How alcohol destroyed the life of one of Zambia’s best Journalist.
JOURNALISM profession has it’s own risks, certainly not alcohol. But veteran scribe Aston Kuseka would tell you that had he not been addicted to alcohol during his time in the newsroom, he would today be a very successful journalist.
Mr Kuseka,54, is a well known among his contemporaries as a good writer who penned stories in the 90s. But owning to the love for beer, he ruined his life to the point where even those who know him are slowly forgetting about him ever having stepped into the newsroom.
Mr Kuseka’s love for beer had been his way of life throughout his entire career path as a journalist.
His love for beer started when he was in Grade Four in Mufulira on the copperbelt.He had a friend in the neighborhood whose father was an alcoholic.
On a daily basis Mr Kuseka would escort his friend to buy “Chibuku” beer at some taverns. For he and his friend thought was a routine they enjoyed because it offered them an opportunity to have sips at the opaque beer on the way back.But little did they know that they were slowly getting used to alcohol.They later started buying beers on their own and drank it secretly.
When he went to high school, the behaviour got worse and he would dodge classes to go and drink beer.Fortunately, he passed his Grade 12 examinations.
When his father retired and went to settle in Mansa, he left him with his uncle and aunties.
Mr Kuseka managed to enroll at Evelyn Hone College where he studied journalism in 1990.
While in college his drinking habit worsened but since he was naturally intelligent he cleared.
In 1995 he applied for a job at ZANIS and he was offered a job but each time he got paid he would go straight to drink and abscond work.
He later resigned in frustration from the government media house where he worked with six of his friends from college who had greatly excelled at the time.
After a few months, he went to a private newspaper called The Sun.
But while at The Sun his drinking habit became unbearable as he could not do anything without taking alcohol.Whenever he was sent to cover functions where there was alcohol, Mr Kuseka would go for hard staff like Vodka, whiskey and forget about the assignment, not to talk of writing a story.
He could not manage to present news ideas in the newsroom and whenever he was scolded by his supervisors he thought they hated him. Because he was a good writer at the time, it was easy for him to find employment.
He was given a Job at The Chronicle newspaper. After sometime, because of his attitude, he fired himself.
Finally he decided to go to a government newspaper, Times of Zambia. At Times of Zambia Mr Kuseka did well and managed to get to the position of senior reporter and at times could act as a Chief reporter.
Despite working hard and being a good writer, he was the most warned reporter.Bosses at Times of Zambia were so understanding and gave him more chances but he did not change.
Mr Kuseka completely failed to control himself as he already had an addiction.
While at Times of Zambia, he would wake up in the morning and go straight to his bottle. He would buy whisky black, which looked like Coca Cola and he would drink it in the office and whenever he went out for assignment.
During his days as a journalist Mr Kuseka was compelled to use a pen to write stories but he could never hold a pen when he was sober.
As always, he thought his supervisors hated him and one morning he decided not to report for work and he never stepped his foot at the company premises again.
After a year he got a job at Radio Phoenix in Lusaka but his work was hampered by alcohol and he resigned.
He got another job at 5fm where he was one of the founder members of the radio station, but he failed and joined Fidelity Labour consultancy, a company he could not perform and he left.
After he resigned from Fidelity Mr Kuseka became a destitute. He would hide each time he met some of his colleagues in the media because he was no longer at the same level with them.His only friend was beer.
He could not go back to his family. He decided to start staying at Lusaka Inter city bus terminus.
For one year and some months he slept in buses or just beside buses.
The following morning he would wake up and carry a plastic bag containing his only shirt and shorts. He begged for food to survive.
When Mr Kuseka lost too much weight
and feared for his health he decided to go back to his parents in Mansa.His parents received him with open arms.
Mr Kuseka stopped drinking beer after realizing that all his friends were doing fine when he had nothing.He said people considered him useless and a failure.
Mr Kuseka was in 2009 offered a job at Mansa Municipal Council as a public relations officer.
Everything was well with him in the beginning and his bosses commended him.
But he will never forget a day when he got his salary. On his way to the office he passed through a market where he found people drinking and decided to join them forgetting that he had reformed.
He got drunk and he could not stand or walk.
He had a serious program he was organizing at
work. The then Town clerk started calling him.
One of the guys he was with picked up the Town clerk’s call and informed him about his condition and he went to pick him up. The following day, he was fired.
Mr Kuseka now regrets his actions and having wasted time as a journalist.
“I see almost all my colleagues I worked with and friends in the media on TV and some whom I meet they are doing so well. They have their companies while others are bosses at various companies.I wasted my time. I am now in the hands of God. My parents look after me now together with my brothers who also help with finances.
” My love was beer. I was just drinking beer. I was dreaming beer. I could not date a girl and at my age I have no children and no wife.Now that I have found myself I want to marry and start a family, ” he said.
He now has an organization called Zamba Alco Crusade” to sensitise people on the dangers of alcohol and it’s consequences.