LUSAKA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Zambian media bodies plan to petition President Rupiah Banda on the continuous harassment of journalists by the ruling MMD party cadres, local newspaper the Times of Zambia reported on Monday.

    The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia, Press Association of Zambia, Zambia Union of Journalists, Press Freedom Committee of the Post Newspapers and the Zambia Media Women Association said this at a joint Press briefing in Lusaka on Sunday.

    The Zambia Union of Broadcasters and other Information Disseminators, PANOS Zambia and the Zambia Community Media Forum also attended the briefing.

    The media bodies said their members would this Friday march to State House to petition Mr Banda so that action could be taken against the perpetrators of violence, according to the Times.

    MISA Zambia chairperson, Henry Kabwe spoke on behalf of the representatives of the media bodies.

    "The demonstration will commence at 08:30 hours and we will get to State House at 10:00 hours. We have since notified the Lusaka Division commanding officer Mr Greenwell Ng'uni of our intention to march and seek audience with the president," Kabwe said.

    The media bodies said the decision to meet the president was to ensure that action was taken against cadres harassing journalists.

    "We wish to urge the president to take action other than just condemning the attacks on the media that transpired at the Lusaka International Airport.

    "We call upon the president to go further and call for the arrest of these culprits so that lessons can be drawn by other party cadres and not just from the ruling party that beating professionals in Zambia who play a key role of disseminating information will land them into trouble," Kabwe was quoted by Times as saying.

    He said the media bodies resolved to seek the intervention of Mr Banda because they felt that their concerns on the harassment of media practitioners were not being adequately addressed.

    Last week, MMD cadres beat up Times of Zambia journalist Anthony Mulowa, photojournalist Richard Mulonga and Chibaula Silwamba of The Post newspaper. The journalists went to cover President Banda's arrival from Uganda where he had gone to attend the Smart Partnership Forum.