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Mkhululi Sibanda, Sunday News Assistant Editor
THE death of veteran journalist and former Zimbabwe Union of Journalist (Zuj) president Dumisani Sibanda has not only sent shock waves throughout the media fraternity but across all sectors of society.
The way the community has reacted to Dumisani’s death is an indication of the kind of person he was, a man who respected his profession and those he associated with.
Dumisani also respected authority and was a professional par excellence who never shied away from a story no matter how controversial the subject matter was. He never questioned assignments.
On Monday when the news of his death filtered through, my phone became a “mini-switchboard” as it almost jammed with condolence messages pouring in deep into the night either through phone calls or WhatsApp messages. The messages came from all classes of society.
It is not surprising that condolence messages have been pouring in from all corners of the globe because Dumisani was a man of the people, an affable character, so to speak. On a personal note it is not surprising that some of the condolence messages have also been directed towards me because for so long we have been viewed by colleagues in the media and sources alike as people who were close to each other.
One of the people who phoned on that day was the former Bulawayo High Court judge and ex-Zimpapers board member, Justice Maphios Cheda from his base in Namibia where he sits on that country’s bench operating from the town of Oshakati close to the border with Angola. The death of Dumisani shocked everyone as just on Saturday he had performed his duties at Sunday News without showing any signs of illness. We left the newsroom together just after 9PM. It therefore came as a shock to me on Monday to learn of his death.
The Bulawayo City Council has also been touched by Dumisani’s death, providing him with a grave at the city’s distinguished cemetery, Lady Stanley where the city’s luminaries are interred. King Sobohla will today take his rightful permanent resting place alongside national heroes of this country such as Lookout Mafela Masuku, Swazini Ndlovu, Lizathi Sibanda, Welshman Mabhena and Retired Colonel Masala Sibanda. Also lying there are outstanding civic leaders from Bulawayo. In fact Dumisani becomes the first practising journalist to be interred at the revered cemetery.
On Monday while I was trying to come to grips with the shocking news of the death after receiving a call from my editor, Limukani Ncube I and Chronicle political editor Nduduzo Tshuma found ourselves with the unenviable task of being bearers of bad news to his family. As has been reported in the papers Dumisani suffered a stroke in his sleep, the third in about four years, and so his family by 2PM on Monday was still unaware that he had passed on. Nduduzo and I had to go to Entumbane Police Station where the case of his sudden death was being handled to collect a police officer so that together we could go to the family home in Lobengula Extension and deliver the unpleasant news.
When we got to his home, Dumisani’s mother sensed that something was wrong and when the policeman delivered the message, she was shattered.
It was a bombshell, her son had of late not complained of any ailment.
Dumisani, like any mortal, at times erred much to the chagrin of his bosses but the loveable, charismatic and portly King Sobohla or Governor as he had an endless list of nicknames, which did not belittle but were a sign of affection towards him, had a way of wriggling himself out of such situations.
He was quickly forgiven because the word sorry to him mattered very much although at times I felt there were situations he gave in too much. Dumisani also never kept grudges and was able to associate with anyone regardless of age and social class.
My association with Dumisani started in May 1993 when I enrolled at the School of Journalism at the Harare Polytechnic to train as a journalist and we found him going for his second year. Among his classmates were the Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Supa Mandiwanzira and senior editors at The Herald now, Innocent Gore, a cartoonist of note at that time and best shorthand student and George “Socks” Chisoko. Others in that class were former Chronicle Features Editor Arnold Mutemi, Cornelius Nduna, Stella Mapenzauswa who went on to work for Reuters, the maverick Acknowledge Midzi who later died in Botswana where he had started his own publication, Mandlakhe Dube, Saliwe Mangena and Sibonginkosi Chigaru, the daughter of former Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Company general manager, Mr Daniel Chigaru.
As Bulawayo boys we clicked straight away together with my classmates like the late Edwin Dube, Bhekisipho Nyathi, B-Metro editor Tumeliso Makhurane and Foster Dongozi, the Zuj secretary-general. Dumisani acted like a guide to us especially me and Edwin taking us to entertainment spots in Harare, at our expense, of course. Dumisani was soon to share that role with our classmate Goodwill Zunidza, the former Sunday Mail sports editor who although he came from Rusape knew Harare well because he had attended Prince Edward School.
During our second week at college a soccer match was arranged between the first years and the second years. When the teams trooped onto the field, it was amusing to see the rotund Dumisani lining up for his team as a goalkeeper. It was comical to see him trying to cut crosses and diving in a bid to keep the ball from hitting the nets. However, he was lucky in that the battle in that match was concentrated in midfield where myself, Goodwill, Edwin, Clemence Marijeni and the now spokesperson of Great Zimbabwe University Anderson Chipatiso fought an “epic battle” with Supa, Gore and Chisoko. In fact on that day the goalkeepers stole the show for their hilarious performances as ours who I don’t recall but could either have been Hama Saburi, the current editor-in-chief of Financial Gazette or Fred Durango butterfly hands as Dumisani.
