Adona Foundation

Tuesday 25th March 2025: From Radio to Managing Editor: A Journey of Resilience and Leadership

My love for journalism stemmed from my passion for storytelling. As a child, I would round up my siblings, mum, and dad and make them listen to me read the news to them.

My journey in journalism officially began in 1998 at Radio Chikaya in Lundazi, just after I completed my secondary education. I worked there for a year and a half before leaving Lundazi for Lusaka to secure a place at Evelyn Hone College to study journalism. By 2001, I was in class, undertaking a three-year training programme for my diploma in journalism and public relations.

Upon completion, I got a job at Breeze FM in Chipata, but I stayed for only a year because I felt radio wasn’t challenging enough. In 2005, I moved to Livingstone to work as a correspondent for The Post newspaper, which was Zambia’s largest private and independent publication at the time.

It was at The Post that I rose to the position of Managing Editor—a role I never imagined I would hold. In fact, I became the first woman to occupy that position. Sadly, I was also the last Managing Editor, as the government forcibly shut down the publication in 2016 during my tenure due to its critical reporting.

Following the closure of The Post, I helped establish The Mast newspaper in November 2016, The Post’s successor, where I served as Editor-in-Chief. I left two years later to focus on building the Zambia Free Press Initiative, which I had registered that same year.

Reflecting on my time as Managing Editor of The Post, it was one of the most challenging yet exciting and rewarding experiences of my career. It was challenging because I hardly had time for my family. I would leave home while my children were still asleep and return to find them asleep. Running a newspaper the size of The Post was no small feat. I was always the last person to leave, ensuring everything was in order before the paper went to press.

The rewards came with the privileges of the job, both within and outside the publication. However, I didn’t care much for that because I have always valued my privacy.

The biggest lesson I learned was that we have the power within us to achieve anything we set our minds to.

Additionally, I realised the importance of not letting a position define me. From the moment I was elevated to Managing Editor, I was mindful never to let the title consume me. Otherwise, moving on after the newspaper’s closure would have been difficult. I transitioned seamlessly from being an editor that many influential people wanted to associate with to being a nobody—and I loved it. I cherished the ability to return to a space where I could simply be myself, free from attention.

I love my space.