Civil Society and Media in Governance
Describe civil society organisation
Civil society organisations are non-military, non-governmental organisations and individuals who
make it their business to promote and defend the basic ideals of good governance outside the
government.
Characteristics of Civil societies
It is not guided by a regulatory frame as the State is
It is non-profit making
It draws support from well-wishers such as donors
It shapes its own nature of needs and interests
It works within a specific environment which determines its operation
It draws membership from formal and informal organisations
Classify Civil Society organisation
International Organisations
Women in Law and Development in Africa (WIDAF)
Women in Law in Southern Africa (WiLSA)
The Inter-African Network for Human Rights and Development (AFRONET).
Transparent International Zambia (TIZ).
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA).
Business Associations, Industrial Associations, Professional Associations, Faith Based
organisations (FBO‟s).
Trade Unions and Pressure Groups.
Pressure Groups (interest groups)
Pressure groups are civil society organisations formed to influence government policy and
decisions on a particular subject.
Pressure groups usually disband and cease to exist once their objective has been achieved. For
instance, the Committee for Clean Campaign (CCC) disbanded after the 1996 elections.
Civic Organisations
Civic organisations are concerned with issues such as civic education, human rights and good governance.
The Zambia Civic Education Association (ZCEA).
The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP).
The Anti – Voter Apathy Programme (AVAP)
The Non-Governmental Organisations Co-ordinating Committee (NGOCC).
Operation Young Vote (OYV)
The National Movement Against Corruption (NAMAC)
Women’s Groups
Women‟s groups are concerned with promoting and protecting women‟s rights. The following are examples
of women‟s groups:
Women for Change (WfC)
National Women‟s Lobby Group (NWLG).
Young Women‟s Christian Association (YWCA).
Zambia Alliance of Women (ZAW)
Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia (FAWEZA).
Women in Development (WID).
Society for Women Against AIDS in Zambia (SWAAZ).
Professional Associations
Professional associations are primarily formed by people in a particular profession to promote and protect
their professional interests. However, they often act as pressure groups on the government and they educate
people on their rights.
The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ).
Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF).
The Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA).
The Press Association of Zambia (PAZA)
Zambia Association of Civic Education Teachers (ZACET).
Zambia Association of Religious Education Teachers (ZARET)
Languages Teachers Association of Zambia (LATAZ) and other subject associations.
Industrial Organisations
Industrial organisations are formed by people in the same industry. For example, workers in a
manufacturing industry can form organisations to safeguard their interests. They include:
The Labour Movement (Trade Unions)
The Zambia Association of Manufacturers. (ZAM).
The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU).
The Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACC).
The Zambia Consumers Association (ZCA).
The Zambia Cross-Border Traders Association (ZCBTA).
The Zambia Federation for Women in Business (ZFWB).
The Zambia National Marketeers‟ Association (ZANAMA).
Religious Organisations
Churches and other religious organisations often speak out on governance issues such as constitutional
reform, unemployment and corruption. These organisations include:
The Zambia Evangelical Fellowship (ZEF).
The Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ).
The Catholic Commission for Peace, Justice and Development (CCJPD) now known as Caritas
Zambia.
The Young Women‟s Christian Association (YWCA).
The Young Men‟s Christian Association (YMCA).
The Islamic Association of Zambia (IAZ).
Analyse the roles of Civil Society in governance
Some of the roles of the civil society are to:
Defend the ideals of democracy by checking the growth of undemocratic tendencies in the policies
of the government.
Carry out civic education activities and promote public awareness on issues affecting society such
as HIV/AIDS, human rights abuses, and poverty etc.
Influence public opinion. Civil society organisations use the strategy of advocacy to influence
public opinion in favour of specific objectives.
Debate Bills and Influence amendments or decisions of the Legislature.
Act as agents of democratic change. For example, by advocating for constitutional reform, gender
equality, and free and fair elections.
Defend and promote human rights and the rule of law. Rule of law means no one is above the law.
It also means giving equal treatment to all people before the law.
Promote accountability and transparency.
Ensure that the government and other people in authority are accountable to the public.
Act as channels through which individuals can participate both in government and community
decision-making processes.
Act as a link between the community and the government
Provide “checks and balances” by criticising bad government policies and suggesting alternative
ideas.
Publicise and articulate the demands of their members. For instance, the National Women’s Lobby
Group demands for a minimum of 30% female representation in parliament and all other
leadership and managerial positions to enhance gender equity.
Discuss forms of Citizen Participation in governance
A citizen can participate in democratic governance in many ways. This includes partition in:
Political activities:
Casting a vote in an election.
Contesting for a political office in an election.
Joining and campaigning for a political party of one‟s choice.
Attending a political party meeting.
