Bwititi’s burial set for Concession today

Zimpapers gave US$1 000 to the Bwititi family to cover funeral expenses.
Group 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 on Thursday.
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.
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Nami-bia Ms Chipo Zindoga has 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 arrived in Zimbabwe yesterday and burial is set for today in Concession.
Meanwhile, condolences continued to pour in to the Chakaodza family following the death of veteran journalist, Bornwell Chakaodza.
The Zimbabwe Media Commission yesterday described Chakaodza as a “renowned journalist of repute”.
Chakaodza will be buried today at his rural home in Guruve.