My Reflections On MUVI Television’s 16th Birthday

Reporting from Embassy Park in Lusaka during the burial 
for former President Frederick Chiluba in June 2011

By Paul Shalala

It was February 2010 and I was unemployed.

I was doing internship at CUTS International Center in Northmead area of Lusaka just after I had left New Vision Newspaper.

Costa Mwansa was then the General Manager at MUVI TV and 4 years earlier he was my senior at Evelyn Hone College and he knew the political animal in me when it comes to political reporting.

Costa sent me an email asking if I could apply for a job to join MUVI TV.

Without hesitation, I sent in an application and I was called for interviews.

I passed the interviews and on 1 March 2010, I reported for work on the same day with Pennipher Sikainda (now Nyirenda) and Penelope Kapambwe (now Sikazwe).

Because our first names start with P, employees called us the three Ps.

The three of us were very close as we tried to settle down in the newsroom.

The day I reported for work, Costa was chairing the diary meeting and my first news idea was short down.

I had presented an idea on the challenges kids face when going to school due to the floods which were ravaging Lusaka.

Costa offered to groom me and from that time, I learnt how to present ideas for a community TV station.

Even my first narration for a TV report at MUVI TV was a mess, I was actually banned for a month.

After grooming and abit of panel beating, I became an unmistakable voice on MUVI TV's 18:30hrs Main News.

MUVI TV took me all over, locally and abroad.

With then opposition PF leader Michael Sata in
Senanga, Western Province in May 2011

I had the chance to fly abroad for the first time to Istanbul, Turkey to cover the United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries.

Then President Rupiah Banda attended the event and I covered it for MUVI TV, my first international assignment as a journalist and while there, I met my long time BBC mentor Umaru Fofana of Sierra Leone.

Locally, I used to cover President Banda and one time at the Lusaka International Airport (now Kenneth Kaunda International Airport), I asked him a very controversial political question (I can't remember it) and he answered me jokingly: "Iwe mwana bakutuma, sorry ulibe lead story lelo."

I covered Michael Sata in the opposition, travelled with him countrywide and I even covered his promise to restore the Barotseland Agreement at a rally in Senanga, Western Province in May 2011.

His massive rallies both in Mongu and Senanga actually gave me an indication that the man was heading somewhere as in 2008, Sata failed to have sizeable rallies in Mongu, but in 2011 he was a hero in Barotseland.

Hakainde Hichilema was another politician I covered extensively to an extent were to date, he calls me "Lozi Boy."

One rally I remember covering HH was in Choma in 2010 at Kings Ground (I hear that place has been turned into a mall) were he launched the "Real Change Campaign."

Another HH incident I remember vividly was in 2010 during the Chilanga Parliamentary by-election after Ngande Magande was expelled by MMD, Jimboz led by Chris Chalwe and William Banda almost beat him up, he was only saved by Elisha Matambo, Richwell Siamunene and others who whisked him to a classroom at Chilanga Primary School before Police fired teargas to dispess the unruly MMD cadres.

All in all, my job at MUVI TV was to report politics and my contract which I still have at home described me as a Politics Reporter.

With UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema at Chilanga Primary School
during the Chilanga Parliamentary by-election in December 2010

To cement my role, MUVI TV allowed me to travel to Berlin, Germany in September 2011 to study Politics and Governance at the International Institute for Journalism were I spent almost three months with 14 other journalists from Africa and Asia.

We were three Zambians on this training is: Morgan Kasuba a freelancer and Ernest Chanda from The Post Newspapers.

Apart from reporting politics, I think my highlight at MUVI TV was political analysis which i did almost every morning on the Sunrise Breakfast Show with Costa Mwansa and Mabvuto Phiri.

This show was so heated: Costa would always be the moderator and to strike a balance, Mabvuto would always support government and I would be the government critic on the show so that viewers get balanced views on any given topic.

This show made me a star and a villain at the same time.

Because of the show, many people around the country came to know me.

Every morning we would receive text messages concerning topics on discussion and one of the frequent contributors was Manix Kindaba of Solwezi who has since become a very close friend.

Politicians tuned in every morning and we would debate soberly on various issues such as politics, the Constitution making process, by-elections, etc with proper research.

We spent hours researching and when we go live on TV, we would speak with authority like experienced political scientists.

However, that analysis also gave us some enemies as the 2011 general elections drew near.

We started watching our backs because the truth we spoke on TV was hurting others.

When my two year contract was nearing it's end in February 2012, I notified management that I would not seek to renew it because I wanted to move on.

However, it took management two weeks to reply to me, they reluctantly accepted my departure and off I went.

Looking back, I smile at MUVI TV and the great person it created in me in just two years.

The experience I got, the contacts I made in the field and the ropes I went through are what has made me a journalist iam today.

I don't believe in burning bridges I have crossed, I believe in appreciating even the worst situations I have gone through because they make me who Iam today.

Interviewing President Rupiah Banda during the MMD National Convention
at Mulungushi Rock of Authority in Kabwe in April 2011

The sweetest memories I have of my time at MUVI TV was to rush to an incident in one of the compounds and we find other TV stations filming and when we arrive, everyone including those who were being interviewed abandon the interviews and start shouting "MUVI! MUVI! MUVI! MUVI!"

The saddest event was in a place called Nakachenje in Lusaka West were hundreds of MMD cadres ambushed our vehicle as we went to film a land wrangle and they beat up our driver Eddie, Dainess Nyirenda (now Sikamwaya) and Anita Kalwani.

The two ladies were actually threatened with rape and all equipment which included a microphone, tripod stand and camera we're confiscated by the Jimboz, an MMD security wing. (Not sure if this equipment was recovered).

Brian Mwale, Bruce Mwale and myself who had remained in the car survived the beating.

It is again at MUVI TV were I was the only TV reporter to have covered the January 14, 2011 Mongu Riots were an undisclosed number of Barotse activists were gunned down by Police.

All in all, MUVI TV shaped me, it gave me a great platform which I still appreciate to date.

Without MUVI TV, were would I be?

When I die and an obituary is written about me and my journalism career, MUVI TV will feature prominently in that write-up.

Happy 16th Birthday MUVI Television (Which fell yesterday).

WM Media Pty Ltd Profiles Paul Shalala And His Journalism Career

By Winston Muleba II, Zambia

Aspire to reach your potential by competing with people who you think you can’t beat says Paul Shalala. 

Shalala is a young journalist and blogger who is based in Lusaka and works for the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation as a Reporter. 

 “Am a news person and everything about me is about news. I read a lot of literature, newspapers and books. I watch a lot of TV programs especially news, documentaries and history programs. I also like making friends to hear what the common man is thinking and talking about. Am also a dot com baby. I spend most of the time on Twitter and Facebook trying to get latest news and find out what is trending across the world.” he says. 

He says always remember that no one will uplift you and your career if you do not take the first step to leap forward.

Shalala says his specialization in the past six years he has practiced journalism is politics and governance. 

He says he was born on 29th August 1984 at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka in a family of seven children.

“My father is Mr Namasiku Kamuti Shalala, a retired teacher now a farmer in Lubanze Village, in Nangoma and my mother is Mrs Monde Phyllis Shalala retired teacher also. I am a Christian, a Seventh - day Adventist. ” he says.

He says he went to Kasalu Basic School in Nangoma area of Mumbwa for his Primary and Junior Secondary School.

“I then went to Mumbwa High School for my senior secondary from 2000 to 2002. I studied for a Diploma in Journalism at the Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka from 2005 to 2007. Currently studying for my Bachelor’s degree at the University of Zambia under Distance Education. I have also done several specialized journalism trainings just to sharpen my journalism skills. I studied Politics, Elections and Good Governance at the International Institute for Journalism in Berlin, Germany, Business and Financial Reporting by the Thomson Reuters Foundation in Kampala, Uganda, Advanced Economic and Governance Reporting by the Thomson Reuters Foundation in Johannesburg, South Africa, Energy and Environmental Reporting as part of the Europe-Africa Young Journalists Programme in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Investigative Journalism and Anti-Corruption Reporting by the International Anti-Corruption Academy during a weeklong course at the West Africa Regional Training Center in Accra, Ghana.” he says.

Shalala says in the past years, he has worked in the print, electronic and online media.

“After college, I joined New Vision Newspaper in Lusaka where I worked for close to two years. In 2010 I joined MUVI Television where I worked until February 2012. I then decided to go into freelancing. I wrote for a number of online international newspapers like The Media Project in the USA and The London Evening Post in the UK. In September 2012, I was offered a job as a reporter at the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) in Lusaka. That’s where I currently work in the TV1 newsroom. I report mainly on politics and governance for our TV news but off course our stories also air on TV2 and Radios 1, 2 and 4.” he says.

Apart from his TV job, Shalala says he is also a blogger.

“I run my own blog called The Zambian Analyst (www.paulshalala.blogspot.com) where I analyze politics and governance issues in Zambia and the world. A blog is the only place where a journalist can add their own opinion and views to a news item.” he says.

Shalala says he is also a small businessman.

“I own a company called Nangoma Transport Limited which of course is registered by the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA). The company is a year old and has two public service minibuses that service the Lusaka – Mumbwa route. At the weekend when am off duty at ZNBC, I sometimes work as a minibus conductor. It is fun sometimes to go through the challenges conductors face on a daily basis. I’ve had experiences where a passenger thinks you are illiterate and they start insulting you in heavily broken English and when you respond in the Queen’s language, the confrontation ends because your English sounds superb. I have also had situations where you carry drunk people and they refuse to pay. It is fun being a conductor.” he says.

He says he has received a number of media awards in the past few years he has been practicing journalism.

“In April 2014 I won first prize TV category in the Policy Monitoring and Research Center (PMRC) for my stories and analysis of the constitution making process. On November 14, 2014 I received second prize in the 2014 Africa Fact Checking Media Awards in Nairobi, Kenya for my story on the impact of multi-national mining investments on Zambia’s food security. There were over 40 entries from journalists in 10 African countries. The first prize was won by Edem Srem of Ghana and Kenyan journalist Victor Amadala and myself came out second. My story had a huge impact such that dams were built for the farmers in Mazabuka after my story was aired, a Minister visited the displaced farmers and the plight of the displaced farmers became a priority for stakeholders. This is why I think I won the award. On December 18, 2014 I won the Best Innovation Award at the 2014 ZANEC Media Awards in Lusaka. The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) awarded me for a story I wrote on my blog on how 20,000 teachers in Zambia under the umbrella of the Zambian Teachers Forum are running a Facebook group of over 15,000 members and a WhatsApp group of over 5,000 members to help teachers find easy swapping from one district to another, mentor new teachers and share best practices of the art of teaching."

Shalala says the Africa Fact Checking Media Awards are a brain child of the collaboration between the Agence France Presse (AFP) Foundation, a sister organization of the AFP news agency in France and Africa Check, a journalism organization based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“The two organizations introduced these awards to inspire journalists and help them fact check information on the continent. The two organizations encourage journalists in Africa to follow up propaganda and false claims made by politicians, public officials and other opinion leaders to mislead the public. Any journalist in Africa who does a story and fact checks a public claim can enter the awards and walk away with thousands of dollars. Am lucky to have been the only Zambian journalist among the eight finalists from across the continent and I was again the only one from Southern Africa among the three who got the awards.” he says. 

He says when he received his first media award he was happy and motivated to work even more hard to get more awards.

“An award sets you apart from other colleagues when you receive it. International awards just make one feel they can go as far as other countries can go. We always limit ourselves to Zambia but when we take part in these international awards, we actually discover that even Zambians can do It.” he says.

Shalala says Awards open up opportunities.

“A week after I won the Africa Fact Checking award in November 2014, I received an invitation from a Mozambican journalism organization called Sekelekani to go and speak at an international journalism conference on reporting on the extractive industry. Within three days of that invitation, I received another invitation from the Open Society Institute of Southern Africa (OSISA) to speak at their summer journalism academy. Unfortunately the dates for the two invitations clashed and I opted to go to Mozambique where I addressed Mozambican and Angolan journalists and civil society activists in the Indian Ocean resort town of Bilene. My target now is the CNN African Journalist of the Year Awards. In the past years i have entered twice and lost but I haven’t given up. Like Bembas say, one day kakabalika.” he says.

He says on a daily basis Journalists are insulted, beaten and ridiculed but one does not need to give up because there is no easy career on earth.

“All professions are challenging. Prospective journalists shouldn’t join the media fraternity for the fame or making connections. Journalism is a calling. You have to be passionate to do what reporters do. If you are not passionate, you will run away from the profession when faced by a few hardships.” he says.

Shalala says his role model is Rageh Omar, a Somalian-born British journalist who has worked for the BBC and Aljazeera.

“He has received several media awards for his courageous works and was one of a few western journalists to have covered the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. His determination to cover sensitive and dangerous stories inspires me a lot. Rageh is a war reporter and that’s what I aspire to do when I have chance to join the international media. I hope to report from war zones like Iraq, Afghanistan and Gaza.” he says.

He urges young people in various professions to try their luck.

“You may never know what response you may get. Don’t be defeated by the word ‘International’. You are also international yourself if you join others from other countries. Believe in yourself and your potential will take you a step further.” he says.

Shalala says he would want the world to remember him as a journalist who strived to raise governance issues and one who rose from a humble background in the villages of Nangoma area of Mumbwa to become an award winning journalist on the continent.

Aspire to reach your potential by competing with people who you think you can’t beat. You can do it. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

For comments: mwenyamuleba@gmail.com / 0966 461 943/ 0950 594 050

(This story was published by WM Media Pty Ltd on 4th January 2015 on their blog. The original story can be read here:  http://winstonmuleba.blogspot.com/2015/01/shalala-second-prize-winner-of-2014.html)

THE SICHILONGO CASE: 10 Lessons to the Teaching Fraternity

Sr Chakupalesa and Mr Sichilongo reconciling

By Pumulo Mungoma

It is said that the wise learn from the mistakes of others as one may not live long enough to commit and learn from one’s own mistakes directly.  The recent turn of events by the walking to freedom of Mr. Daswell Sichilongo, the man who battered a Catholic nun and (Acting) Headteacher, Sister Emma Chakupalesa, of Roma Girls’ Secondary School has re-kindled a lot of debate. In a blink of an eye Mr. Sichilongo had turned himself into a “celebrity”; unfortunately for the bad reasons.

On the other hand, his case is ornamented with a lot of lessons. I wish to highlight 10 of the lessons that we can all learn from this rather unfortunate incident.

Sr. Chakupalesa met her fate after locking the institutional house occupied by Mr. Sichilongo, 53, a Science Teacher at the same school. Sister Chakupalesa locked Mr. Sichilongo’s house for alleged failure to pay a K1,500) for rentals. Mr. Sichilongo pounced on the nun with fierce punches after efforts by Mr. Sichilongo to discuss the matter in the presence of a MUVI TV crew were turned down by Sister Chakupalesa.

Mr. Sichilongo said he was disappointed that Sister Chakupalesa decided to lock his family out of the house despite that Sister Chakupalesa knew very well that his bank account had been blocked on a technicality.

But recently, Mr. Sichilongo walked to freedom after the complainant (Sr. Chakupalesa) withdrew the case. Sister Chakupalesa told Senior Resident Magistrate Aridah Chulu that she had opted to withdraw and seek reconciliation. Magistrate Chulu acceded to the withdrawal but warned that the case cannot be brought back to court.

From the onset, I wish to thank and appreciate that the two have agreed to seek reconciliation.  It is a discharged case now, and leaves behind lessons for all of us.  I now wish to share with you what I have outlined as the 10 lessons that every well-meaning citizen should learn from this case, especially for teachers. 

