Chipenzi cries for journalists

MacDonald Chipenzi

Electoral Expert MacDonald Chipenzi says the decision by the Judiciary to ban the use of all electronic gadgets and restrict audience during the historic treason trial of incarcerated UPND President Hakainde Hichilema and five others is extremely unfortunate.

Mr. Chipenzi in a statement says this decision is a recipe to inaccurate, partial, biased and distorted reporting on the case and further, denies those citizens who wanted to follow the court proceedings their rights to hold the judges to account.

He says the judiciary should search its legal soul and ask itself, as interpreters of the law, whether or not such a decision is within the provisions of the supreme law, it is a just decision and/or the decision promotes accountability of the judiciary to the citizens.

He states that the judiciary should further interrogate its decision to see whether it is in line with Article 20 (2) of the Constitution which instructs that “a law shall not make any provision that derogates from freedom of the press”

Mr. Chipenzi furthermore states that the decision to restrict access by Journalists to the trial room through the use of draconian and discriminatory tactics of accreditation is derogation from and an infringement on the freedom of the press.