A sizeable group of people calling themselves Zambian bloggers yesterday converged at the Freedom Statute in Lusaka to protest the blocking of two critical websites – Zambian Watchdog and Zambia Reports – from domestic access in the country.
Some sources report that the Patriotic Front government has alleged hired Chinese and Russian technical teams to block these websites, which have published news stories exposing corruption and other legal violations by certain officials of President Michael Sata’s administration.
Since early June, the PF has attempted to close the Zambian Watchdog and on Thursday extended its attack to Zambia Reports, a move that has drawn condemnation from international organisations such as Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders.
The international media has also taken note of the rising censorship in Zambia. An article published in the U.K. newspaper The Guardian has highlighted the crackdown against journalists, while other members of the diplomatic community have been pressed with letters of concern.
Zambian Watchdog continues to be viewable in Zambia via its mirror site, while Zambia Reports, for the time being, can be accessed through Facebook.
Both organisations have offered various forms of support. In Lusaka, the bloggers who were dressed in black to also commemorate Black Friday demanded that President Michael Sata respects the right to free speech.
The bloggers also called on the Zambian government to stop the harassment of journalists that were arrested. The journalists linked to the Watchdog, Clayson Hamasaka, Thomas Zymabo and Wilson Mpondamali are being persecuted.
Mpondamali is still behind bars four days after his arrest while Hamasaka and Zyambo are charged with sedition.
The bloggers dispersed after an hour of their procession following word that PF cadres organised by the militia group had organised themselves and were heading to the area to create confusion like what was experienced at BIGOCA.
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