M’MEMBE STATEMENT: ATTEMPTS TO LIQUIDATE THE POST

President Lungu and his government have continued their crusade to shut down all independent media houses by their attempt to liquidate Post Newspapers Limited using their surrogates.

This does not surprise us, although it saddens us, because of its impact on our democracy and on the thousands of people whose livelihood has been taken away by this crusade to shut down the newspaper.

The Zambia Revenue Authority was first used in this crusade. It appears that President Lungu is now attempting to use the courts in this crusade.

We are hoping that he has not found willing facilitators in this very important institution.

Our concerns are borne by the fact that the courts have issued an order to liquidate the newspaper without those who are claiming money from the institution proving that they are indeed owed money.

In fact, at no time have any former employees ever claimed any money from Post Newspapers nor has any court decided that Post owes employees money.

We fully sympathize with the employees who are simply being used by the same government that has occasioned them misery by taking away their means of livelihood.

The impunity being exercised by government is shocking. ZRA have gone to the extent of disregarding court orders to keep the company’s premises closed.

The Tax Appeals Tribunal has ordered ZRA to open the company’s premises but they have simply ignored the Tribunal.

Why is ZRA behaving in this way? It is because they are acting on the instructions and protection of the government.

In relation to the latest developments, the government has employed a few former Post employees.

As intimated above, these former employees of Post Newspapers are now being used to try and achieve the government’s goal of annihilating the company because of its stance to educate the masses on government corruption and abuse.

The former employees have been used to file a petition for liquidation on the basis that they are owed money by the company.

All the claimants resigned from Post Newspapers on their own. None of them has lodged any claims with the company.

It is therefore strange that people who resigned and never demanded anything on their resignation can now be used to try and liquidate the company. Where is their claim so that the company can respond to it?

Why are they avoiding giving the company simple demand?

This whole process is flawed. Mr Lewis Mosho, the person appointed as provisional liquidator, is being used by the government and he is unlikely to follow the law.

Mosho’s corruption, in collusion with those in government, was exposed by The Post. The corrupt in government have now regrouped to annihilate the only means that had been available to expose their corruption.

With The Post gone, Lewis Mosho, Edgar Lungu and those determined to loot government coffers, can now loot with impunity.

We remain hopeful that the Judiciary can still rise to the occasion and save this country from the state capture that has been waged by a few determined corrupt individuals.

But our optimism is tempered by caution because of what we know about some of these judges and the information we continue to collect about their collusion.

At an opportune time, all will be laid bare. For now, President Lungu and his government, through Mosho and other corrupt facilitators, are creating the conditions for corruption on a scale unseen without question. With corruption comes dictatorship and vice versa.

After The Post, who will be next?

Issued by

FRED M’MEMBE,
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF