THIS week, the media fraternity mourns the passing of Geoffrey Nyarota, an award-winning Zimbabwean investigative journalist, editor, and media pioneer renowned for his fearless pursuit of truth in a politically hostile environment. He passed away on Sunday after a long battle with colon cancer and kidney disease. He was buried on Wednesday in Nyazura, his rural home.
Nyarota was the founding editor-in-chief of The Daily News, an independent newspaper that gained a formidable reputation in the early 2000s for exposing government corruption and human rights abuses. His ground-breaking work earned him international recognition, including the prestigious Unesco/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
Before joining The Daily News, Nyarota was editor of Manica Post, the Financial Gazette and The Chronicle, where he famously broke the “Willowgate Scandal” in the late 1980s. This exposé uncovered high-level corruption involving the illegal resale of government-issued vehicles and shook Zimbabwe’s political landscape.
His relentless pursuit of accountability came at great personal cost, drawing political backlash and increased state harassment. Over the years, Nyarota faced arrests, death threats, and eventual exile, yet he remained steadfast in championing press freedom and democracy.
While in exile in the United States, Nyarota launched The Zimbabwe Times, an online newspaper that continued his mission to hold power to account.
Beyond journalism, he authored several influential books, including Against the Grain: Memoirs of a Zimbabwean Newsman, a compelling chronicle of his tumultuous media career. He also penned The Graceless Fall of Robert Mugabe: The End of a Dictator’s Reign (2018), The Honourable Minister: An Anatomy of Endemic Corruption (2022) and The Journalist as an Outcast: Perils of Investigative Reporting in Zimbabwe (2024).
Nyarota’s distinguished career extended into academia, where he served as a visiting fellow at Harvard University and lecturer at Bard College in New York.
As a towering figure in Zimbabwean journalism, Nyarota left an indelible mark on the profession.
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In recognition of his extraordinary legacy, the Zimbabwe Independent reached out to fellow journalists and media professionals to share their reflections on his life and contributions. Here’s what they had to say:
Tabani Moyo
Firstly, we express our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues on the loss of this larger-than-life and colossal force who immensely contributed to the evolution and stature of the profession.
At the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa), we have lost the pioneering leader, who established the initial governance structures as the founding chairperson of the Misa Zimbabwe chapter alongside his contemporaries.
In many ways, he embodied a form of journalism that was foundational for the development of modern journalism in our country. By nature, Geoff was a maverick; others would conclude he was controversial. Yet, this same character shaped its journalistic exploits! Controversy, as a news value characteristic of sales, so to speak.
You knew he was up to something once he beams his naughty smile in his soft-spoken tone.
Colleagues of my generation are quick to announce the arrival of the doyen of journalism when they spot him entering a gathering.
He flashes that smile as if to acknowledge that he is a symbol of the modern-day doyen of journalism in Zimbabwe — a crown he has eagerly worn at every opportunity due to the foundational work he has invested in the craft since Zimbabwe became an independent nation.
I would shudder to say that Nyarota’s career was all rosy, as we know very well that roses bring beetles with them — which are sometimes very dark and dangerous!
Nyati — we say the Mountain has fallen, to rise no more!
Tapfuma Machakaire
While serving as editor of the Chronicle, Nyarota partnered with renowned cartoonist Boyd Maliki. They created a character they named Nyathi, not sure if this had a connection with Nyarota’s totem, Nyati Makoni but the character became a cultural icon in Bulawayo.
Nyathi symbolised the everyday antics of a typical Bulawayo businessman, and his mischievous escapades captured the essence of social life in the City of Kings.
The cartoon’s sharp satire and relatable humour quickly resonated with readers. I am sure the cartoon contributed towards increased sales of the Chronicle.
Maliki would tell me that every morning he would discuss with Nyarota the appropriate episode for the day.
Nyarota, like most journalists, loved his beer and would observe the behaviour of his mates in the bar, which he would transform into the Nyathi cartoon stories through the capable hands of Maliki.
