Axxez Media Management says it is unfortunate that senior government officials are helping Lebanese companies to thrive in Zambia while killing young local entrepreneurs.

In a statement, Axxez public relations officer Treasure Sindaza refuted claims that his company was purporting to be affiliated to State House or to President Edgar Lungu’s Press Aide Amos Chanda in order to get business.

On Friday, Chanda had told a media briefing that Axxez advertising company was using his name and that of State House to bully councils in Lusaka, Kitwe, and Kafue.

“There is a company [called] Axxez media, this company is a billboard advertising media. It is going round purporting that they are acting for Stat House [and] I can confirm that they are not acting for us. The second thing I can confirm that I do not own this company as they are purporting. The third thing is that I can confirm that it is owned by two shareholders but I will not mention the names, you can go to PACRA. So they are neither acting for us nor do I own it. Those dealing with this company can engage them on their own terms as Axxez media. Information is that they are bullying chief officers of Lusaka City council, Ndola, Kitwe and Kafue council purporting to be acting for State House. They don’t have instructions of State House to put out Bill boards or to do anything and most importantly I do not own the company, I do not know them, we have no interest directly or indirectly whatsoever,” said Chanda.

But Sindaza stated that Chanda’s allegations were propaganda and fake adding that if indeed his company was using State House to get business, it would have gotten contracts from government.

“Axxez Media Management is a Zambian company founded and established by young Zambian entrepreneurs. We have never purported to be affiliated to State House or state that our company is owned by Mr Amos Chanda and that is evident by the fact that we have never gotten any business from the state owned companies. If we use State House to get business we would have gotten even one contract from the Government,” Sindaza stated.

Sindaza also stated that his company had never bullied any of the mentioned councils and urged Chanda to verify facts with his company before siding with a Lebanese company which he said was connected to some cabinet ministers.

“Secondly, we want to make it clear that we have never bullied any council CEO. As a matter of fact, Lusaka City Council under ministerial instructions, pulled down our billboards in 2017 regardless of the billboard approvals and a named Lebanese company took over our legally approved billboard spaces. It is so unfortunate that the relevant authorities have been siding with a Lebanese Company that is connected to some minister and abuses that relationship by using his name to take over our sites. Is this how we are going to live in Zambia, killing young local entrepreneurs at the expense of Lebanese companies? We expected Mr Amos Chanda to verify with us before taking the matter to the media and misinforming the public. He has our contacts, we have officially complained to him before concerning these matters of the Lusaka City Council siding with a Lebanese company of which he just threw away our complaints but surprisingly he is now giving false and unverified news,” stated Sindaza.

“We urge the public to treat that news as propaganda and we hereby challenge Mr Amos Chanda to avail evidence to his allegations. We want to put it clear that we do not have any billboards in Kafue and have never been to Kafue City Council to apply for billboards or bully anyone there. Yes, we have billboards in Kitwe, Ndola and Lusaka but we have never bullied any council CEOs whatsoever. We only have business relationships with these local councils, we always follow the laid down procedures and we have records and council approvals.”