Gershom was a Zambian journalist, blogger and Global Voices author, passionate about media and internet freedom. In addition to running the Zambian exile political radio program CrossFire BlogTalkRadio, Gershom worked with Global Voices until shortly before his passing in 2015. We miss him dearly.
Latest posts by Gershom Ndhlovu
Leaked Recordings of Zambian Ministers’ Conversations Raise Privacy Concerns
Private conversations involving ministers brings into focus issues of privacy not only for government leaders, but for the general public.
Zambia: New Risks for Journalists At National Broadcaster
Media workers in Zambia will soon face even greater constraints from both employers and state regulators.
Zambia Will Draft Internet Law to Control “Gossiping” Media
Information Minister Joseph Katema derided the current media environment, claiming that Zambians are "starved of credible information" due to the media's focus on "spreading falsehoods."
Zambia: President’s Son Warns Journalist, “We Will Kill You”
Beaten and threatened by Kazim Sata, independent journalist Thomas Zgambo will soon stand trial in a case linking him to the Zambian Watchdog, an investigative news website.
Two Million Mobile SIM Cards Deactivated in Zambia
Zambians who failed to register their SIM cards are now facing dead air -- journalists and opposition party leaders say the deactivations are a violation of citizens' privacy and communication rights.
Zambian Police Go After ‘Watchdog’ for Publishing Draft Constitution
Indy news site the Zambian Watchdog published a leaked draft of the nation's constitution -- police now say they will use "international legal provisions" to prosecute those behind the Watchdog.
Minister Offers $2000 Reward To Unmask Zambian Watchdog Editors
Bribes abound in the latest chapter of the battle between the Zambian government and the independent Zambian Watchdog news site.
Botched Bureaucracy Mars SIM Card Registration in Zambia
While some Zambians scramble to register their SIM cards, others have discovered their registration information has gone missing.
Zambia: Register Your SIM Card, or Lose Your Service
Zambians are being forced to register their mobile phone SIM cards with their real name and other identifying information. What will this mean for user privacy?
Zambia: Careful What You Say — the President is Listening
Ethnic group leaders in Zambia are finding government surveillance devices planted under their thrones and even in their bedrooms.
Minister Wins Damages Against Zambian Gossip Website
In a US court, Zambia's Deputy Commerce Minister has won a lawsuit against Zambian gossip site Kachepa360. Critics fear that citizen media sites reporting on government activities may soon face similar challenges.
Minister Ridiculed Over Website Closure Statement
Independent citizen media site the Zambian Watchdog switched to an Australian hosting company earlier this year in an effort to thwart attacks on the site. Readers ridiculed Zambia's Deputy Labor Minister when he mistakenly suggested that this would make the site accessible only in Australia.
Another Journalist Arrested in Zambia
After Wilson Pondamali was arrested and his home searched by police, users reported that independent news site the Zambian Watchdog was inaccessible within Zambia.
Journalist Charged With Sedition in Zambia
Zambian journalist Thomas Zgambo was arrested and charged with sedition on Tuesday. Another journalist, Clayson Hamasaka, was arrested but released without charges. Advocates suspect that both events were triggered by the journalists' association with the Zambian Watchdog, an independent citizen media outlet that has faced numerous threats from government officials in the past.
Zambia: ISP Faces Backlash Over Blocked News Site
Zambian telecommunications company Airtel may be facing unintended consequences for allegedly having blocked access to popular citizen news website the Zambian Watchdog. Maiko Zulu, one of the nation’s popular musicians and a human rights advocate, wrote a letter to the Watchdog saying that he was dumping Airtel for blocking the citizen news website.
Zambia: VP “Would Celebrate” Shutdown of News Site
Zambian Vice President Dr. Guy Scott recently told parliament he would celebrate if the Zambian Watchdog, an independent citizen media site, were to shut down. On the evening prior, it suddenly became difficult to access the Zambian Watchdog. Readers abroad claimed they could access the site, while those in Zambia reported they could not.
Zambia: Chinese Experts to Monitor Internet?
The Zambian government has reportedly engaged Chinese experts to install a secret internet monitoring facility in the country. Information technology specialists from both the Office of the President and China are visiting communications service provider facilities to study their network architecture, in order to identify places in the network where authorities could develop interception capabilities, or a "backdoor" for monitoring. Both Zambian and Chinese authorities have declined to comment on reports about their cooperation.
Zambia: Foreign Minister's Phone Tapped
Zambia's Foreign Minister, Given Lubinda, is under pressure to resign from the ruling Patriotic Front party. He is accused by the party's disciplinary committee of leaking information to online publications. The accusation is based on evidence that was allegedly gathered by wiretapping the minister's phone.
Zambia: Minister Threatens Editors of Online Watchdog with Treason Charge
A Zambian government minister has allegedly threatened to arrest the editors of the online citizen media newspaper, Zambian Watchdog. The minister is also said to have threatened to charge the editors with treason, a capital crime in Zambia, punishable by death.
Zambia: “SIM Registration is For Security Reasons”
Recent admission by Zambia's telecoms regulatory body that the mandatory registration of SIM cards was being done to mount a security data base for users is stirring controversy among users and netizens.
