Kurwa a rare breed of journalist, says Minister

Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
THE Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa has mourned veteran journalist and former Chronicle Sports Editor Innocent Kurwa, who died after being involved in a horrific accident on Saturday night, saying the media industry has been left poorer.

Kurwa (63) died early Sunday morning after his car, a Nissan Almera, was involved in a head-on collision along Leopold Takawira Avenue in Bulawayo.

The accident occurred on Saturday at around 9PM near Ascot Shopping Centre and Kurwa succumbed to the injuries at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) at around 2AM on Sunday.

In a statement last night, Minister Mutsvangwa commended the late Kurwa for the pioneering role he played as one of the first journalists in the country.

“Kurwa was among the first crop of black journalists who at independence took over the media which then was dominated by whites and were able to tell the Zimbabwean story. He and his fellow black journalists had the mammoth task of changing the media landscape in Zimbabwe,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said Kurwa was a rare breed of journalist who joined the Chronicle in the 1980s, rose through the ranks and became the paper’s Sports Editor.

“Kurwa was a talented journalist who combined sports, politics and lecturing in economics and mathematics at the same time. Kurwa was also an adjudicator of the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe and in that role, he contributed immensely in ensuring that journalists in Zimbabwe uphold media ethics,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said the media fraternity was poorer without veterans like Kurwa who had to correct the settler regime’s wrong media narrative of portraying blacks as second-class citizens

Minister Mutsvangwa consoled the Kurwa family adding that he left a lasting legacy of telling the Zimbabwean story.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services and on my own behalf I would like to convey my deepest condolences to the Kurwa family, his three children, three grandchildren and the media fraternity.

“We should, however, take solace in the fact that Kurwa has left us a legacy of telling the Zimbabwean story and upholding media ethics,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

Witnesses said Kurwa was travelling from the city centre heading to his home in Sunninghill suburb. Soon after passing the UBH turn-off, another vehicle emerged from the opposite direction and encroached onto his traffic lane resulting in the collision.

Kurwa was trapped in the wreckage and the ambulance crew later managed to rescue him. He was taken to the UBH where he succumbed to the injuries at about 2AM on Sunday.

Kurwa started his journalism career at the Chronicle in the 1980s, rising through the ranks and became the paper’s Sports Editor. He left Chronicle to further his studies at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ).

Kurwa held a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Economics and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the UZ as well as MSc in Development Studies from Nust.

Between March 1997 and September 1998, he worked for Moto Magazine in Gweru as Editor. He then joined the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ) where he was General Manager between 1998-2005.

Upon retirement, he was involved in freelance work. An avid sports writer, Kurwa once had a column On the Ball in the Southern Eye.

At the time of his death, Kurwa was an adjudicator for the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ).

A devout Catholic, Kurwa also served as the church’s social communications officer for the Archdiocese of Bulawayo.

Kurwa is survived by three children, two sons and a daughter. Mourners are gathered at Number 103 Walsingham Drive in Sunninghill suburb, Bulawayo.

He will be buried on Saturday.

Kurwa’s wife, Getrude together with her mother, was killed four years ago in a road traffic accident almost similar to that of her husband.

Mrs Kurwa, who was taking her mother back to Kwekwe after a medical review at Gweru General Hospital, collided head-on with a PCJ bus just after Regina Mundi High School along the Gweru-Kwekwe highway in February 2017. — @bonganinkunzi