Journalists should be protected against physical violence ahead of the 2021 polls

ZAMBIA will hold general elections on August 12 this year. The general elections comprise the local government elections, the parliamentary elections and the presidential elections. The general elections are held every five years.

Prior to the elections, there is need for people to be well informed about the manifestos of the various political parties taking part in the elections. Given this scenario, the journalists play a critical role of gathering news and disseminating it to the public.

However, the journalists from both the private and public media have fallen prey to attacks by some political cadres. This normally happens when the journalists execute their duties.

The attack on journalists by some political cadres became worse during the by-elections and the general elections. In the past, there have been incidences where the journalists have been physically manhandled merely by carrying out their duties of covering some events including the political ones.

The trend of journalists being attacked by some political cadres is unacceptable in that it is an affront to democracy. The vice should be nipped in the bud.

To this effect, I reiterate the need for the law enforcers, the police to protect the journalists from being attacked by the cadres before, during and after the 2021 polls.

The political parties should also tame their cadres so that the latter should not indulge in any form of violence against the journalists who are doing a noble duty.

To curtail attack of the journalists, the police should up their game to sternly deal with some unruly cadres.

ELEMIYA PHIRI, Lusaka.