Shamu, Editors’ forum mourn veteran journalists

died this week.
Orirando Manwere (43) and King Dube (47) died in Harare on Monday while Salatiel Mutasa (51) died in Masvingo on Tuesday.
Dube was buried yesterday at Greendale Cemetery in Harare.
Minister Shamu described Manwere as an “exemplary journalist and a source of inspiration”.
He described Manwere as a heroic fighter against the HIV and Aids pandemic through his work as a communications officer at the National Aids Council of Zimbabwe.
“He therefore made enormous contributions in the fight against the scourge by empowering communities through the dissemination of vital information on how to combat HIV and Aids,” he said.
Manwere died of meningitis and will be buried today at Warren Hills cemetery.
He is survived by his wife Monica and three children.
Minister Shamu said Mutasa was a “competent and experienced journalist” who was expected to transform the Masvingo Star into a vibrant provincial weekly.
Mutasa (51), who succumbed to diabetes, was the editor of Masvingo Star.
“His death is even tragic in view of the fact that we were confident that in him, the Masvingo Star had found a capable replacement for his late predecessor, Tawengwa Gotora, who passed on in April 2010.”
“Mutasa was a truly great                     journalist who never allowed the newspaper he edited to be used for his personal projection or that of individuals.
“His editorial judgments were always sound and objective as he sought to fulfil CNP’s mission to propagate ‘news and information that celebrates the Zimbabwean identity and Pan-African values’.”
He is survived by his wife Elizabeth and three children and will be buried on Thursday in Chiendambuya, Headlands.
Minister Shamu said veteran broadcaster and prolific artiste, Dube’s death was a blow to journalism, arts and entertainment.
He said the nation had lost an “eminent broadcaster and artiste”.
Dube (47) died after complaining of a severe headache.
“Dube was a distinguished professional whose qualitative approach to broadcasting and the arts contributed significantly to the development of the two fields in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“A prolific artiste, Shona and Ndebele news reader on radio and television, Dube was deeply devoted to his profession so much that he had become a celebrity in his own right.
“A humble, soft spoken and affable character, he utilised his prowess in journalism to come up with highly entertaining and educative dramas like Rage of Innocence and Wakavimbisa.”
Dube is a former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation producer and presenter
At the time of his death Dube was a media consultant for an international organisation, GRM.
He is survived by wife, Mary and three children.
Mambo, described the deaths of the three scribes as a blow not only to their families, but to the journalism fraternity.
He said the fraternity had not yet recovered following the recent deaths of other senior practitioners, Bornwell Chakaodza, Makuwerere Bwititi and Freedom Moyo.
“ZAE therefore joins the nation and the families of the senior journalists in mourning the tragic incident.
“They leave a void in the profession that will be difficult to fill because experience cannot be learnt at institutions of higher learning, it comes with practice,” he said.