1. Considerate, Fair Administration is Key

From this incident, we can conclude that a person has no limits in retaliation when pushed to the edge. Man  can easily turn into a “beast” when pressed against the wall. He can fight back especially when his family members are either a target or direct victim too, of such an action.   

Mr. Sichilongo’s family was left in the cold and his children missed school especially at the time when pupils were sitting for their Mock Examinations.  The Bible teaches us to always remember to treat others the way you would want to be treated. Empathy needs to be expressed by administrators, especially when material facts are presented to them.

The case highlighted how the school administration acted so harshly on this matter. The extent of locking an institutional house for failure to pay K1,500 only was too harsh a consideration.  This is their teacher! Where can he run to if his own school and managers disown him?  The fact that Sr. Chakupalesa was Acting Headteacher, she needed to be more accommodating!  A little bit more of tolerance and benefit of doubt are necessary! Every human being deserves better treatment.

Good leadership as Headteachers is about being sensitive to the pressing needs of their subordinates, and respond appropriately.

2.      Gender-Based Violence at Display

The incident has shown that gender-based violence is more pronounced when a woman is the victim, while when it is the man it is less projected. We saw a united force mounted against Mr. Sichilongo in the name of the Sisters of Charity, the Zambia Episcopal Conference, the Catholic priests and the women movement in general. One Mongu (Western Province) based clergyman Priest Rev. Ignatius Lubasi Muyunda Chanakila said “beating a religious sister is sacrilegious (blasphemous).”  The solidarity the nun received from her Church should have shown that “blood is thicker than water!”

The incident has taught us that real men defend women and others. Real men are never used as bullets to turn defenseless women into punching bags! It was a reminder that violence, even a threat of violence, is a crime!

3.      Teacher Unionism Welfare

The teacher union to which Mr. Sichilongo belonged was not spared from drama.  The Secretary General of the union; Professional Teachers Union of Zambia (PROTUZ) Mr. Albert Muyembe had rushed to the media to issue statements condemning Mr. Sichilongo; likely not having known that he was their member.  The statement backfired after teachers condemned that decision to nail their member to the cross.  At least for PROTUZ they have learnt it the hard way that unionism is not about issuing media statements; it is about member representation, guidance and seeking appropriate correctional measures even when held in-camera.

It is good that PROTUZ managed to man up and clean their own mess.  They offered legal representation, a half-salary payment (as he was suspended by the DEBS for Lusaka) and other assistance to Mr. Sichilongo and his family. The turn of event in fact helped consolidate the belief that belonging to a teacher union is vital. The incident seems to have come at the right time when teacher unionism had lost confidence in its members.

4.      Bring Anger Under Control

We should not act out of anger instead wait for the time you are calm and collected because only then will you have a clear state of mind to make a good decision.  Do not act when you are angry because during that time your ability to reason well is “paused”. Everyone has the right to be angry, but that does not make one have right to be cruel.  The inability to control anger has been a great contribution to strained relations in families and work places!  It is virtuous to be quick to listen, but slow to speak and to anger.

Worse still, Mr. Sichilongo is just less than two years to retirement age. A long jail conviction on that count of assault of causing bodily may have guaranteed a dismissal from work and lose all his benefits. And you know what a dismissal would have meant for him and his family.

5.      Two Wrongs Cannot Make a Right

Fighting is never a good “hobby”; at least for teachers, and never will it be.  The experience of adults fighting paints a very bad picture to the children we teach and the reputation of the concerned teachers themselves. This affects the reputation of the school and the profession at large.  It should be known that kick-boxing is never an option to conflict management.

Teachers must exercise maximum restraint in times like that. To avoid finding yourself in such scenario, let teachers learn to have a swift communication procedure. This communication platform must be bound by mutual trust, respect and understanding.   If that effective channel was in place, currently there would be no such a case involving Mr. Sichilongo and Sister Chakupalesa.  It was such an unfortunate incident.

