Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini has warned media houses that continue to publish false reports of parliamentary proceedings that they risk being barred from covering the proceedings of the house and its committees.
Dr Matibini further warned that such media houses also risk being subject to criminal proceedings under section 25c of the National Assembly Powers and Privileges Act.
This follows an inaccurate story published in the Zambia Daily Mail of 18th October 2012 in which Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu was wrongly quoted as saying that the deportation of Lundazi Catholic Priest Father Vetoir Banyangandora was necessitated by grave misconduct.
Delivering ruling on a point order raised by Kalomo Member of Parliament Request Muntanga on 31st October 2012 on a Story Published in the Post Newspapers of 25th October 2012 quoting the Catholic Lundazi Parish executive stating the Minister’s reasons for the deportation of the Priest were false, Dr Matibini advised the media to carefully verify information with appropriate authorities prior to publication.
And Dr Matibini has advised members of the public who write to the National Assembly seeking its intervention in a matter to desist from publishing their correspondence before they have received a response from the National Assembly.
He said the National assembly will not entertain any correspondence that has been widely publicized by its authors.
This follows the Lundazi Catholic Parish’s decision to avail its correspondence to the Speaker to the Post Newspapers.