By STEVEN ZANDE  and JAJAH COULIBALY –
ZAMBIAN Breweries country director Jose Moran has called for joint efforts in the promotion of responsible alcohol consumption in the country.
He said his company, an alcohol producer will take up a proactive role in promoting responsible alcohol drinking.
“There is need to join efforts to ensure promotion of responsible alcohol drinking. The media has a big role to play in educating the nation on the need for responsible drinking,” he said.
Mr Moran said this on Tuesday night during the Zambia Breweriesn responsible drinking media awards in Lusaka where Gender desk chief reporter Charity Moonga emerged winner of the best print article while Sunday Times reporter Jajah Coulibaly bagged the best print runner-up article.
Meanwhile, the Times of Zambia won two awards at the first China-Zambia Friendship Media Awards which took place at the Chinese Embassy on Tuesday evening.
Times of Zambia’s Parliament reporter Chila Namaiko scooped the top individual category award while Times Printpak won the institutional award and pocketed a K10,000 cheque which was received by Managing Director Bestone Ng’onga.
Information Minister Kampamba Mulenga said the media played a crucial role in fostering national development and that the economic growth which Zambia had achieved was attributed to journalists.
Ms Mulenga said journalists were crucial to development because they exposed Zambia’s opportunities and peaceful character to the outside world, and this attracted investments into the country.
“It is, therefore, appropriate that these efforts and your show of patriotism are recognised. This gesture is an important motivation to the media to focus on issues that promote cooperation and co-existence between nations,” the minister said.
Ms Mulenga praised the Chinese government for the gesture, which would help promote expansion of the media industry in Zambia.
She said the Government remained committed to strengthening the relationship between the two countries, which had lasted for more than 40 years.
Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming said the awards were meant to honour journalists and media institutions that promoted mutual understanding between China and Zambia through positive and objective reports.
Apart from the Times, other media houses awarded were the Zambia Daily Mail, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) and the Oriental newspaper.