Chronicle Editor
Sports Reporter
FORMER Sunday News sports editor, Wellington Toni, who died in Harare at the age of 44 will be laid to rest tomorrow at his rural home at Embakwe in Mangwe District, Matabeleland South Province.
Toni, who had been unwell for a while passed away soon after admission to a Harare hospital on Thursday. An update provided on the funeral arrangement said Toni’s body left Harare for Bulawayo yesterday, with a church service as well as body viewing to be conducted at 2356 Emakhandeni this afternoon (1:30 pm) prior to departure for Embakwe.
Toni, a former Cyrene Boys High School pupil joined Zimpapers as a correspondent at Chronicle in 2001 and rose to become deputy sports editor. He was later promoted to Sunday News sports editor. When he parted ways with Zimpapers, he went on to become the first sports editor of NewsDay in 2013.
A number of local sporting organisations as well as personalities described Toni’s death as a huge loss and that he had left a permanent mark in sports journalism. The Zimbabwe Football Association, veteran football administrator Ndumiso Gumede, three-times in a row Zimbabwean champions FC Platinum, Ngezi Platinum Stars, Highlanders, Zimbabwe Saints and the Sports Writers Association of Zimbabwe were some of those who posted on social media mourning Toni. Mourners are gathered at house number 2356 Emakhandeni suburb in Bulawayo. – @Mdawini_29
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