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· ALERTDate: July 25, 2005Persons/Institutions: George Chella, Nomusa Michelo, Stephen BwalyaViolation: ThreatenedOn July 25 2005, reporters George Chella, Nomusa Michelo and Stephen Bwalya, of the privately-owneddaily newspaper, “The Post”, were questioned for more than five hours overstatements made by opposition leader Michael Sata that appeared in the paper’s July 21 edition.Sata had spoken out demanding humane treatment while in detention over a charge ofsedition. Heavily armed police officers stormed the paper’s premises the day before but wereunable to arrest the journalists that day. They were subsequently summoned to report to thepolice station on July 25.· ALERTDate: June 29, 2005Persons/Institutions: Post Newspaper editor, Fred M’membeViolation: Threatened (questioned)On June 29 2005 police in Lusaka recorded a “warn and caution” statement from Post newspaperEditor-in-Chief, Fred M’membe, over a series of editorials criticising government’s handlingof a corruption case involving former Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, KashiwaBulaya. Government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Chalwe Mchenga, had withdrawna case against Bulaya, who is alleged to have corruptly benefited from the purchase ofanti-retroviral drugs from a Bulgarian firm.M’membe’s lawyer, Patrick Matibini, told MISA Zambia that M’membe was being investigatedfor possible “Defamation of the President” arising from the strongly worded editorials.M’membe reported to police headquarters at 09h00 hours in the company of Matibini and leftabout two hours later. He was not formally charged.· ALERTDate: June 21, 2005Persons/Institutions: Ngande Mwanajiti, Bishop Paul MususuViolation: Threatened (questioned)On June 21 2005, police in Lusaka questioned Inter-African Network for Human Rights andDevelopment (AFRONET) Executive Director, Ngande Mwanajiti, and in a separate incident,Bishop Paul Mususu, Executive Director of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ),over the fax from “Annoyed Zambians,” that radio Phoenix “Let the People Talk” and “Facethe Media Presenter Anthony Mukwita read on the June 10 2005 broadcast of “Let the PeopleTalk,” referring to a failed coup of 1997.Both Mwanajiti and Bishop Mususu featured as guests on the programme.Mwanajiti told MISA Zambia shortly after his 15 minutes interview on June 21, 2005, thatChief Inspector Silungwe of Lusaka Central police asked him to confirm whether Mukwitaread the fax on the programme. He told MISA Zambia that he refused to give a statement to thepolice in the absence of his lawyer. And Bishop Mususu confirmed that he had been summonedto Lusaka central police on June 16 and 17 and was interviewed by three officers.Mususu told MISA Zambia that Lusaka Division Criminal investigations Officer, Chief InspectorSilungwe and detectives Yuyi and Sitali questioned him and wanted to know whetherthere was a fax sent to the programme and if Mukwita actually read it.· ALERTDate: June 15, 2005Persons/Institutions: Post Newspaper and vendorsViolation: CensoredOn June 15 2005, ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) supporters attemptedSo This Is Democracy? 2005-137-Media Institute of Southern Africa