The Mast is a privately owned independent daily newspaper published in Lusaka, Zambia, incorporated on September 15, 2016 under Oracle Media and owned by Mutinta Mazoka-M’membe. The paper was founded as a direct successor to The Post, another leading Zambian publication, after Zambian tax authorities ordered the closure of Post Newspapers Limited on June 21, 2016, demanding 6.1 million US dollars in tax arrears, and a court placed the company in liquidation in November 2016. Fred M’membe, husband of Mazoka-M’membe, had founded and edited The Post from 1991 until its closure and remains closely associated with The Mast. In February 2017, the International Press Institute reported that over 20 armed police officers raided the couple’s home, arrested Mazoka-M’membe, and attempted to prevent the paper from printing — actions IPI characterized as a politically motivated campaign to silence criticism of the ruling Patriotic Front government of President Edgar Lungu. Reporters Without Borders identifies The Mast, alongside News Diggers and the Daily Nation, as one of Zambia’s three most influential newspapers. The paper publishes daily print and digital editions.