Minister of Lands Jean Kapata says the PF will be left with no option but to shut down Prime TV if it continues to promote hate speech.

Kapata, who is also PF National Women Chairperson, said she was incensed by a news item in which a woman clad in an SDA uniform allegedly insulted President Edgar Lungu.

“To Prime TV, we are not warning you but I am telling you that if you continue with the type of reports, disparaging government day in day out, disparaging President Lungu day in day out, these women that you are seeing here shall come and close your studio. Let’s be civil in the way we report because the way we report especially Prime TV, you are going to set Zambia on fire. And we want you to tone down and report on things that Zambians would want to hear. Don’t everyday you are just reporting negative things. We are warning the proprietor, myself and the women that you are seeing here, we shall come to your office,” Kapata warned.

“I wish to bring to your attention what was televised on Prime TV on 2nd April 2018, I think on the 19:00 hours news. A woman from Mwembeshi where the UPND leadership were, and wearing an SDA (Seventh Day Adventist) Dorcas mother uniform, openly insulted His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu. This didn’t give a good picture of the Zambian women and the fact that Zambia is a christian nation, to see somebody from a church, a well known church which is SDA in a Dorcas uniform, insulting our president.”

Kapata asked the Mwembeshi woman to apologize for allegedly insulting the Head of State.

“Having said that my fellow women, I am giving that woman from Mwembeshi in an SDA uniform, Dorcas mother, seven days in which to apologize. I am also challenging the SDA church to take its position and make sure that, that woman apologizes first of all to the President of the Republic of Zambia and to our party. Yes, most of you might say that me personally as Jean Kapata I fought with Kambwili at Parliament. My church which I am not going to mention admonished me, I was punished. And that is why I went to apologize. So we demand an apology from this particular woman within seven days. And from the church within seven days,” he said.

And Kapata asked women to resist being used to insult leaders.

“As women we have a right to belong to any political party of our choice but it does not mean that while we belong to these political parties, we should throw away our morals and integrity, and start insulting the leaders. What are we teaching our children? Fellow women, let’s say no to this type of behavior. We are not refusing people’s opinions or any matter because Zambia is a democratic country. But we are saying no to insulting our President Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu who was chosen in 2015, he was just a novice. He was chosen within three weeks of campaigning and he became president of Zambia. In 2016, under the new constitution of Zambia, President Lungu managed to win 50%+1 and he was voted in by the people of Zambia. [He] is the first president to win by 50%+1 [votes],” said Kapata.

“Women, I am calling upon you that let’s not allow men to use us to champion hatred in Zambia. As women, we are supposed to inculcate the morals and discipline in our children, the youths so that they can respect the elders and leadership of the land. It is us women of Zambia who feel so sad to see our children and our youths morals decaying.”