Panos mourns Radio Phoenix Managing Director, Mr. Muzaza Musulwe

Lusaka, 20th April 2023: The Board, Management and Staff members of Panos Institute Southern Africa (PSAf) are greatly saddened by the untimely death of Mr. Muzaza Musulwe, a media entrepreneur who was the Managing Director of Radio Phoenix, one of Zambia’s leading private radio stations.

Mr. Musulwe passed away on 18th April 2023 at Maina Soko Military Hospital in Lusaka.

Over the last few years, Mr. Musulwe significantly transformed Radio Phoenix, repositioning the station as a leader in Zambia’s media landscape. At the time of his death, Mr. Musulwe was part of a team of media development stakeholders in developing a framework to achieve a united, professional and sustainable media sector that is committed to ethical journalism in Zambia, under the auspices of the Sweden supported ITP Media Africa Programme. Under the ITP programme, Mr. Musulwe spearheaded plans for the development of a media development hub, which would be a repository for coordination and collaboration of media stakeholders in Zambia. He was also part of a team driving the development of a media-self regulation mechanism, which ironically was launched in Lusaka on 19th April 2023, a day after his death.

Mr. Musulwe’s commitment and contribution to a united, professional and sustainable media sector will be missed.

We send our deepest condolences to his family, the broader media fraternity in Zambia, particularly Mr. Musulwe’s colleagues at Radio Phoenix, the Media Owners Association, the Media Associations for Self-Regulation, the ITP Media Africa Programme, among other media development initiatives Mr. Musulwe was part of.

During this difficult moment, we pray that his family, friends and colleagues find comfort and strength in the face of this loss.

May His Soul Rest in Eternal Peace.

Vusumuzi Sifile, Executive Director