President Hakainde Hichilema pays tribute to the late veteran journalist and media consultant Edem Djokotoe.

President Hakainde Hichilema has led tributes to the late veteran journalist and media consultant Edem Djokotoe.

The local media fraternity is mourning Mr. Djokotoe, who died late on Wednesday night at Fairview Hospital in Lusaka.

The Ghanaian born media guru had been battling colorectal cancer.

Mr. Djokotoe aged 62 was a renowned writer, educator and poet.

In his facebook post, President Hichilema praised the former journalism lecturer as a scribe who sought the truth.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the untimely death of veteran journalist Edem KG Djokotoe, who passed away in Lusaka yesterday. Edem was not only a man of nobility and learning in his field, but was also an unrepentant advocate of social justice, and a defender of human rights who abhorred injustices against the people. He belonged to a generation of scribes who sought for the truth on both sides of the story and wrote the truth on both sides of the coin. There’s a lot to learn from the integrity of Edem Djokotoe. Our prayers and thoughts are with his family. May His Soul Rest in Peace,” President Hichilema wrote.

MISA Zambia Chairperson Fr. Barnabas Simatende, OMI has expressed grief over the demise of the veteran journalist and media trainer.

Fr. Simatende said MISA will remember Mr. Djokotoe for his profound contribution to MISA Zambia and the development of the media industry at large.

“We will remember him for his passion for quality journalism and leaving a footprint in the profession that is unmatched spanning from his flagship column, ‘Mind Over Matter’ and ‘Soul to Soul’ in The Post Newspaper and authoring various media literature including a handbook titled ‘An issue-based journalism’. As a Journalist, Mr. Djokotoe worked as Information Officer at the UN Information Centre, correspondent at Gemini News Service and as a newspaper and magazine feature writer. He was also the founder member of the Southern African Media Trainers Network and undertook in-service media training in the SADC region for the Nordic-SADC Journalism Trust,” Fr. Simatende stated.

Experienced journalist Henry Ngilazi said it is hard to believe that the media titan is no more.

“Edem K G Djokotoe waking up to the sad news that you have passed on. Words fail me, my lecturer, mentor and friend. It is hard to believe that the media titan is no more. I vividly remember how you vehemently refused to appear on ZNBC television for any interview back then until I had to involve your dear wife. We went on to dissect the newspapers on the Good Morning Zambia the front pages programme. You spoke your mind about pertinent national issues on this platform. Passionate as you were about the media profession, you chided journalists for focusing too much on covering politics at the expense of real social issues affecting the people. This stance made the politicians, then, uncomfortable and regrettably, our 10-minute television programme was cancelled. For years, you referred to this television segment with nostalgia and how it was pulled down by the powers that be,” Fast forward to your time as trainer in Malawi at The Nation newspaper. Hosting you in Lilongwe during your stay there and the stories we shared will forever remain etched in my memory,” Mr. Ngilazi mourned.

“Just last year ahead of the country’s General Elections, we were billed to work together on a journalism training programme under the auspices of the BBC Media Action but the project did not take off. The history of journalism in Zambia will never be told without a mention of your name. Your contribution to this sector is immeasurable. While on this earth, you blazed the trail. You trained, mentored and inspired many. For that, l salutes you. Go well Edem. Go well Mr. Djokotoe.”

Journalist Kennedy Gondwe recalled the time he spent with Djokotoe.

“Words are not enough to describe how I feel to lose a brother, a friend. I was privileged and blessed to share my life with one of the most astute journalism minds that has graced this country. The funeral is at House No. 121 Foxdale Residential Estate, Zambezi Road, in Roma, Lusaka. Burial arrangements will be advised in due course,”Mr. Gondwe said.

Kitwe’s Radio Icengelo Chief Executive Officer Fr. Lewis Mutachila hailed Djokotoe as a media guru, great trainer and educator.

“On behalf of Radio Icengelo, and indeed on my own behalf, we would like to express our heartfelt condolences to family, friends and Media fraternity for the loss of Mr. Edem Djokotoe. We are saddened that we have lost a guru, great trainer, educator, a person of immerse experience and astute person in journalism,” Fr. Mutachila said.