Zambian government shuts top newspaper,the Post, late on Tuesday over a tax row ahead of the August 11 General election.The move was widely viewed as politically motivated.
The Zambia Revenue Authorities (ZRA) shut the newspaper in the capital Lusaka.
“The Post has been closed. ZRA and state police are now in charge! We wish them all the best in this newspaper business,” the newspaper’s managing editor, Mr Joan Chirwa, posted on her Facebook page. “The Government of the Republic of Zambia has today June 21, 2016 closed down Post Newspapers Limited."
ZRA officers, under instructions from State House, arrived at the Post Newspapers head office and printing press around 17:00 hours in the company of armed police, demanding that the company pays a total of $6.1 million (Sh610 million) disputed tax arrears immediately,” the papers news editor, Mr Joseph Mwenda, said in a statement.
The newspaper's management says the amount being demanded was paid almost in total, but a ZRA officer responded that they had not yet accessed the money and thus they could not withdraw the warrant of distress.
Zambia’s main opposition party protested the closure of The Post.
“We’re here to offer solidarity to you and to stand for press freedom, “said former Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo, as she led hundreds of supporters of her United Party for National Development to the newspaper’s head office in the upmarket area of Rhodes Park in Lusaka. “This is not about The Post. This is about holding on to power.”
Ms Masebo was Tourism Minister under President Michael Sata but has since defected to the Opposition.
The newspaper has been critical of government and the action appears connected to the August 11 election.
The socialist Rainbow Party also participated in the solidarity walk and announced that opposition parties were planning a meeting over the issue.
Transparency International Zambia president Lee Habasonda, a University of Zambia Political Science lecturer, called the move draconian.
The company’s lawyers produced a court order restraining the officers from issuing a warrant of distress on The Post Newspapers, but the officers disobeyed the order.
Employees of the company were ordered out before the gates were shut.
“At the printing plant, ZRA officers switched off the printing press, locked up the premises, leaving heavily armed police officers in charge,” said the newspaper.
The newspaper, established in 1991 has been critical of successive regimes, including current President Edgar Lungu with several of them moving to shut the newspaper or slapping charges on its editor-in-chief Mr Fred M’membe and its journalists.
Some citizens took to social media to condemn the move as an assault on press freedom.
The court last week ruled the newspaper should immediately pay tax arrears.
Addressing workers, The Post's editor-in-chief Fred M’membe said: “We’re being victimised for our editorial independence and for our political views”.
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