SIMPLIFY STORIES ON PRODUCT SAFETY, MEDIA IMPLORED

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Posted by admin on December 29, 2025 at 2:59 AM

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The Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) has called on journalists to simplify reporting on product safety and quality to ensure consumers are protected from unsafe goods on the market.

ZCSA Executive Director Gerald Chizinga said simplified articles help consumers make informed choices about everyday products such as food, beverages, solar equipment, and household electrical appliances.

“Product safety and quality is a subject that seems technical but it affects our daily lives. These products can easily harm consumers and the environment if they are not regulated,” Chizinga noted.

He was speaking in Lusaka when he officially opened the 3rd ZCSA Media Awards Adjudication Committee meeting, which is evaluating entries and determining winners of the awards.

To make compulsory standards more accessible, ZCSA has been training journalists, including those who report in local languages, to equip them with knowledge on product safety and quality. The aim is to ensure newspapers, radio, television, and digital media effectively disseminate information to the public.

Mr Chizinga revealed that ZCSA received 47 entries for the 2025 Media Awards—the highest since the awards began in 2023. This compares to 28 entries in 2024 and 44 in 2023, showing growing interest in product safety reporting.

He said most covered topics Used undergarments, solar products, Packaged drinking water, electrical products, potable spirits, fertilizer and Cooking oil, tomato products, condoms, hair creams, tyres as the least.

MISA Zambia and Executive Director at the Media Network on Child Rights and Development (MNCRD) Committee Chairperson trustee, Henry Kabwe urged journalists to go beyond routine reporting.

“Stories should create impact on society. If consumers are not aware of safety and quality, products may pose danger to their health,” Kabwe said.

Established under the Compulsory Standards Act, ZCSA regulates 102 locally manufactured and imported products, ranging from food and beverages to petroleum, construction materials, fertilizers, fuel, and used textiles. Its mandate is to ensure compliance with compulsory standards for public safety, health, consumer protection, and environmental sustainability.