The International Federation of Journalists today expressed sadness at the "tragic loss" of Angels Banda, President of the Zambian Union of Journalists, as well as the first President of the Southern Africa Journalists Association that was launched last year. Angels Banda was killed on Friday in a car accident while attending a union-backed seminar near Lusaka. In a message to mourners at his funeral held on July 8th, IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said: "Angels' death is a tragic loss for journalists and unionists in Zambia and Southern Africa. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this difficult time. We should build upon the foundations for unity and solidarity which Angels was leading in this region". The Southern Africa Journalists Association is meeting this weekend in Swaziland. "Inevitably, Angels' death casts a shadow over our work, but we will carry on the inspiring work he started", says Aidan White.

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Message of Condolence from the Southern African Journalists Association (SAJA)

I on behalf of the SAJA executive, and indeed all members in the region, wish to express the fratenity's deep sense of loss at the death of Angles Banda, the founding president of the regional journalist body.Banda's death is like a young shining bright star, suddenly taken off the skies. The news of Banda's death in a car crash was shocking as I always kept in touch with him and we expected to be together at a SAJA meeting in Swaziland in a week's time. Banda contributed immensely to the founding of SAJA from the time that the idea was first mooted in Harare in 1999. He remained at the forefront of transforming the idea into reality resulting in the birth of SAJA at the end of last year. We cherish his boundless energy in working for others. We share the tragic moments with his family and the Zambia Union of Journalists for which he was president. May his soul rest in peace. Matthew Takaona SAJA vice president