United Voice Radio board chairperson Bishop Mwape Chomba has condemned the conduct by Felix Mutati’s MMD youths who stormed the radio station to interrupt a live programme which featured Nevers Mumba.

On Wednesday, MMD youths led by their youth coordinator Gerald Chiluba and Prince Ndoyi stormed the station with intent to interrupt the programme and to fish out Mumba whom they branded a masquerader.

But in a statement, Thursday, Bishop Choma observed that the act was an attempt to intimidate radio staff.

“The Board of United Voice Radio Station would like express its displeasure at attempts by a group of people claiming to be members of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) who stormed the radio station to disrupt a weekly program dubbed ‘Add your Voice.’ The action to storm the radio station by the purported cadres was an attempt to intimidate the radio station by creating fear in the minds of journalists and other staff. The Board wishes to implore players on politicians to exercise restraint when raising complaints which may arise as a result of journalists performing their work as the Fourth Estate,” Bishop Chomba stated.

Bishop Chomba urged political party leaders to act with maximum restraint when dealing with their cadres.

“The Board further implores individuals or groups of people who may feel aggrieved over any matter to use the laid-down procedure of airing grievances instead of resorting to actions which may promote acts of lawlessness. The Board, however acknowledges the quick action taken by the police who arrived in time to deal with the situation at hand. The Board further appeals to political party leaders to act with maximum restraint when dealing with their cadres to avoid promoting anarchy and to safeguard lives and property,” stated bishop Chomba.

“The Board acknowledges that Zambia is a democratic dispensation where individuals have the right to freedom of speech. Further, the board acknowledges that the growth of Zambia’s democracy depends much on this freedom where individuals are free to air out views within the confines of the law. The Board of United Voice Radio wishes to inform its listeners that the station would continue to fulfil its mandate of informing, educating and entertaining without the fear of intimidation while upholding professionalism.”