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Biography of Reverend Raymond David Makombera Chinamora, Our Legend, Our Legacy.
Survived by his wife Lucia and seven children — David, Daniel, Joshua, Martha Chinam, Rebecca, Nancy and Maureen. He was affectionately known to many as RD and he had some groundbreaking firsts and trail blazing achievements.
(1) Together with James Chikerema, he owned one of the first Black focused Newspapers, The Rise, which became one of the mouthpieces of the Nationalist Parties ZANU PF & ZAPU.
(2) He was one of the first senior civil servants in the Independent Ministry of Information.
(3) He was the first Youth Administrative Secretary for both N.D.P & ZAPU in 1961 & 1962 respectively.
(4) Before owning his own newspaper The Rise, which he also edited, he worked for the National Observer, and the Weekly Express. At some point he became the target of the Smith Regime, and escaped 19 charges under the notorious Law and Order Act, related to party membership recruitment, through the help of the Late Honourable Minister Herbert Ushewokunze
(5) He was among the first journalists to interview Magret Thatcher, the first female Prime Minister in the world & Britain, as well as Lord Salisbury, at 10 Downing Street.
(6)When things were tough in the then Rhodesia, he still had the courage to interview the Prime Minister Ian Douglas Smith.
(7)Together with a team of highly esteemed journalists , he covered the Lancaster House talks in England, that led to the independence of Zimbabwe
(8)He was one of the first senior civil servants in the Independent Ministry of Information.
(9)He was the first Youth Administrative Secretary for both N.D.P & ZAPU in 1961 & 1962 respectively.
(10)He shared offices with the former & late President Robert Gabriel Mugabe when he was the National Publicity Secretary, with the late President Mugabe as editor of The People’s voice.
The Reverend did his primary school education at Chinyika Primary School, and his secondary school at Bradley Institute. In 1979 he left for the United Kingdom to further his studies in journalism with the Thompson Foundation, obtaining a Merit Certificate in Journalism in 1979. He obtained an Associate Degree in Theology from Christ for The Nations Institute in Dallas Texas, USA, a Bachelor of Theology from the Biblical Institute of Virginia, USA, and a degree from the University of Christian Life School of Theology , Columbia Georgia U.S.A.
In 2014, he retired from Vision for Christ Ministries, which he co-founded in 2002. The ministry now known as Global, Vision for Christ Ministries helps orphans, widows, seniors and youth at risk.
The Reverend sold his house in Cranborne to raise money to go to Christ for The Nations Institute to study Theology. He was a true giver who empowered so many lives by assisting them to go to the USA , and living with them till they got established. He is survived by his wife Lucia, his sons Thulani, Daniel, David & Joshua; his daughters Nancy, Maureen, Rabecca, Martha & Reddy; and several nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Reverend R.D.M. Chinamora lost his fight with prostate and colon cancer and died peacefully on Thursday 30 November, 2023 at his Borrowdale West residence surrounded by family members. May His Soul Rest In Eternal Peace and May his legacy forever live.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter