THE Ministry of Information and Media has launched the 2025 SADC Media Awards which marks the opening of entry submissions by Journalists for works done between the 1st of January and the 31st of December 2024.
Speaking during the launch in Lusaka today, Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary, Thabo Kawana, has urged journalists to write more stories that promote regional integration among Southern African countries as opposed to politics.
He has noted that after scooping the top prizes in various categories for some time, the country came out second in the last awards, a situation he has attributed to the local media’s focus on Politics.
“We cannot be a nation that is perpetually in campaign mode. Perpetually politicking such that what makes news is just politics,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary has since challenged the media to reclaim the country’s top position in the competition, adding that Zambia has been a beacon of good journalism, providing media training to other countries in the SADC region.
Mr Kawana has also expressed concern with the low participation of the private media in the country in the SADC awards.
He has since called on the private media to submit entries adding that the competition comes with numerous benefits not just for the individuals but also institutions and the nation at large.
Meanwhile, Director for Press and Media Development in the Ministry, Morden Mayembe, has assured journalists of support as they produce stories for entries in the awards.
“If you have a story idea and you want assistance from the Ministry, you are free to come, you sit with us and we help you where we can so that you get it right,” He said.
Last year, the Ministry received six entries, out of which, three were submitted to the regional competition.
Zambia’s Nathan Banda, a journalist in the Ministry of Information and Media scooped the second prize in the print category.
The SADC Media awards competition is open to all journalists in Zambia and has four categories which include Television, Radio, Print and Photo Journalism.
The first Prize winners will walk away with 2,500 United States (US) Dollars, while the runners up will each get 1000 US Dollars.