Contacting a councillor or a Member of Parliament to raise an issue.
Writing newspaper articles to criticise government policies.
Civil society activities:
Joining a civil society
Organising or attending seminars.
Reading posters and brochures.
Taking part in legal and peaceful demonstrations
Community activities:
Attending a community meeting to discuss local affairs.
Attending a Parent Teachers Association meeting at a local school.
Moulding bricks for community projects.
Signing a petition with other people to express dissatisfaction with a decision made by a local
council or a school administration.
Joining a club at school or in the community.
Electing community leaders and school council.
Discuss factors that hinder women participation in governance
Obstacles to Female Participation in Governance
The following are some of the factors hindering female participation in governance:
i. Cultural aspects:
The cultural set-up of the Zambian society encourages women to be subordinate and
submissive to men.
This has led most people (including some women) to believe that women cannot make
good leaders.
ii. Lack of support from the family:
This aspect implies that women ought to seek permission from their husbands before they
can join politics and contest elections.
Such permission is not granted because some men fear that joining politics would make
their wives stay away from home for a long time.
Husbands fear that their wives might be sleeping around with other men whom they come
in contact with.
For this reason, only a handful number of married women are able to join active politics.
iii. Male economic dominance:
Election campaigns are usually dominated by men candidates who are quite often richer
than the female candidates.
To carry out a successful campaign one needs huge sums of money. This in turn puts
women on a disadvantaged position.
iv. Lack of solidarity among women:
It is the nature of women not to support each other.
Female voters do not vote for female candidates.
There is usually conflict between the highly educated and the less educated and poor
women.
Women tend to have little confidence in their fellow women‟s leadership abilities.
v. Political discrimination:
Political party committees responsible for adopting election candidates are male dominated
and tend to discriminate against women.
Some women are unwilling to be adopted as election candidates for various reasons such as
lack of support from their husbands and inadequate financial resources.
Need for Citizen Participation
Democracy is a government based on the consent of the people. Citizen participation is therefore a key
factor in good governance. Without citizen participation in national affairs the following would happen:
Government leaders may be elected by the minority of citizens who are politically active to govern
over the inactive majority.
Poor government policies may go unchecked
Citizens may remain ignorant of government policies and intentions.
Selfish leaders may find it easy to corrupt the few politically active citizens and win elections. This
may result in leaders of low calibre assuming political office.
Government leaders may not be held accountable.
Identify different types of media.
Media refers to institutions that disseminate information to the public.
There are two types of news media. These are: print media and electronic media.
Print Media (the press)
The print media relies on printed paper to disseminate information. The print media consists of
periodical literature and the daily newspapers, notice boards, posters, and brochures (leaflets).
The media can also be classified according to ownership. We have the public and the private
media. The public media is to a large degree owned and controlled by the state, while the private
media is owned by individuals, private companies and institutions such as the church.
Examples of the public print media
The Times of Zambia.
The Sunday Times of Zambia.
The Zambia Daily Mail
The Sunday Mail
Examples of private print media
The National Mirror
The Mast Newspapers
The Monitor
The Daily Nation
The Guardian
The Weekly Angel
The Speak Out Magazine
The Challenge Magazine
Electronic Media
The electronic media uses electric and electronic methods to disseminate information. The common
ones are television, radio, cinema, video, internet (computers) and satellite.
Examples of public electronic media
The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (radio and television stations).
Examples of private electronic media
Radio Phoenix
Radio Christian Voice.
Radio Ichengelo
Internet cafes
Muvi Tv
Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN)
Diamond Tv
GO-Tv
New Agencies
New agencies are media institutions that collect and supply information to media houses (organisations).
Examples of News Agencies
Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) formerly the Zambia News Agency (ZANA) and
the Zambia Information Services (ZIS)
National Agriculture Information Services (NAIS)
Reuters
Explain the role of the media in governance
Some of the roles of the media in governance are as follows:
i. To inform and educate:
Citizens cannot fully participate in governance unless they are well informed.
The radio, television, cinema, and the daily newspapers are effective instruments for informing and
educating the people and helping to form public opinion.
This role is particularly crucial during elections since it is not possible for candidates to visit and
talk to every voter.
The voters mainly depend on the media to enable them make decisions about the suitability of a
particular candidate or a political party‟s plans and achievements.
ii. To act as a watchdog:
A free and impartial media is indispensable for the successful functioning of a democratic
government.
It plays the role of a watchdog and a jealous guardian of the rights of citizens by holding public
officials accountable for their actions.
In a democratic state, the media should not only publicise the activities of the ruling party in a
favourable way.
It should also investigate and expose the malpractices of government and other public officials.
iii. To promote public debate:
The media provides a forum for the expression of views and opinions of both the government and
the people on matters of public interest.
