KEY POINTS
- Geoffrey Nyarota led Zimbabwe’s journalistic revolution with investigative reporting.
- His exposure of the Willowgate scandal marked a turning point in media.
- Nyarota’s legacy is remembered by family, colleagues, and the public.
After a protracted fight with colon cancer, veteran journalist Geoffrey Nyarota, 74, passed away.
Geoffrey Nyarota’s pioneering role in Zimbabwean journalism
On Saturday, Nyarota died. He was editor of The Chronicle before becoming the first editor of The Daily News in 1999. His autobiography, Against the Grain: Memoirs of a Zimbabwean Newsman, was released in 2006.
Investigative journalism was pioneered in Zimbabwe by his work at The Chronicle, when he exposed wrongdoing in the 1989 Willowgate incident.
Nyarota has been referred to as Zimbabwean journalism’s doyen by many.
“Families and friends will miss Geoff, who was a trailblazing investigative journalist,” said Trevor Ncube, chairman of Alpha Media Holdings. The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) described Nyarota as “one of the most decorated journalists and editors” in a sympathy statement.
Tributes pour in for Geoffrey Nyarota from media and colleagues
According to New day, Ndabaningi Nyarota will be remembered for his groundbreaking work in investigative journalism, according to Nick Mangwana, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services. “Depressed over the passing of Geoff Nyarota, the titan of Zimbabwean media.” He made a lasting impact on the journalism landscape of the nation as a trailblazing editor. We will never forget his contributions to investigative journalism and lively public debate.
Nyarota, who was born in 1951, started out as a teacher before becoming a trainee for The Rhodesian Herald in 1978. In 1983, he was appointed editor of The Chronicle.
