MATAKA

By PERPETUAL
SICHIKWENKWE
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A WITNESS yesterday told a Lusaka Magistrate Court how freelance journalist Chanda Chimba III allegedly told her that he felt like killing someone for
allegedly sabotaging the printing of  his Stand Up for Zambia newspaper.
Patricia Silupumbwe, a graphics designer at the Zambia Daily Mail, also told Principal Magistrate Obister Musukwa that former Zambia Daily Mail (ZDM) deputy managing director Davies Mataka threatened to fire her alongside other
workmates for printing a wrong Stand Up for Zambia newspaper.
Former Information and Broadcasting Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha, his former permanent secretary Sam Phiri and Chimba are jointly charged with abuse of authority of office, unlawful publication and possession of property suspected to be proceeds of a crime.
Ms Silupumbwe, 37, said Chimba was annoyed after discovering that the final print-out of the newspaper was not done correctly.
She told the court that in June 2011, Chimba took the Stand Up for Zambia newspaper on a CD for commercial printing and that it was given to her department by her superior.
Ms Silupumbwe said one of her workmates, Moses Banda, sent it to the rip station (where soft copy is changed to negatives in preparation for printing) and later for printing.
She said the final product of the newspaper did not come out perfectly and Chimba went to complain to her section.
Ms Silupumbwe said that she tried to explain to Chimba that the poor copy of the newspaper could have been because of the way the CD was packaged.
She said Chimba refused and allegedly responded that “I feel like killing someone right now”.
Ms Silupumbwe said Chimba later got a phone from his pocket and called someone whom he told that someone at ZDM was trying to sabotage his work.
She said Chimba left the graphics section and went to Mataka’s office where she and her workmates, Banda and Peter Mwenda, were summoned.
She said Mataka threatened to dismiss her from employment.
Ms Silupumbwe said they were told to re-do the work and they did, but it still did not come out correctly.
She said on a Sunday, a meeting was held with Mr Mataka and her other workmates and their supervisor Philip Katai where Mr Mataka warned them that they would be fired if they continued printing wrong things.
Ms Silupumbwe said a new CD of the Stand Up for Zambia newspaper was given
to them and Mr Mwenda sent it to the rip station but this time around
it came out perfectly.
Another witness, former Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) director general, Eddie Mupeso told the court how he was from the onset of joining the company informed about the issue of Stand Up for Zambia documentaries by people he found at the corporation.
Mr Mupeso said ZNBC company secretary Philemon Songolo briefed him about how the station had initially refused to broadcast the documentaries because they would easily lead to litigations.
He said he was told that after discussions with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services, it was agreed that the ministry would pay for all legal fees that would arise as a result of the programme.
Mr Mupeso said the documentaries presented by Chimba started running, adding that three of the documentaries were subjected to re-editing to remove certain defamatory aspects.
He said that later ZNBC was sued by President Michael Sata and Transparency International Zambia in two different legal suits for defamation of character and the ministry was informed about the matter.
Mr Mupeso said that the ministry asked ZNBC to pay the K20, 000 legal fees but it later refunded the money to the corporation.
Trial continues.