VERIFY, REPORT, DON’T TAKE SIDES

Kawana urges journalists to remain impartial as Communications and Information Centre deploys 54 media professionals for nationwide by-election coverage

By Francis Maingaila ♥️

Lusaka, Zambia24 — 6 October 2026 — The Communications and Information Centre (CIC) has deployed 54 journalists and media professionals to different parts of the country to bring voters and the wider public first-hand coverage of the by-elections, from the campaign trail to the counting and announcement of results.

Speaking during the dispatch of the journalists, Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana reminded the media that elections can be tense and that journalists must not allow themselves to become part of the political contest.

Mr Kawana urged journalists to remain impartial, check facts before publishing and remember that their job was to tell the public what was happening rather than take sides.

He said journalists should be the eyes and ears of society, giving citizens reliable information at a time when social media was increasingly filled with propaganda, rumours and unverified claims.

“You are going to cover the elections as a mirror on behalf of society, and you are not participants in those elections,” Mr Kawana said.

He said journalists were different from political parties, candidates and their supporters because they were not in the election to win votes.

Mr Kawana said media houses therefore had a duty to make sure that what reached the public was factual, truthful and properly checked.

“We are now living in an era where propaganda is rife. Social media is awash in propaganda, and what goes to the back of your mind is: Is this true?” he said.

Mr Kawana said this was why professional media organisations such as CIC had an important job to do in giving citizens information they could rely on.

He challenged other media houses to strengthen their own fact-checking and verification systems instead of rushing to publish information simply because it was circulating widely.

Mr Kawana also warned journalists to be careful about giving prominence to people or sources whose information could divide communities or cause harm.

“It is important for us to shape the direction that the country gets by ensuring that we give out accurate and relevant information,” he said.

He said the media could either help keep the country informed and united or contribute to tension, depending on how responsibly journalists handled information.

Mr Kawana commended CIC for the progress it had made since its establishment, saying the ministry had watched the organisation grow from its early days into a media house capable of sending journalists into the field to cover major national assignments.

“We have witnessed CIC from its infancy and we have seen it grow from strength to strength. We have seen its capacity being enhanced,” Mr Kawana said.

Mr Kawana also called on citizens, organisations and the private sector to play their part in building the country under the Government’s Grow Zambia agenda.

He said Zambians should not only ask what Government could do to grow the country, but should also ask themselves what they could contribute as individuals, organisations and businesses.

“What can I do as an individual? What can we do as a people? What can we do as an organisation to contribute to the Grow Zambia agenda and ensure that our country grows from strength to strength?” Mr Kawana said.

He said Zambia had come through a difficult economic period and needed the public and private sectors to work together to keep the country moving forward.

Mr Kawana said Government could not do everything on its own and called for stronger cooperation between Government, businesses, organisations and citizens.

He wished the deployed journalists well and assured the media fraternity that the Ministry of Information and Media would continue supporting journalists as they carried out their work.

CIC Director Roy Edward Makayi said the deployment was part of the organisation’s responsibility to make sure citizens across the country were not left guessing about what was happening during the electoral process.

Mr Makayi said CIC had learnt important lessons from previous field assignments and would use that experience to improve the way its journalists covered the by-elections.

He said the organisation had previously sent journalists to cover major assignments outside the country, giving its staff valuable experience in working under different conditions.

Mr Makayi said CIC was also building on its previous election coverage, during which its journalists followed the presidential election closely and reported major developments from the ground.

He said the latest deployment would put journalists in different areas so that citizens could hear about developments as they unfolded instead of relying only on information circulating on social media.

Mr Makayi said the deployed journalists had been reminded to uphold accuracy, balance, objectivity and professional ethics throughout the election period.

He said misinformation and disinformation could easily fuel fear and tension during elections, making responsible journalism particularly important.

Mr Makayi called on political parties and their supporters to respect journalists and allow them to do their work without intimidation or obstruction.

He said journalists should not be viewed as enemies simply because they reported on political activities, noting that the media provided a link between political players and the citizens they sought to serve.

Mr Makayi also appealed to political parties to protect journalists from physical and verbal attacks, regardless of the media organisation they worked for.

He urged the police to protect journalists covering political events and recognise them as observers and custodians of information rather than political combatants.

Mr Makayi said the safety of journalists remained a major concern and urged those being deployed to use their judgement and avoid situations that could put their lives at unnecessary risk.

“Your safety as a person remains paramount in everything,” he said, urging journalists not to put themselves in situations where they could be harmed.

He said CIC would continue working with relevant authorities and media stakeholders to strengthen cooperation and ensure that its journalists understood the rules and responsibilities that came with covering elections.

Mr Makayi thanked the authorities for allowing journalists to carry out their work and appealed for continued cooperation as the electoral period progressed.

CIC representative Foster Bwalya said the deployment would see staff spread across different parts of the country to carry out their assignments.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Mr Bwalya said CIC was committed to making sure information reached people wherever they were.

He said the deployment of journalists and vehicles would allow the media house to keep its operations running from different locations during the assignment.

Mr Bwalya thanked those who took part in the commissioning ceremony and wished the deployed staff well as they left for their respective areas.

He said the deployment was an important part of CIC’s field work and its responsibility to keep the public informed.

The journalists now head into the field at a time when voters will be looking for clear and trustworthy information, with CIC expected to follow the campaign trail, verify what it hears and give citizens a picture of what is actually happening on the ground through the counting and announcement of results.