After college Dumisani worked for Sunday News first as a sit-in correspondent and later as a fulltime reporter. He rose through the ranks to news editor and during that time he distinguished himself as a sharp journalist who could handle any beat. Besides writing brilliant political stories he also handled the entertainment beat well taking charge of a regular column, a critique of the Zimbabwe Television programmes.
I joined him at Zimpapers in 2001. This was after I had joined Chronicle in November 2001 coming from Ziana, a purely news agency then, now New Ziana. In 2004 Dumisani joined us at Chronicle becoming the Matabeleland South Bureau Chief and we worked together as the previous year I had been promoted to the position of News Editor.
He proved to be a very resourceful journalist churning out good stories from Gwanda. When the late Makuwerere Bwititi took over as Editor of The Chronicle from Stephen Ndlovu he recalled Dumisani from Matabeleland South and handed him the position of political editor.
It should be noted that was at the height of the land reform programme and Western countries had slapped Zimbabwe with sanctions.
During that period Dumisani distinguished himself, coming up good with analyses which told the Zimbabwean story in a patriotic way. For his stories that defended the country’s sovereignty he won admirers and foes.
His stories did not go unnoticed in Government circles as when the late national hero Dr Sikhanyiso Duke Ndlovu took over the Ministry of Information portfolio he invited him to be his personal reporter of some sort who, however, would continue to be on the payroll of Zimpapers. I remember him breaking the news to me and seeking advice. After deliberating on the issue we agreed that the post was strange and would depend on the tenure of the Minister. Nevertheless he attended the interviews in Harare and turned down the offer.
Also as the political editor, Dumisani was supposed to show the political direction the paper was taking, something which he did with aplomb. I remember towards the 2005 general elections he wrote an article analysing the candidates who had offered themselves. There was a strong feeling in our newsroom that compared to other regions candidates from Matabeleland whether at local government or parliamentary level were found wanting in many aspects especially in education compared to other regions in the country. Dumisani then wrote that if the Zanu-PF leadership in the region deployed certain individuals then President Mugabe was going to have a difficult task in choosing Cabinet Ministers. The response as expected drew a volley of unprintable insults from some politicians whom I cannot mention or repeat what they said in this family paper. Dumisani, a naturalised Ndebele and of the Chiferere totem, had the issues of Matabeleland close to his heart.
However, away from the tight deadlines of the newsroom Dumisani was a jolly good fellow to socialise with as well.
Even in the newsroom he was known for being a conveyor belt of endless jokes. On the romantic side he was overly romantic and never ran short of superlatives to describe beautiful women. He was a fountain of quotable quotes to young male reporters looking for romantic liaisons with intended targets. Dumisani was a powerful wordsmith who never choked on an expression.
On the dance floor he was nimble footed. When he took to the dance floor and started his popular “cobra dance” where he would raise his right hand and start imitating a cobra snake ready to strike, the house would come down with laughter. This was because many found it amusing to see a plump man sweating it out on the dance floor. That was King Sobohla for you, always jovial.
He was a colourful man of many characters. There were times when his juniors faced personal issues and would consult him and in other times he would play counsellor. Reporters facing problems in their relationships would go to Dumisani, some with their partners, and he would sit them down and listen like a mature and respected person that he was. After listening, he would then offer his intervention and suggest ways to end conflict between the partners.
There were some funny moments involving Dumisani also. There is a day President Mugabe visited Lupane in Matabeleland North and Dumisani was assigned to cover the tour. During the briefing before the President’s address Dumisani was given a plastic chair and as the President was speaking, the chair collapsed under Dumisani’s weight and in a bid to keep his balance he held on an equally burly Chinhara of ZBC and the two heavy weights fell down with a thud.
The President, reacting to the embarrassing and equally funny fall, remarked, “Oh, Oh shame, shame, sorry, sorry.” Dumisani treasured President Mugabe’s consoling words. He made sure that everyone knew about the incident especially the President’s consoling words.
Dumisani never picked any fights with anyone. I do not remember seeing him lifting a finger to fight. In fact there was no need for him to “speak hands for me” as William Shakespeare would say in his famous play, Julius Cesar.
King Sobohla was a gifted speaker, he would tear one into pieces using words. Being a gifted speaker opened avenues for Dumisani into leadership positions. There is no election that Dumisani contested and lost be it in union activities at work or Zuj. He always came out tops, he played his politics well which saw him at some point becoming the chairperson of all Zimpapers workers’ union branches, Zuj president and leader of the Bulawayo Press Club.
As we accompany him to his final resting place I feel privileged to have worked with King Sobohla and the balance in our newsroom that we were looking for when he came in December last year to rejoin us has been tilted.
My plea to your spirit Chiferere is that you should keep an eagle’s eye on your young and only son, Langton Reginald Sibanda who unfortunately at the moment is too young to understand anything. At the least the boy keeps the name of his grandfather, Langton and Dumisani’s middle name, Reginald.
Online Reporter