adminGroup chief executive Mr Justin Mutasa handed the money to Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary-general Foster Dongozi who received it on behalf of the Bwititi family.
Dongozi described Zimpapers’ gesture as a good example to other employers in the media industry.
He said other media organisations were not doing enough to help their employees and their families in times of grief.
“Mr Mutasa said he was also sharing the grief of losing Bwititi with the media fraternity and would be happy to see the veteran journalist getting a decent burial,” he said.
Dongozi challenged other employers in the media industry to emulate Mr Mutasa’s example.
“As ZUJ, we are lobbying for the creation of a national employment council that will come up with a proper salary structure for journalists.
“In the absence of such a council, the journalists end up bargaining for their wages something that some will not be able to do effectively and so they end up getting very poor salaries.”
Zimpapers had taken the initiative by demonstrating that workers needed to be cared for properly, he said.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Namibia Ms Chipo Zindoga yesterday sent a message of condolence to the Bwititi family.
She said embassy staff and the Zimbabwean community in Namibia learnt with a great sense of shock and sadness of Bwititi’s untimely death.
“Bwititi struck me as a pleasant, unassuming and dedicated journalist who upheld the hard-to-find ethics of professional journalism. His stint at The Southern Times was most telling.
“His death has indeed left a void that will be difficult to fill in the media fraternity. He was a law-abiding citizen and a good ambassador for Zimbabwe. This has to be emulated by all Zimbabweans living in Namibia. He indeed remained true and principled to the very end,” said Ambassador Zindoga.
Bwititi died in Windhoek, Namibia after suffering from renal failure.
His body is expected in Zimbabwe today while burial has been set for Concession tomorrow.
Meanwhile, veteran journalist and former editor of the Herald Bornwell Chakaodza has died.
Chakaodza (60) died of cancer on Wednesday morning at the Avenues Clinic.
At the time of his death, he was the deputy chairperson of the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe.
A family spokesperson said Chakaodza had been suffering from cancer for the past few years.
Chakaodza lectured journalism at the Christian College of Southern Africa and Harare Polytechnic in the 1980s and early 1990s.
He was appointed Director of Information in the then Ministry of Information, Posts and Telecommunications in 1993. In 1998, he was appointed The Herald editor and doubled as the managing director of Zimpapers Newspapers Division.
He was also appointed to the ZBC board in March 2000. Chakaodza left The Herald in August 2000 and later assumed editorship of The Standard between 2002 and 2005.
Former Minister of Information, Posts and Telecommunications Cde Chen Chimutengwende expressed sorrow at the death of Chakaodza.
“It is very sad indeed, I am shocked. I worked with him for several years in the ministry and he was a hardworking and incisive person. He was a loyal person to the people he worked with,” Cde Chimutengwende said.
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary-general Foster Dongozi said Chakaodza’s death came as a shock.
“The union received news of Chakaodza’s death with great shock and sadness. He has left a void that will be difficult to fill as he was a rare breed who was able to interact with people from different generations and media backgrounds.
“In addition to his work as a media consultant, Chakaodza was one of the judges at the ZUJ National Journalistic and Media Awards,” he said.
Dongozi said the beginning of the year had been traumatic for the media fraternity with a number of journalists passing on.
“Comrade Chakaodza’s death is a great loss to the journalism family and Zimbabwe as a whole and may his soul rest in eternal peace. The beginning of the year has been particularly traumatic for the industry as it
has seen the death of five journalists and media personnel.
“The journalism family is still in mourning, while awaiting to bury another veteran journalist, Makuwerere Bwititi, whose body is being repatriated from Namibia where he was based,” Dongozi said.
VMCZ executive director Takura Zhangazha expressed shock at Chakaodza’s death.
“VMCZ is shocked by the passing on of Bornwell Chakaodza who was a sterling example of professionalism in journalism.
“He was committed to the improvement of the regulatory environment in the country and a founder and board member of the VMCZ where he sat on the media complaints committee,” he said.
Zhangazha said the journalism fraternity was left poorer following Chakaodza’s death. Chakaodza is expected to be buried at his rural home at Chakaodza village in Guruve, Mashonaland Central Province tomorrow.
Online Reporter