connected to the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND).
Zgambo, a contributor to the Zambia Whistleblower website, has been a vocal critic of the government, exposing alleged corruption and malpractice.
His latest arrest is the third in just over a year, following previous detentions in November 2023 and August 2024.
These arrests, stemming from his critical reporting, have sparked widespread condemnation from media organizations and human rights groups from across the continent, who argue that Zgambo is being targeted merely for doing his job as a journalist.
Police arrested Zgambo, who writes for the Zambia Whistleblower website, on 16 October while he was having a meal at a mall and held him at the Ridgeway Police Station.
The arrest follows the publication of an article perceived to be critical of government officials.
According to Amnesty International, Zgambo remains in police custody at Lusaka’s Ridgeway Police Station without formal charges.
The arrest reportedly followed the publication of an article that criticized government officials, leading to accusations of criminal defamation.
Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for East and Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda, stressed that journalism is not a crime and called for Zgambo’s immediate and unconditional release, stating that Zambia’s constitution guarantees freedom of expression and media freedom.
The SAEF echoed these concerns, noting that President Hichilema’s earlier promises to uphold media freedoms, made shortly after his inauguration in August 2022, have yet to be fully realized.
Mponda stated that certain political figures within the UPND appear to wield enough power to influence police actions, leading to the suppression of critical voices like Zgambo’s.
He called on Hichilema to honour his international and domestic commitments by ensuring Zgambo’s immediate release and halting the abuse of police officers by politically connected individuals.
The forum also called on African leaders to adopt the African Union’s principle of media self-regulation, a move that could safeguard journalists from criminal defamation charges and ensure that grievances against the press are handled through civil legal channels rather than arrests.
According to Mponda, Zgambo’s situation has raised broader concerns about the state of press freedom in Zambia, particularly in light of the growing number of journalists facing legal challenges for their reporting.
“Despite Hichilema’s public commitment to restoring democracy and protecting civil liberties, the repeated arrests of Zgambo point to a troubling gap between rhetoric and reality,” he said.
Mponda said that the SAEF and other organisations will remain steadfast in their calls for Zambia to protect press freedom and allow journalists like Zgambo to work without fear of retribution.
