THE Government has described late State House special assistant for Press and public relations, John Musukuma as a very hard working person who greatly contributed to the development of journalism.

Chief Government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha said during the burial that Mr Musukuma worked in various media institutions and left a mark in all the organisations he served.

Mr Musukuma worked for the Zambia Daily Mail as deputy editor-in-chief from 1964 to 1973. He joined the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) in July1973 as a group project general manager and left the copper mines in April 1993.

He joined the Sun Newspaper and Consultant Press Association as managing director after leaving the ZCCM in 1993.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said Mr Musukuma worked for the Sun Newspapers until 1999 when he left to take up a position of secretary general for the Southern Africa Broadcasting Association(SABA).

He said on May 1, 2006 Mr Musukuma was appointed as special assistant to the president for Press and public relations and worked at State House until November 2008 when his contract came to an end.

Mr Musukuma, 64, died on Monday morning at his Kalonga farm off Nampundwe Road after an illness and was put to rest at Mutumbi Cemetery in Lusaka yesterday.