It’s all lies
SOME media publications are politically motivated by hatred and envy of President Edgar Lungu to the extent of peddling lies that he took a boat cruise and hired a cargo ship to ferry his shopping during a trip to China and New York when it is not true, says Amos Chanda.
Mr Chanda who is Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations charged that there was a moral decay in some media houses that are publishing what he termed as ‘blatant lies’ against President Lungu and his government.
Mr Chanda was reacting to a recent publication from a local newspaper which leaked what it termed a “cash-flow dossier” detailing alleged abuse of public resources on President Lungu’s international trips.
Speaking when he featured on ZNBC's Sunday Interview, Mr Chanda noted that politically motivated hatred and envy of President Lungu and his government was the baseline of the named publications and hence their continuous resolve to push malicious falsehoods.
He said President Lungu had never taken a boat cruise or hired a cargo ship to ferry his shopping as published in some newspapers.
“Those are blatant lies by a newspaper driven by political motives, it gets a document planted on it. It’s all because of their collective hatred and envy. The President has never been on a boat cruise, not just in New York but anywhere else he has never been. It is not true that there was a cargo ship hired to carry the shopping. “And we are worried when someone can just wake up and concoct lies and put them in a newspaper. It must worry us but more especially it should worry the liars who are waking up just for the express purpose of damaging the reputa- tion of the country, they do not realise the presidency is an institution," Mr Chanda said.
Mr Chanda said the publications were doctored and meant to injure not only President Lungu’s image but to also damage the country's reputation.
And when asked what his comment would be if the said publications maintained their stance, Mr Chanda said State House would review its relationship with them.
"We will review our relationship with them because we know that is not true and these are the things that undermine national cohesion, decency and collectively you and I must be ashamed that we belong to the same profession with people who can tell blatant lies, that even when you are reminded it's not true can go home and sleep and have a cup of tea," Mr Chanda responded.
He said it was disappointing to note that individuals from the said publications sleep at night after peddling lies.
"You can throw as many insults as you want at the President but when you are seated alone, you must attempt to listen to your inner voice and say, is it logical, is this correct?"
"We are worried when senseless accusations come out because what kind of society are we creating? Where you just wake up because you do not like Grevazio Zulu and say he has bought 20 houses when in fact he has not," Mr Chanda said.
He said there was need for newspapers to be at the forefront to project values of truth.