Namibia: Press Secretary expresses satisfaction with Namibia retaining top position in Africa and upper tier country status in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index (21.04.2020)

African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) – Kasumba: Police should conduct speedy, open and legal investigation (21.04.2020)

Opinion: Samson offended the Don

NBS News Anchor Samson Kasumba was arrested last night for seditious activities against the President. Kasumba’s house been raided and his been held at Kira Road Police Station in Kampala. A law that Andrew Mwenda claims was already thrown out by the Constitutional Court. However, the Uganda Legal Information Institute(Ulii.org) says is still active. This being the colonial law of the Penal Code and the articles 39 and 40, which states the matters.

This part of the law is direct. These sort of articles and sections of the law has been used against critics before. That they are malicious and such towards His Excellency and his kin. If it was speaking ill of the “Leopards Anus” or addressing “Project Muhoozi”. They have gotten into trouble. Therefore, Samson is in a long line of people scorn by daring to write-up on them. Used various of laws against them from the Computer Act to whatever, even write some silly poems too.

The Penal Code states:

39. Seditious intention.

(1) A seditious intention shall be an intention—

(a) to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the person of the President, the Government as by law established or the Constitution

40. Seditious offences.

(1) (a)

(b)

Any person who—

does or attempts to do or makes any preparation to do, or

conspires with any person to do, any act with a seditious intention;

utters any words with a seditious intention;

(c) prints, publishes, sells, offers for sale, distributes or reproduces any seditious publication;

(d) imports any seditious publication, unless he or she has no reason to believe, the proof of which shall lie on him or her, that it is seditious” (Penal Act of 1950).

We can anticipate the authorities postponing the court date. They will hold him for as long as possible. This is done as a message to society. That even a NBS News Anchor can be taken like cattle into custody. That there is no one the Authorities cannot touch. If they dare to insult or insinuate things about the ways the government organize. Than they can end up like Pastor Joseph Kabuleta or anyone else. Even spending months upon end in Luzira like Dr. Stella Nyanzi.

This is not a new way or method of this government. He is just the recent big-fish for the big-men to shallowly call a victory. Fred Enaga and the whole Police Force can come with their ordinary statements and releases. He can be smug and call him a chicken thief. Surely, the statements made on Social Media hurt the pride of the state. However, they must deserve it when one of the major News Anchors of the Republic says it for everyone to see.

Like stated already. His not the first nor the last. The authorities does this, critics are fair game and allowed to challenge. Samson is just another one. He will pay and be a prized possession of the Police Force. They can show a token of loyalty to the “High Above”. Enough BS. Peace.

Uganda Journalists Association: UJA Condems assault of APAC FM journalist (31.03.2020)

Eswatini: Media Release – Response to False Reports on COVID-19 (23.03.2020)

China-US Standoff: The “Tit-for-Tat” enterprise continues

The US President calls the Corona Virus or COVID19, the “Chinese Virus”. While the Chinese comes with an conspiracy of US intervention and making up the virus itself. This is a common practice of deflections and also disinformation practices of parties that doesn’t want to take responsibility and also deflect their own inability to cape with the new problems at hand. Than, its easier to blame another party or make a make-belief story.

However, Trump dumb arrogance and ignorant attitude shouldn’t shape the world. Neither should the Communist party and their propaganda shape the world either. Nevertheless, we got to listen to them both and glean through it all, as we are all settled on this earth and got to live together on this planet.

Last month, the White House and Trump administrations put some new limits on the Chinese media houses in the United States. The 5 Chinese Media had to register itself and its employees. The Trump Administration also planned to limit the visas to the Chinese journalists in the US. These were targeting the Chinese media like Xinhua News Agency and China Global Television Network (CGTN).

This month and today, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China wrote this: “First, in response to the US designation of five Chinese media agencies as “foreign missions”, China demands, in the spirit of reciprocity, that the China-based branches of Voice of America, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and Time declare in written form information about their staff, finance, operation and real estate in China. Second, in response to the US slashing the staff size of Chinese media outlets in the US, which is expulsion in all but name, China demands that journalists of US citizenship working with the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post whose press credentials are due to expire before the end of 2020 notify the Department of Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within four calendar days starting from today and hand back their press cards within ten calendar days. They will not be allowed to continue working as journalists in the People’s Republic of China, including its Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions. Third, in response to the discriminatory restrictions the US has imposed on Chinese journalists with regard to visa, administrative review and reporting, China will take reciprocal measures against American journalists” (China, 17.03.2020).

We are now seeing a return of the favour, which is a way of using the same means of retribution. When one does this, I do that. When my brother steal my coke, I take his Pepsi and so-on. This is what is happening, the Chinese targets US media houses and the US targets Chinese media houses. In this regard none of them wins.

They are both stopping transparent reporting and also outsider looking in. No matter what sort of ideals you got. This is a diplomatic dispute between two parties. Who both seek to revenge. Who both uses this means on journalists and the media houses. While there are some underlying conflict between them. Stemming from the trade-war or the tariffs, maybe even the rhetoric of the Trump Presidency or the CCP Party officials. Because none of them are winning at this, only loosing.

This is just political mind-games with the usage of the media as the pawns. It is right to question the Chinese media houses and their affiliation with the ruling party. However, the US media houses have often played the tunes of the ruling regime and been the voice of whoever in-charge there too. Not so all to critical or questioning the status quo. That is why, this is more a question of imperialism and whose on first. Than whose the big bad wolf.

Yes, this here isn’t the whole story, there are more to glean into it. However, the stories shared from China wouldn’t have been uncovered by their own. Unless, they had more brave whistleblowers and such. Who dares to speak out, but not like there are so many big voices who doesn’t follow the corporate government agenda of Washington either? Who is in the mainstream media there and whose critical abroad, but a nice acting puppy at home.

Well, that is my take on it. You might not like it, but this is view of an outsider looking in. They are both playing each other. There are no innocent here. Both have their own agenda, not just trying to cover one side or another. They want to undress each other and uses all means.

This was a “tit-for-tat”. Let’s see where this one goes, but this is not last card in the deck. There comes more. Peace.

EFF Statement Embedded Journalism at Daily Maverick (05.03.2020)

Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Uganda: Statement on the arrest of Moses Bwayo (04.03.2020)

Namibia: The Presidency – Media Release (02.03.2020)

Sri Lanka: Open letter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (25.02.2020)