Zambia's censorship broadcasting regulator, IBA, bans Prime TV for a month for doing critical reporting of authoritarian president Edgar Lungu's government.

Zambia's censorship broadcasting regulator, the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) has banned and shut down the Prime TV channel for a month that has been critical of Zambia's government.

The decision by the Zambian government and its censorship body comes a few weeks after the IBA ordered the apparently "gay" show Lusaka Hustle off the air in February 2019 and ordered MultiChoice Zambia and M-Net's Zambezi magic (DStv 160) channel to censor it.

Lusaka Hustle returned to the Zambezi Magic schedule after the censorship regulator couldn't specify and didn't want to say exactly what was wrong and triggered the original ban.

Last month a high-ranking Zambian police official threatened a Prime TV news presenter.

Prime TV - started 7 years ago by a former cameraman at Zambia's state broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) - has publicly exposed corruption and done critical reporting of authoritarian president Edgar Lungu's government.

"The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) resolved to suspend the license with immediate effect for 30 days," Josephine Mapoma, IBA board secretary doing the Zambian government's bidding said at Lusaka news conference on Monday morning.

"During the suspension period the station is expected to conduct in-house training in basic journalism, ethics and news script writing," said Josephine Mapoma.

Josephine Mapoma claimed that Prime TV was doing "unbalanced coverage, opinionated news, material likely to incite violence and use of derogatory language" without giving any evidence or explaining the IBA and Zambia's clampdown on what's left of freedom of speech in the Southern African country. 

Zambia's censorship tsar, the Ministry of Information permanent secretary, Chanda Kasolo, hilariously claimed that in the censorship of Prime TV "there was no political interference involved and that the decision comes after thorough consultations and engagements with other stakeholders".

The censorship of Prime TV comes after Davis Mwila, secretary-general of Zambia's ruling Patriotic Front who also recently banned Prime TV from press conferences, complained to the censorship body about Prime TV's alleged "biased coverage and unethical reporting of political opinions and beliefs disguised as news".

Gerald Shawa, Prime TV director, says Zambia's censorship shop shut down Prime TV without giving the TV channel a hearing or a right of reply first. Prime TV employs more than 60 journalists and support staff.

Besides Prime TV, Zambia's IBA also abruptly censored and took Valley FM Radio off the air for 2 months, for allegedly unspecified "unprofessional conduct" and failing to "balance and moderate a discussion programme" and revoked the licences of the Ngoma and Kafue radio stations.

Zambia's Non-governmental Gender Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) in a statement demanded that Prime TV's censorship be stopped and the TV channel be returned to air, saying "the decision by the IBA is not only ultra vires the republican constitution, but is also draconian and reminiscent of totalitarian regimes".

"It is NGOCC's considered view that the suspension appears to be intended to intimidate and muzzle the media to instil fear in terms of independent and unbiased reporting."

"We demand that the IBA should immediately lift the ban and allow Prime Television to operate freely."

Censor out the gay from the Lusaka Hustle reality show before its allowed back on Zambezi Magic, Zambia's information ministry tells MultiChoice Zambia and M-Net.

Censor out the gay and re-edit the Lusaka Hustle reality show before it's allowed back on the Zambezi Magic (DStv 160) channel, Zambia's information ministry is telling MultiChoice Zambia and M-Net in the growing, controversial and latest Africa TV censorship brouhaha that has erupted in the homophobic country.

Lusaka Hustle has been yanked off the air, unwillingly, by MultiChoice Zambia and M-Net's Zambezi Magic channel to comply with the head-scratching order from Zambia's Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), that ordered Lusaka Hustle off the air, over allegedly showing and promoting "gay tendencies".

Now Zambia's information ministry also wants the apparent gayness censored out of Lusaka Hustle before MultiChoice and M-Net can put the show back on Zambezi Magic for viewers in that country and multiple other pan-African nations.

Removing the show from Zambezi Magic - that has only one channel feed - means that Lusaka Hustle has been removed not just for DStv subscribers in Zambia but for MultiChoice's customers across the whole of Southern Africa in multiple countries except for South Africa where the channel isn't available.

In an interview on Zambia's QTV News, Chanda Kasolo, Zambia's information and broadcasting services secretary, reportedly said that MultiChoice and M-Net must censor episodes of Lusaka Hustle and get rid of the purported gayness portrayed.

Chanda Kasolo said that this is the medium-term solution that Zambia's homophobic government has agreed upon with MultiChoice Zambia. It's not immediately clear if MultiChoice Zambia and M-Net's Zambezi Magic packaged channel indeed agreed to self-censorship of its own artistic TV work.

Chanda Kasolo in the QTV News interview, said Zambia's government in the long-term will decide what restrictions exiting laws impose in terms of censorship of TV programming in Zambia, and that the promotion and practice of homosexuality through television programming is illegal in Zambia.


Zambezi Magic: Still unclear what show parts violate law
Lusaka Hustle that started on 24 January, initially got in the crosshairs Godfridah Sumaili, Zambia's minister for religious affairs and national guidance, who complained that Lusaka Hustle features a character with "gay tendencies" and wearing a dress - a complaint that went viral on social media.

Social media amplified the outrage about the programme that follows three local, flamboyant Zambian celebrities and their drama-filled daily lives - Thandi Vundamina, Cleo Ice Queen and the singer Kuni (Mukuni Godfrey Mulundika), with Kuni who appears in Lusaka Hustle's promotional poster art in a flowing white robe.

Some viewers were disturbed that Kuni wore a dress in a recent episode while doing a spa day in Lusaka.

It is the second censorship of content on Zambezi Magic since the debut of the M-Net packaged and produced channel that is meant as a Southern African version of South Africa's successful Mzansi Magic channel.

In November 2017 the show Talk with Kwangu was censored and pulled off the air on Zambezi Magic, following Zambian government interference and pressure.

Zambezi Magic is aimed at helping producers in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Eswatini to get their original content from their countries on the air for local DStv audiences to enjoy.

On Friday Timothy Okwaro, head of Zambezi Magic, in response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus said that "Zambezi Magic wishes to inform viewers of our decision to temporarily suspend scheduling the show Lusaka Hustle".

"We are proud to be associated with the show, which aimed to bring great reality television to Zambia audiences."

"All our programming is rigorously checked, and we are still unclear about which aspects of the show contravene Zambian law. Zambezi Magic, together with the cast and crew, wishes to thank our viewers for all their support and we look forward to returning to our normal scheduling soon."

MultiChoice Zambia in a statement to TVwithThinus on Friday said that "with regret MultiChoice Zambia has engaged channel provider Zambezi Magic, to suspend scheduling of the Lusaka Hustle show until further notice".

"MultiChoice Zambia received a formal directive from the IBA on 12 February 2019 to suspend the show, with immediate effect, for promoting 'ideas and a lifestyle that the authority doesn't want Zambians to be exposed to' ".

"We are facilitating compliance with the directive but will follow the appeal procedure set out in the Independent  Broadcasting Authority Act to get clarity on the correct interpretation of the law. We remain committed to the promotion of local content and respect for the law."

Zambia's IBA didn't respond to emailed media enquiries.