ARTHUR MWANSA, Lusaka
MINISTRY of Information and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary Godfrey Malama has urged journalists not to glorify trivia but strive to advance good values which the profession stands to promote in the world.
Mr Malama said this yesterday when he led hundreds of mourners in putting to rest veteran journalist and tutor Fackon Nkandu at Leopards Hill Memorial Park.
Mr Nkandu, 82, died on Sunday in his sleep at his grandson’s home Lucky Sichula in Kamwala.
“This has been a black week for us in the media, we have lost three eminent journalists in a couple of days. We lost Mr Bill Saidi in Kitwe, sadly I was also informed this morning [yesterday] about the death of Vincent Mijoni and of course our own Fackon Misheck Nkandu, a well-known trainer and former news editor of the Times of Zambia,” Mr Malama said.
He said Mr Nkandu was endowed with a great sense of humour which helped him captivate his audience whenever he stood before his class to lecture.
“He (Mr Nkandu) is one individual who impacted on a number of journalists in Zambia. He made all of us laugh with his storytelling techniques, he had a special technique when teaching which involved a great deal of storytelling. He would reminisce over events that happened many years ago during his active years as a journalist at the Times of Zambia,” Mr Malama said.
He said Mr Nkandu’s enduring legacy will be in the many lives that he impacted so positively.
Mr Malama said Mr Nkandu had great passion and commitment for professional ethical journalism.
“As we reflect on the life of Mr Nkandu, we can only say that he has run a good race and it remains for those of us that are still alive in this world to continue from where he has left,” he said.
And in paying tribute, Mr Sichula thanked journalists for having honoured his grandfather (Mr Nkandu) while he was alive.