Fake News Fury

Tambatamba not only disowns fabricated remarks aired and published by three media houses—condemns unethical reporting

By Francis Maingaila
Lusaka, Zambia24  - (July 6, 2025) -  Minister of Labour and Social Security Brenda Mwika Tambatamba has strongly condemned what she describes as a “malicious and fabricated” story aired and published by Millennium TV, Daily Nation Newspaper, and Zambian Monitor, demanding an immediate retraction and public apology from all three media outlets.

The story falsely claimed that Tambatamba had criticized the police for summoning Professor Nkandu Luo, a Patriotic Front (PF) official, during her mourning period, framing it as an act of political victimization against women.

“I condemn in the strongest terms the false story attributed to me. At no point did I make the remarks alleged in these reports,” Tambatamba said in a statement issued Sunday.

She accused the three media houses of abandoning journalistic ethics by publishing unverified information without even attempting to contact her for comment.

 “This is not just poor journalism—it is reckless and unethical. It is unacceptable for trained journalists to fabricate a story and mislead the public,” she said.

Tambatamba warned that such conduct threatens public trust and undermines the integrity of the press, adding that the publication of sensational and false narratives has legal implications.

“Deliberate misinformation is dangerous. It erodes confidence in the media and distorts public discourse. This behavior violates the core principles of journalism and must be condemned,” she added.

She urged media practitioners to uphold professionalism, truthfulness, and responsibility in their reporting.

“The media must serve the truth, not manufacture it. I call on all journalists to respect their ethical duty to inform, not to mislead,” she said.

Concluding her statement, Tambatamba demanded that the media outlets in question issue immediate retractions and public apologies.

 “I demand a retraction and an apology from all media houses that aired or published this fake story,” she declared.

As of publication, none of the three outlets had responded to the minister’s demand.

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