By DELPHINE ZULU –

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has urged the media in Zambia to be objective and responsible as it undertakes its role of informing the nation.
Mr Lungu cautioned the media against packaging stories in a manner that would incite citizens to rise against each other.
He said the media should always be careful in the way they packaged their stories to avoid inciting violence in the nation which could be detrimental to national development.
“I urge you colleagues in the media to package your stories in the manner which contains facts and distances itself from public judgment before the readers, the news is not for you, if you want to join
politics find a better way,” he said.
The President made the remarks yesterday at State House when he swore in Chilubi Member of Parliament, Obius Chisala as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Education and his Bwacha counterpart Sydney Mushanga as Community Development, Mother and Child Health deputy ministers and
Chief Policy analyst at State House Henry Lumbeta.
He described the death of a UPND sympathiser Grayzer Matapa as saddening and asked politicians not to politicise the incident.
Mr Lungu said the death of anyone was disheartening and should never be politicised regardless of one’s creed or political affiliation.
He said the events leading to Mr Matapa’s death were un-political because they were drinking and for anyone to imply that their fight was linked to political parties was unfair.
He said the media house responsible for the reporting should have checked the facts before publishing the news.
Meanwhile, Mr Lungu has expressed sadness at the continued reports of nepotism in the civil service and urged all Zambians to condemn the vice.
He said nepotism should not be tolerated in the civil service because it was as bad as corruption and tribalism.
The President who said he was compelled to talk about nepotism yesterday due to continued reports on the vice in the civil service.
“I do not want to preside over a Government which is polarised, this vice is serious and I urge all Zambians to condemn it, so I urge you to be on the lookout because nepotism is as bad as corruption, tribalism and anything perceived bad,” he said.