July 24, 2013. The Station Manager Radio Icengelo P.O. Box 20694 KITWE Dear Rev. Fr. Nicholas Mubanga, RE: YOUR DECISION TO STOP AN ADVERT FOR ALLIANCE FOR BETTER ZAMBIA PARTY I refer to the short meeting I had with you in your office today 24th July 2013 on the subject above. BACKGROUND I came to the studios to place an advert about postponement of the launch for our political party Alliance for Better Zambia (ABZ). Upon getting to the studios I went to the marketing office where information about the cost of political adverts and programmes was availed to me. I requested to place an advert about the postponement of the public launch of our party which was supposed to take place on 27th July 2013 in Kitwe. The request was granted and I suggested to do a recorded advert using my voice. The request was also granted. Thereafter, a technician was sought by the responsible people to record the advert while I waited in the marketing office humbly sitting on the chair I was offered. A few minutes later a gentleman came and asked me to accompany him to the recording studio to undertake the work. After about 10 minutes, a young staff member came into the studio and informed me that you Rev. Fr. Mubanga, as station manager had given an instruction to stop the recording. I was shocked but not surprised at the turn of events. I complied and came to your secretary to ask for permission to see you and after being informed of my request to see you, you allowed me into your office. YOUR REASON FOR STOPING OUR ADVERT Upon kindly asking to know why the recording of our advert was stopped you said that you had a problem with me. “We did adverts and programmes for you as an NGO but now I have a problem” you said. When I asked what kind of problem you had with me you could not give a clear answer. However, you made the following points clear; 1. That as station manager you had authority to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to political adverts and programmes; 2. That your decision to allow an advert or disallow it was arbitrary; 3. That your decision to stop our advert was not about the station’s policy but your personal authority as station manager to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. This was explained after I insisted to know the policy so that ABZ could know how to deal with Radio Icengelo. MY REGRET I regret the fact that your decision was arbitrary and that you even admitted it. I also regret that no attempt to handle me with courtesy was tried. As I mentioned to you I think that as a station manager and a priest you could have just asked your staff member to ask me to come to your office and communicate your decision to me or indeed allow the short recording to go ahead and then explain to me that you could not allow our advert to go on air. The manner you did it was embarrassing to me and amounted to unfair treatment especially that I did not impose anything on your staff who as a matter of fact never worked under me as they are all new staff. Moreover, I did not resist any earlier instruction not to go ahead. As such, I am very disappointed that you treated me that way. I think that your attitude lacked Christian charity and was totally uncalled for. As I went to say bye to the marketing staff that attended to me, I felt ashamed and humiliated for no reason at all. But I had to swallow my pride and allow myself to be humiliated in that manner. God has taught me something through this encounter and it is my prayer never to subject another human person to this kind of treatment. I also regret the fact that you stopped the advert even before listening to the content or indeed offering an alternative way of doing it such as giving you a plain script with no mention of Fr. Bwalya Bwalya since this seems to be your problem. You just used your authority to stop it. This kind of leadership failed to inspire me. Mighty is not always right. I am convinced that your attitude towards me is founded on some deep seated prejudice and that may explain why you were not interested in listening to the content of the advert. FRIENDLY ADVICE Please be advised that the direction you have taken whether as a station or personally is unsustainable and has potential to bring the name of Radio Icengelo into disrepute and ridicule in the eyes of stakeholders that respect freedom of expression and association including freedom of conscience, fair play and equal treatment of citizens including political leaders like myself. Remember that Radio Icengelo has been a beacon of success on these fundamental human rights. Since you have a problem with me as a person and you don’t want my voice on your radio, look at a scenario where the Electoral Commission of Zambia buys air time for presidents of political parties to interact with the public. How will ECZ view your decision to allow other presidents and block me? What about Catholics who believe in fair treatment and think that I have made a personal decision to engage in partisan politics and that I deserve access to services provided by your radio station, at least at a fee? Anyway, be assured that what you have embarked on is unsustainable. It is not right. LEARN TO FORGIVE I beg you to learn to respect my individual decision to participate in politics. My decision may be against the expectation of the Church but I think that it would be wrong to punish me in the manner you are attempting. And if I have personally done something wrong to Radio Icengelo or yourself, please learn to forgive and put aside vengeance or scores settling. As for me, this is not the first time that I have undergone this kind of treatment. Nevertheless, I will forge ahead and I will not stop praying for Radio Icengelo. There are avenues for me to seek redress on this issue through media bodies that promote freedom of expression and access to community media, but I think that God will resolve this problem for me as he has done before. I have copied this letter to Radio Icengelo board members so that as policy makers they can be informed about my experience for future reference. I have also copied Bishop Dr. Alick Banda because I think that it is good for him to know how I feel about such treatment. Yours sincerely, Frank Bwalya (Fr.) ABZ LEADER CC: Bishop Dr. Alick Banda, Bishop of Ndola Diocese CC: Radio Icengelo Board Members
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 15:28:58 +0000