IF you have ever watched Chintobentobe, a ZNBC TV 1 programme whose name means “mixture,” or listened to Radio 1 frequently, then Musonda Lombe is no stranger to you.
She is known for being bubbly on TV with her eloquent Bemba and I must confess she is twice as bubbly in person.
As we celebrate Women’s Month, we would be failing in our duties if we overlooked female journalists like Lombe, who have dedicated themselves to the noble profession for over 15 years in preserving our culture.
The mandate of those in the local language section at the national broadcaster is to preserve culture and Lombe has been doing just that for 19 years, having joined ZNBC at the age of 21.
The Bemba section producer was born and bred in Luapula Province’s capital, Mansa, in the year of the Lord, 1985, to Bemba parents who are devoted Jehovah’s Witnesses.
She attended Kombaniya Primary School before completing her secondary education at Mansa Secondary School, from Grade Eight to 12.
Lombe grew up in a home where eating three meals a day was just a rumour and having a meal with beef or chicken was as rare as owning a television set in the 90s where people would watch TV from their neighbours’ homes.
“Growing up, life was tough. In a day, we would only eat once. I was actually the first one to start working in my family. We were two girls and seven boys. The first sibling to die was a girl in 1995, another in 2006. Now we are seven, and I’m the only female and the third born,” she shared.
She completed her secondary education in 2003 at the age of 18.
A bright student with a talent for Mathematics, her father wanted her to study Banking and Finance, even though her dream was to become a journalist.
To fulfil her father’s wish as the only daughter, Lombe embarked on the journey to studying Banking and Finance at ZCAS. But that path was halted before it could even begin.
“After arriving in Lusaka at ZCAS, my classes were postponed from February to May. Having wanted to do journalism from a young age, I thought maybe this was a sign to follow my true passion. So I didn’t go back home and instead enrolled in journalism at Greenwood Institute without my parents’ knowledge.”
“I studied journalism for a term, with my parents believing I was at ZCAS. But when it came time to write exams, I didn’t have money for exam fees, so I dropped out and returned home,” she explained.
After returning, Lombe eventually confessed to her parents about her studies.
“That’s when my dad said, ‘Okay citeni efyo mulefwaya mayo’ (do what you desire mum). During that period, because I had no money for school, I started working at Radio Yangeni. I was there for about one year and six months.”
Later, ZNBC advertised vacancies in the Bemba section.
“I applied using my Greenwood Institute testimonial and my experience from Radio Yangeni. I was then called for interviews.”
“After three weeks, they called me and said I had gotten the job. By the way, I was the youngest among all the applicants, some of whom had about 15 years’ experience. They even announced it on the radio when I got the job. By then, we had moved to Mkushi. That was in May 2007,” she told Kalemba.
Things started improving for her family after she began working at ZNBC.
In 2008, she enrolled for a Diploma in Journalism at the University of Zambia (UNZA), graduating in 2010.
In 2012, she had the privilege of studying international broadcasting in the Netherlands.
“In that intake in the Netherlands, I was the only one with a diploma; everyone else had degrees, so it was a privilege. After six months, I returned and applied for sponsorship for my degree.”
“By then, I was pregnant with my first child. I applied to UNZA, and ZNBC sponsored me to pursue a degree in Mass Communication from 2013 to 2017. I graduated with four degrees, a major, a mino and two children,” she joked.
She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Communication for Development at UNZA.
In her journalism career, Lombe has won more than five awards.
She is passionate about climate change, which she packages in Bemba on both television and radio.
“I usually do environmental programmes on Chintobentobe. I also do commercials and I present Ifimbusa on radio. Kuti nakufunda mwaice (I can teach you, young one),” she laughed.
Ifimbusa is a programme she took over after her former boss Fridah Mukuka Phiri retired.
In her free time, as a wife and mother of four, Lombe enjoys spending time with her family, watching movies, and listening to hip hop and R&B.
She is married to her tribal cousin, who has guided her from being a Jehovah’s Witness to a baptised, devout Catholic, now serving in the Charismatic movement.
As a youngster, she was inspired by broadcasters like Evelyn Tembo, whom she used to watch on TV.
When asked how the 40 year old broadcaster would like to be remembered, she said: “I want people to remember that there was a person who came from Luapula, from a poor background, made it on the national broadcaster, and did her job passionately.”
Her favourite proverb is make hay while the sun still shines, which means making the most of opportunities while they are still available.
Ululumbi lwamulanda kukakata is also one of her favourites, meaning that with tenacity and grit, you can change your future.
She encourages young girls who wish to pursue journalism to be passionate, humble and willing to learn.
“Go to school, be passionate about it, and always be willing to learn from those who know better. Be humble, and ensure you get a qualification at every opportunity,” she advised.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, March 10, 2026
