ZAMBIA's LEADING NEWSPAPER POST NEWSPAPER CLOSED.

THE ZAMBIA POLICE in Lusaka have tear gassed Post Newspaper employees who were selling Wednesday Edition of the paper outside their premises on Bwinjifumu road. The employees were denied access to the premises following the closure by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) closed the paper yesterday. And Media Institute of Southern Africa Zambia officials this morning toured the closed Post Newspapers officers and interacted with the newspaper management to get an update on the situation. MISA Zambia Chairperson Hellen Mwale and Director Austin Kayanda revealed that the media body toured the Post Newspaper to ascertain the situation and show solidarity. Speaking shortly after touring the Post Newspaper this morning, Ms. Mwale has since called on the Zambia Revenue Authority to immediately reconsider its actions to shut down the newspaper. She has questioned the move to close the Post and the lack of due process as the move was clearly politically motivated.

Post employees outside the offices

And the country's Human Rights Board the Human Rights Commission has appealed to the State to reconsider the decision to close down the Post Newspapers and save throwing hundreds of workers into unemployment thereby adversely affecting the welfare of their families.

Commission Chief of Information, Education and Training Mweelwa Muleya says the Commission appreciates the fact that the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) exhausted the legal process leading to their action to close the Post Newspapers but the decision was ill timed.

Mr Muleya says it is also a matter of human rights law that the State is entitled to enforce such laws as it deems necessary to secure the payment of taxes or other contributions.

And the leading opposition party the United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema has condemned the closure of The Post newspaper by the PF Government in the strongest terms. Mr Hichilema said this is a blatant attempt to manipulate and suffocate any remaining free-thinking media ahead of elections in 50 days’ time.

Hakainde Hichilema 

“President Lungu should know that a free press is a vital lifeline in any country. Where people are unable to see different views reflected or debated in the public sphere, levels of frustration in society will only escalate further. The deep concern we have now, and what we have already started to see happening, is that when the people feel there is no verbal outlet of expression or representation of their views then physical action quickly becomes more commonplace. While the last truly independent voice among our print media-The Post – has been hounded over the past 18 months and now closed on account of its tax obligations, the outstanding ZRA and statutory debts of the various pro government media outlets such as ZNBC, Daily Mail and Times of Zambia continue to go ignored,” Mr Hichilema said.

And the Forum for Democracy and Development FDD has called on the Zambia Revenue Authority to re-open the Post Newspapers which was closed down yesterday following what it says is a suspicious move.

FDD Spokesperson Antonio Mwanza says closing down a media house will only enhance corruption, abuse of authority in the country and that it will not strengthen the country’s democracy.

But Youth Governance Alliance Information Officer Lonely Tatila says the closure of the post newspaper is a timely move as this would serve as a deterrent measure against private firms that are not remitting tax to government.

Mr. Tatila says the post should instead pay up the money owed to government.

And the post newspapers proprietor Fred Mmembe in his post said "They have thrown their last arrow, we still have a few in our court. Where there is a crucifixion, there is a resurrection...it is not taxes they are after".