GOVERNMENT says it is considering partially privatising one of the public media organisations because they are not running profitably.
Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Labour Fackson Shamenda said a media organisation in the region has shown interest in buying shares in one of the public media institutions but that Government has not decided which one of the two dailies will be partially privatised.
Mr Shamenda said this when he installed the Times Printpak board in Lusaka yesterday.
He said public media organisations are viable institutions which should not constantly receive funding from Government.
“A reputable media institution has expressed interest in buying shares in one of the two public media organisations, either the Zambia Daily Mail or the Times of Zambia,” Mr Shamenda said.
He said the Times of Zambia is in huge financial problems, to the point of bankruptcy and that the new board should work hard to ensure that the company becomes more profitable.
Mr Shamenda said Government does not have sufficient resources to recapitalise the public media and urged the new boards to make the institutions more viable.
He said public media organisations are viable entities and this is why there are purchase proposals from international media organisations.
“Government does not have sufficient resources to recapitalise the institution, therefore the challenge is for you as a board to make it profitable and regard it as a personal business,” Mr Shamenda told the new Times board members.
He said the public media is important for Government to know what is obtaining on the ground.
Mr Shamenda said the MMD government was ousted from power by the people of Zambia because they were not told the truth about what the people wanted.
He said it is the responsibility of the public media to allow for constructive criticism so that Government can try to fulfil its promises.
“We want people to criticise objectively to draw the attention of government to what is obtaining on the ground,” he said.
And Times PrintPak board chairperson Michael Musonda said the new board has a daunting task of reviving an insolvent company.
Mr Musonda said his committee will work hard to make the institution profitable and this can only be done if the management of the company is done professionally and competently.
“We have a daunting challenge of turning an insolvent company with such alarming levels of indebtedness into a profitable company,” Mr Musonda said.
The other Times PrintPak board members are managing director Godfrey Malama, Times Printpak legal counsel Brian Singine, Bank of Zambia director of human resources and administration Penelope Mapoma, MultiChoice general manager Simon Botha, Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council executive director Engwase Mwale, Mau Farms executive chairperson Lawrence Kwaleyela Moola and Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Labour permanent secretary Amos Malupenga.
Daily Mail