Zambia’s President enacts ‘Access to Information’ law

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Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has enacted the long-awaited Access to Information Bill (ATI) into law, to the delight of the media and other stakeholders in the country.

President Hichilema said the enactment of the ATI law was a major milestone for the media sector and the country as a whole, as it would promote access to information by the media and other actors.

President Hichilema enacted the ATI Bill during a press conference in Lusaka, making it historic, considering the many years that the legislation had been pending.

The enactment of the ATI law would also promote human rights and democracy in the country, as people would be able to access vital information from government agencies and other institutions on any issue.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Media, Thabo Kawana, said the enactment of the Bill would remove the barriers that people faced in seeking vital information.

He noted that it had taken over two decades for the country to reach the stage where the President had enacted the much-awaited ATI law.

Earlier this year, the Minister of Information and Media, Cornelius Mweetwa, presented the ATI Bill to parliament for consideration and it was passed before the end of the session.