On Sunday night unknown people tried to set Daily nation ablaze using what is suspected to be petrol bombs. In the video it can be seen that a container rolling and spilling petrol and then a fire is aimed at the building but the target was missed but instead the petrol bomb landed in the drive way. See the video after the statement below:
PRESS STATEMENT
10TH JULY, 2017
THE DAILY NATION MANAGEMENT IS SHOCKED AT ATTEMPTS BY UNKONWN PEOPLE TO SILENCE THE NEWSPAPER BY TRYING TO BURN THE PREMISES.
LAST NIGHT, AN ATTEMPT TO PETROL BOMB THE DAILY NATION PREMISES WAS CARRIED OUT, A MOVE THAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS AN ACT BY COWARDLY AND DESPERATE PEOPLE.
A PETROL BOMB AND SOME OTHER SUBSTANCE YET TO BE ESTABLISHED, WAS THROWN INSIDE THE PREMISES OF THE DAILY NATION AT ABOUT 22:50HRS AND WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS ONLY THE QUICK ACTION OF BOTH INTERNAL SECURITY AND STAFF ON NIGHT DUTY THAT SAVED THE SITUATION.
WE HOPE THAT GOVERNMENT WILL ENSURE THAT PRESS FREEDOM IS UPHELD BY ENSURING THAT THE MEDIA OPERATE IN A SECURE AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
WHILE INTERNAL SECURITY IS AN ISSUE THAT MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF, THIS ATTEMPTED ACT OF ARSON IS BEYOND OUR CAPACITY AND WE WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT THE HOME AFFAIRS MINISTRY SHOULD TAKE UP THIS MATTER.
WE WOULD LIKE TO IMPLORE THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS TO ENSURE THAT NOT ONLY GOVERNMENT PREMISES BUT THE MEDIA ARE ALSO PROVIDED WITH SECURITY.
WE BELIEVE THAT THIS KIND OF ACT CALLS FOR INTENSIFIED SECURITY IN ALL AREAS THAT MIGHT BE TARGETTED BY THE SABOTUERS THAT HAVE WAGED AN UNHOLY WAR AND COWARDLY WAR ON THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA.
THE ZAMBIA POLICE AND OTHER SECURITY WINGS SHOULD CARRY OUT INVESTIGATIONS TO BRING THE CULPRITS TO BOOK.
WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING OUR ROLE IN SOCIETY AS A RELIABLE SOURCE OF CREDIBLE NEWS.
Mary Mbewe
Executive Editor
DAILY NATION
MANAGEMENT