6.      Be Responsible, Communicate

In life we need to learn to “give Ceaser what belong to Ceaser” in time. To avoid inconveniences and problems with service providers like accommodation, we need to be responsible enough to pay our bills on time; where possible even pay in advance. Where you are unable to pay on time, it is good that you notify the other party in the agreement.  It is expected too that the other party should be ready to reason with you; and come up of agreed methods of dealing with defaults in payments.  Agreements can be breached or not honoured but that does not allow chaos in managing the breach or default in payment for the service offered.  This should apply even to other services like water, electricity, school fees, etc.

7.      A Litmus-Paper for Teacher Solidarity

The Sichilongo's case has acted as a litmus paper or barometer to see how united teachers are. Teachers must bear each other’s’ burdens.   A lot of teachers not only offered moral support but also financial and material support.  I know of one Lusaka based comrade who had offered to help the Sichilongo family with accommodation until their case is disposed of by the courts of law. Many teachers and none teachers used social media for solidarity and to raise thousands of funds to assist Mr. Sichilongo.

The spirit of a united Ubuntu (humanism) was shown. Of course, solidarity need to be extended to Sr. Chakupalesa as the incident has been so humiliating, painful and embarrassing to her; especially being a woman of the veil and that it happened on a TV camera, and the video has so far circulated widely on the internet. Commend the nun for her forgiving heart despite the embarrassment. Despite being a woman of the veil, her forgiving spirit is remarkable!

8.      Never Take Law The In Your Own Hands

No matter how tempted it i,s never take the law in your own hands.  There are many established channels for professionals to resolve conflicts apart from embarking on assault.  That way, when taken, it can be regrettable.

For example, Mr. Sichilongo had an option to seek help from his District Education Board Secretary for Lusaka or even further!  An intervention from there would have eased things. Being pro-active is key!

9.      There is Strength in the Word “Sorry”

A well-meant apology is a strength and not weakness. In fact an apology is a reserve of the strong and humble. The simple word “sorry” managed to save Mr. Sichilongo’s job, relationship with his boss and the Catholic Church as well as his strained reputation. It has been said that to err is human, but to forgive is divine. It is commendable that he apologized and the nun found room in her heart to forgive Mr. Sichilongo.

Love covers and conquers all multitudes of sin. I know the angels in heaven were ululating when Mr. Sichilongo and Sister Chakupalesa hugged each other in the peaceful spirit of reconciliation.  It was a sigh of relief for both!

10.  Sometimes We Need Arbitrators In Life

The better principle of social dialogue and conflict management did not prevail in the incident. When relationships turn sour, sometimes we take it for granted that we can resolve issues on our own. It is high time we started involving a third party when we reach a deadlock with other party in a contract or any relationship. There is need for an arbitrator (reconciler) in life.

The need for arbitration is also seen in the incident that led to the withdrawing of this case from the courts of law. For sure it is high time that we started seeking arbitrators hand when need arises even at the lowest level of conflict management.  Bembas say “icakukonka ulubilo bacinkonka ulubilo” (conflicts need to be solved as quickly as possible).

It is also a lesson that we should try by all means not to solve issues through the media. Rushing to MUVI TV was just so immature and a “cry baby” move on the part of Mr. Sichilongo when there were other administrative channels to be followed like seeking the help from the district education office.

In conclusion, it is clear that the key to withdraw the case from the court lay with Sister Chakupalesa, and for this she needs to be commended for the decision to forgive Mr. Sichilongo and move on with life as colleagues.  This is not to downgrade the humility shown by Mr. Sichilongo as well as other interested bodies mentioned in the article.  The precedence set by the results of the reconciliation and arbitration is very good, commendable and exemplary.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Pumulo Mungoma is a Zambian teacher, and has written a lot on many issues that relate to Zambia’s education policy. He also volunteers with a number of educational organisations and associations; among them is the Zambian Teachers Forum where he works as Education Policy Analyst and Researcher!  Phone contacts: +260954-623860. Email: epm1983@yahoo.com]