Veteran journalist Geoff Nyarota dies, aged 74

Mutare – VETERAN Zimbabwe investigative journalist and editor, Geoffrey Nyarota has died after battling cancer.

Nyarota who has been on dialysis in recent years died aged 74.

Known as the “doyen of journalism” in the Zimbabwe media sector, Nyarota worked for several newspapers where he was editor, these include Chronicle, Daily News, Financial Gazette and his now defunct online news website, Zimbabwe Times.

Nyarota was a thorn on the side of the corrupt Robert Mugabe regime.

Nyarota is credited for helping to write the ‘Willowgate car scandal’ story in the late 1980s when he was editor of the Chronicle.

He took credit for the story over the years but his critics said a reporter who worked under him broke the Willowgate scandal.

The Willowgate scandal involved ministers who bought vehicles at subsidized prices and selling the cars at a premium.

Morris Nyagumbo, a government minister committed suicide while Frederick Shava, the Higher Education Minister was convicted and jailed but was pardoned by Mugabe.

Nyarota’s critics accuse him of not doing enough to expose the Gukurahundi massacres in the 80s when he was the Chronicle editor.

Nyarota’s tenure as Editor-In-Chief of the Daily News he published investigative stories that angered Mugabe and his government.

The printing press of the Daily News was bombed by unknown assailants in the early 2000s.

In an effort to silence the Daily News the government promulgated the draconian media law the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).

The law led to the closure of the Daily News after the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ) owners of the daily paper refused to register with the government appointed Media Information Commission (MIC) saying the law was unconstitutional.

After the closure of the Daily News, Nyarota went into self imposed exile in the United States where he lectured on journalism and penned his memoir –Against the Grain.

He later came back to Zimbabwe in 2010 during the unity government of Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai.

Nyarota claimed he was promised to be editor of the Daily News that had been re-launched but disagreements with ANZ management resulted in him being denied the chance to lead the paper again.

Nyarota was bitter about the ANZ new owner, Jethro Goko whom he accused of neglecting an agreement to allow him to edit the Daily News again.

At one time Nyarota contested and lost in the primary elections of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai when he intended to become Member of Parliament of Makoni South.

He lost the primary elections to Pishayi Muchauraya.

Nyarota was later appointed chairman of the Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI) by Information Minister Jonathan Moyo.

Apart from his memoir Against the Grain he wrote other books that include — The Journalist As An Outcast (perils of investigative reporting in Zimbabwe),The Honourable Minister (an anatomy of endemic corruption) and The Graceless Fall of Robert Mugabe.

Several journalists and prominent people in Zimbabwe expressed their appreciation of Nyarota by sending condolences to the Nyarota family and his friends.

Hopewell Chin’ono a renowned Zimbabwe journalist wrote the following message on Facebook:”I am saddened to hear of the passing of veteran journalist Geoffrey ‘Geoff’ Nyarota.

“He battled cancer and kidney disease publicly, and at one time, we had to fundraise for his treatment due to Zimbabwe’s collapsed healthcare system.”

Nyarota was open to his media colleagues of his failing health and spoke openly about his trips for dialysis.

He left Harare to stay at his rural home in Rusape and made frequent trips to Mutare for dialysis.

Timelynews/additional reporting by Express Mail Zim