The daily newspapers reserve columns for the public to express their views and grievances through
“Letters to the Editor”.
Some radio and television programmes allow the public to debate community and national issues.
iv. To set the Agenda:
The media cannot report everything. They must choose what to report, and what issues to ignore.
The media decides on behalf of the public what is news and what is not.
People see the world through the eyes of the media, and this in turn influences people‟s opinions
about issues.
The media plays a key role in forming public opinion.
Analyse factors that limit media coverage
i. Ownership and control:
Those who own and control media organisations tend to use them to serve their own interests.
Where the media is owned and controlled by the state, the task of the media is to unite the people
behind the ruling party and its policies.
Censorship is widespread and “news” is limited to what government leaders do or say.
Even where media organisations are privately owned, the media is often used as a commercial
enterprise.
ii. Laws restricting press freedom:
Another limitation on the media is in the form of laws that restrict freedom of the press. For
instance, under the penal code, it is an offence to publish seditious publication.
Seditious publication is any material that can bring hatred or contempt against the government and
its leadership.
This makes it difficult for the media to report unfavourably on government policies and leaders
even when they are not performing well.
iii. Accessibility:
Public access to the media is restricted by various factors such as limited circulation, affordability,
high levels of illiteracy, and the discriminatory policies of some media organizations which
deliberately deny publicity to people holding views contrary to their own.
In Zambia, about 60% of the population lives in rural areas where the circulation of the print media
is almost non-existent.
The rural population mainly relies on the radio news from the state owned broadcasting corporation
although this is also dependent on the affordability of radio sets.
iv. Poor road networks:
The media finds it very difficult to go to certain rural places to capture news and cries of the people.
Very touching and alarming stories are out there in remote areas but because of the impassable
roads such information is not captured to be brought to the attention of the public and the
government.
v. Language limitation:
The media usually disseminate information in English thereby denying those who do not
know English access to information.
Very few programmes are presented in local languages, the print media is even worsealmost all the newspapers are in English and you should be aware that illiteracy levels in
Zambia are very high.
vi. Physically challenged:
The media does not fully cater for the blind and the deaf.
There is no news in Braille unless otherwise.
Some media houses have tried to bring on board sign language interpreters though limited
to only certain programmes.
vii. Cost of advertising:
It is very costly to advertise in the media.
The poor, the majority of whom are in rural areas, are not able to market their products
Freedom of the Media
Freedom of the media is essential for the media institutions to serve the public without interference or
censorship from any quota.
Attributes of freedom of the media:
i. Freedom of ownership:
Everyone is free to start or own a media institution such as a newspaper, magazine or broadcasting
station.
Owners of media institutions enjoy full property rights.
They do not live in fear of possible seizure or closure of their institutions by anyone.
ii. Freedom of access and publication:
Media practitioners are free to gather and publish or broadcast information.
Media practitioners such as journalists and editors also enjoy professional autonomy. They are free
to select information or to reject material for publication or broadcasting.
The media practitioners are free to attend and report (or not report) on any meeting or event.
iii. Right of the public to be informed:
The public enjoy the right to receive fair, full and objective information.
The public also enjoy their right to hear alternative views, including unpopular or disagreeable
views.
iv. Protection of media practitioners from undue restrictions:
Favourable laws are enacted to protect media practitioners from undue restrictions such as
prohibitive licensing requirements, discriminatory taxation and censorship regulations.
v. Professional and responsible journalism.
Media practitioners should not abuse their freedom of access to information to violate other
people’s privacy rights or reveal state security secrets.
Disclosing state secrets is criminal-never do that because you put your lovely country in danger!
Journalists should also avoid engaging in unprofessional practices such as media sensationalism.
This means exaggerating stories and reporting things that are untrue.
Media professionalism also entail balanced coverage of all sectors of society be it the opposition
political parties or ruling party-no biasness in reporting.
Identify factors that hinder the media from disseminating correct information
i. Corruption
The media practitioners in some cases are corrupted by individuals and government officials to
drive a particular agenda in their favour even when the information is false.
ii. Political pressure
The media both private and public are pressurised highly by political forces. This pressure if not
contained leads to dissemination of propagandas to the public.
iii. Intimidation
In most cases, media houses that are perceived to be anti-government are threatened by the
government with closure.
This forces the media to report falsehoods hence misleading the general public
iv. Non-adherence to standards and ethics
The media at times become unethical in their reporting.
They may report unverified information that alarms the public leading to confusion
v. Censorship
The government restricts the operations of the media through editorial policies especially for
the public media.
Before news items are broadcasted or published, certain government officials read through and
remove items that it perceives confidential.
