By Hezekiah Mbewe
I WOULDN’T CARE IF TONGA’S AND LOZI’S STOPPED LISTENING TO HOT FM – MUTALE MWANZA.
Controversial Hot FM radio DJ and socialite Mutale Mwanza over the weekend told a group of friends at a popular Lusaka social joint that she wouldn’t care less if all Tongas and Lozis boycotted her ‘Hot Breakfast show’ if that would promote their best interest. Mwanza was responding to a suggestion from a male colleague who wondered if her unorthodox tribal rantings were not a danger to national peace and unity and if it was not alienating Tongas and Lozis who appeared to be her core subject. The colleague further asked if her ethnic hate speech will not affect business for her employers Hot FM Radio.
“I don’t give a damn about Tongas and Lozis and their stupid egos, they can plug their ears if they so wished. As a matter of fact I wouldn’t even mind if only Easterners and Bembas listened to my programme, after all we are in the majority in Zambia. Hot FM wouldn’t lose a dime or a single cent, and now read my lips; I wouldn’t lose any sleep either”, charged Mwanza.
Radio listeners, social media followers and some business houses have threatened to stop conducting business with Hot FM for what they call as uncensored and unequivocal tribal hate speech being spewed by the Radio DJ who is said to have no journalistic training.
“While allowing employees to exercise independence in their duties, Radio station owners must ensure what is broadcast to the masses and the nation does not endanger peace and national unity. That’s a responsibility we Zambians shouldn’t take for granted. We have great lessons from Rwanda when Radio stations instigated ethnic and sectarian sentiments and we all know what happened, almost a million lives lost. So if such a thing persisted, I would want my business to review our relationship with such a Radio station”, said a Lusaka businessman who spoke on condition of anonymity.
CIC PRESS TEAM