Stories about Zambia from October, 2012
Ministers Caught Browsing ‘Zambia's WikiLeaks’
Zambia's Finance Deputy Minister Miles Sampa and Minister in Charge of Chiefs Nkandu Luo were recently caught on camera during a Lusaka council meeting browsing the online news website Zambian Watchdog. The online publication, known for its investigative reporting, was this month threatened with de-registration by the Registrar of Societies.
Zambia: YouTube Documentary on Negative Impact of Copper Mining
A documentary titled “Zambia: Good Copper, Bad Copper” about Zambian copper mining and its negative impact on society has emerged on YouTube and has so far attracted over 6,000 hits. After watching the documentary, one YouTube user wrote, "Cry our beloved country. Why should we remain poor when a coveted product is plenty and mined at the expense of the locals' health."
Zambian Watchdog Website in Jeopardy
The government of Zambia has threatened to de-register the online investigative site, Zambian Watchdog. In May 2012, the Watchdog reported that its website was a target of a sustained attack allegedly by the government after visitors to the site were met with “page not available.”
Zambia: MP Suspended for Criticising President's ‘Jokey’ Speech
An opposition MP in Zambia was recently suspended from the House for overly criticising one of President Michael Sata’s official speeches. While addressing parliament, a presidential annual tradition which is supposed to be a solemn occasion, President Sata kept on cracking jokes which made him divert significantly from the prepared speech.