MISA demands immediate enactment of Information bill

President Lungu addressing Parliament

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia Chapter is concerned with the continued delay in the enactment of the Access to Information (ATI) Bill, which has stalled for thirteen years since its withdrawal from Parliament in 2002, with subsequent attempts to have it presented again.

It is puzzling that the ruling Patriotic Front promised under section 27 of its party manifesto to “review and reconcile the provisions of the Official Secrets Act and the Freedom of Information Bill of 2002 in order to enact the Freedom of Information Bill of 2002 into law” and further promised (explicitly) to enact the ATI bill into law at various forums during and after the 2011 elections.

Unfortunately and since 2011 alone, the process has encountered drawbacks on more than five occasions, each of them bearing promises of immediate enactment from the government, which promises have turned out to be vain.

MISA Zambia therefore demands:
1. That government should immediately circulate the revised version of the draft ATI bill, as a matter of urgency, for validation and scrutiny by members of the public, civil society and other stake holders even as a way of creating awareness. This is important because the bill is for the people, the citizens of this country who should be involved throughout the process and whose aspirations the bill must meet.
This is important for Zambians to familiarize themselves with the contents of the bill.
2. That the Minister of Information and Broadcasting must, as a matter of urgency, give a ministerial statement on the status of the ATI bill and the issues surrounding its presentation to Parliament. Further to this, we demand that the President withdraws the statement issued in May, 2015 because ATI is for the public, not the media. It is a fundamental human right for Zambians to have information.
3. That PF government should indicate a clear timeline for the presentation of the bill to Parliament for public accountability. This is especially important owing to how several leaders have been untruthful (since 2002) on the enactment of the ATI bill. It is high time the government came clean on its commitment to the enactment of the ATI bill.
4. That citizens must take interest in and demand for the enactment of the ATI bill, and that leaders vying for office in the 2016 elections must show serious will and commitment towards the enactment of this very important democratic bill if a vote is to be given to them.
According to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human rights and Article 20 (1) of the Zambian constitution, “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”.

In this regard, an individual’s right to information is related to their freedom of expression and access to information is therefore the implementation of an individual’s right to information.

It is true that lack of transparency facilitates corruption. The role of ATI/Information in addressing corruption is therefore vital.

ATI will contribute to the reduction of the rampant corruption currently prevailing, increase transparency, accountability and informed citizen participation in governance; it will also allow for integrity of information and transparent classification of information which will avert even the recent ‘leakage’ of government documents that has been experienced as there will be a fair process of accessing information.

As one of the facilitators of the presentation of the ATI bill to Parliament through a private member’s motion in 2002, MISA Zambia will continue to advocate for the enactment of the ATI bill in pursuit of the attainment of the tenets of good governance, transparency, accountability and citizen participation, which are hallmarks of democracy.