Journalists mourn Nemadire, Mafirakureva

HARARE – The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) is mourning the death of two journalists Menart Mafirakureva, the business editor of The Chronicle, and Zecheaus Nemadire, a freelance journalist.

Mafirakureva was involved in an accident near Beatrice while travelling to Harare from Bulawayo on Wednesday night while Nemadire was found dead, apparently after being murdered on his way home on the same night.

Roberta Katunga of The Sunday News, who was travelling with Mafirakureva, sustained injuries. She is admitted at a Harare hospital.

“The union has learnt with shock and sadness the passing on of these two scribes,” ZUJ secretary-general, Foster Dongozi said.

He said journalism had been dealt a severe blow as the two had died a few hours apart.

“It is indeed a sad day in the industry as these two had a lot to offer in the Zimbabwean media industry,” he said.

“Mafirakureva was a renowned business journalist. He worked at NewsDay before returning to assume the position of business editor at The Chronicle.

“Nemadire was a young, versatile and hardworking journalist who was full of potential.”

Dongozi added: “The double tragedy reinforces our calls as a union that the safety of journalists as workers should be guarded jealously by the media practitioners themselves and the employers.”

Several journalists extended their heartfelt condolences to the Mafirakureva and Nemadire families during this difficult time. Daily News