Opinion: When Power Fears the Truth

In this world, we are called to take sides, for truth against untruth, for light against darkness. It is never easy to do so, because standing for truth always comes at a cost.

Jesus did so. In the Gospel of Luke (11:15–26), when he cast out demons, the powerful accused him of being in league with Beelzebul, the prince of demons. They demonised him because they could not silence him.

Today, history repeats itself. Like Jesus, those who stand for truth in our time are branded liars, enemies, or troublemakers. A senior government official recently accused us of twisting his words in a story we published, an all-too-familiar reaction from those unable to defend their actions when confronted with facts.

(https://makanday.org/blood-on-the-copper-the-zambian-minister-the-mysterious-businesswoman-and-illegal-mining-part-2/)

What is more troubling is that this official’s anger has spilled over into other government ministries, who have now stopped responding to our queries altogether.

We saw this last week when we sought a comment from the Ministry of Health regarding the ongoing scandal at the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency. Among our questions was why, more than a year later, the government still hasn’t appointed a board at the agency. We received no answer.

In fact, one of the young government spokespersons responded blatantly saying:

“I am saying for now we will not take your queries as government, because you misquoted the Honourable. You had an interview with him, he gave you a very good interview, but you went and twisted his words. So, we will not take your queries until we are cleared to take your queries because of what you did”.

To the government, and particularly to this young spokesperson, responding to a media query now seems like doing the public a favour. Public officers act as though replying to legitimate questions is optional, a matter of personal discretion rather than a duty to the citizens they serve.

But this did not surprise us. Silence has become the official language of accountability. For us, it is a daily reality, our “cup of tea”. Getting people to take sides with truth and light is rarely easy.

When a junior colleague informed us of the minister’s complaint, relayed through the spokesperson, we reached out to invite him to clarify what he believed was the accurate version of the story, but he never responded.

What the minister seems to forget is that lies are only defeated by truth, and time. It was his responsibility to present that truth if he truly wished to disprove what he called “our lies”.

In our work, we often meet individuals who will never speak publicly against wrongdoing. They appear loyal to their superiors in public, but in private, they send quiet messages of support: “Keep going, we’re proud of your courage”.

This hypocrisy reveals the deep fear that grips those within the system, fear of losing jobs, contracts, or privileges if they are seen to side with truth.

When we founded MakanDay in 2016, we knew the road ahead would not be easy. We understood that standing for truth, and doing the kind of work that exposes wrongdoing, would come at a high cost, intimidation, isolation, and at times, even danger. But we also knew that remaining silent would make us complicit.

What we must remind those who refuse to speak to us is that our work does not rely on their willingness to talk. It is built on evidence, documents, records, testimonies, and the courage of those who believe in accountability.

If our reporting depended on their willingness to talk, MakanDay would not have survived this long. They despise the truth because it exposes them. They would rather we publish their lies than hold them accountable for their actions.

Every day, they move around bribing journalists to amplify their falsehoods. Fortunately, at MakanDay, we refuse to be part of that corruption of truth.

Investigative journalism comes with risks, we know that. As one journalist once said, “We may be in danger for revealing their evil deeds, but the cost of not revealing them is far greater.” That cost is the destruction of systems, the erosion of trust, and the slow death of democracy.

Zambia’s democracy cannot thrive on secrecy. When journalists are silenced, citizens are blinded. When officials refuse to answer questions, the rot deepens in the dark. Truth is not the enemy, it is the medicine that heals nations.

The work of journalists, therefore, is not merely to expose wrongdoing, but to remind those in power that truth does not die in silence. It waits, sometimes in the shadows, sometimes buried in the files they try to conceal, but with time, it always finds its way back to the light.

At MakanDay, we remain committed to that light. No matter how dark the corridors of power become, we will continue to knock on every door, dig through every file, and tell every story that matters. Because truth, though often denied, always outlives its enemies.

Like Jesus, we will dust off our sandals when we are not welcomed in those temporary government offices, for our mission is not to please those in power, but to serve the truth and the people it protects. As the Scripture says: “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.” — Matthew 10:14.