Many readers bought The Chronicle specifically to follow Nyathi’s latest misadventures. Maliki ended up producing booklets of the Nyathi series.
One particularly memorable cartoon captured the buzz and excitement in Makokoba, one of Bulawayo’s oldest high-density suburbs, ahead of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Zimbabwe.
It was a perfect reflection of the city’s social pulse, combining humour, satire, and a keen understanding of local life.
Eunice Mafundikwa
From across oceans, I bid farewell to a titan of Zimbabwean journalism. I am humbled to have had the privilege of working under Nyati's guidance during the formative years of the Daily News.
His unwavering faith in me, a young and aspiring journalist at the time, was a defining moment in my career. Appointing me deputy news editor, when women in leadership positions were a rarity, was a testament to his commitment to nurturing talent and promoting diversity.
He instilled in me the importance of rigorous investigative journalism, encouraging me to dig deeper, ask tougher questions, and seek truth. Under his tutelage, I wrote stories that exposed injustices, sparked conversations, and inspired change.
The impact of those stories continues to resonate, many years later. His legacy will continue to be felt through the many lives he touched and the stories he helped shape.
Your passing leaves a gaping hole in our hearts, but your memory will continue to inspire us to uphold the highest standards of journalism, to seek truth, and to tell the stories that need to be told. Rest in peace, Nyati.
Barnabas Thondhlana
Nyarota joined the FinGaz (Financial Gazette) around 1990, and completely changed the way we approached news stories. While FinGaz then — or the Pink Panther as it was known in government circles — focused mostly on business and finance, Nyarota introduced The Weekender, a human interest-focused insert. It was an immediate hit and raised circulation.
“Wandiigira makonzo kwete mbeva (You have brought me rats not mice)” was his favourite statement if one submitted a story with no flesh or depth. He pushed us to dig deeper and not just be reporters, but journalists.
He honed us to be investigative journalists, and not be satisfied with peripheral issues.
Many a time, the originally submitted article would take a new angle after he asked one to question and dig deeper, saying: “Who is this man you are writing on; what is his claim to fame; why should we cover him in The FinGaz?” As a team, we learnt a lot from Nyarota.
Michelle Hakata
Nyarota's remarkable legacy lives on through the countless stories he told, and the ones he chose to tell about himself. What struck me most about him was his courage to tell his own story.
Through his autobiographical works, he shared his triumphs, struggles, inspiring many of us.
I think it is fair to say he holds the distinction of being one of Zimbabwe's most prolific journalists, with an impressive array of published works to his name. The nation has lost a treasure.
Reyhana Masters
There was no hesitation on my part when I was asked to join the Daily News as deputy features editor by Geoff Nyarota.
After all, it was a trailblazing initiative and Nyarota was carving his place into the historical media landscape of the country by establishing the first daily independent paper in Zimbabwe.
There were huge risks at the time but who would not want to be part of this transformative shaping of legacy media?
We all have different experiences with people in our lives and I will readily admit that Nyarota was all too human and like many of us he had his flaws.
We had our showdowns and they were fierce and headstrong and of course he stuck to his point of view . . . but he listened and taught me such a valuable lesson. You can and should remain connected in conflict.
Having a different opinion and fighting for our positions was not a crime. It was part of growth.
Ultimately, we both believed in the same value system!
There is no hesitation on my part to admit with pride and honour that he was one of the most prominent influencers through my journey in journalism.
When women’s voices were still whispers in the corridors of decision-making — he appointed women into senior editorial positions without hesitation and based on merit and not tokenism.
He provided space for thoughts, for ideas and for creativity. He pushed you beyond your own limitations and allowed you to soar.
May you now fly high above; knowing your part in shaping Zimbabwe’s media landscape will be preserved.
Mirriam Sibanda
My chance to meet and work with Geoff Nyarota came in 2021. Nyarota had suggested my name as a co-consultant to undertake some research for the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists.
The relationship solidified when he asked me to edit his book, The Honourable Minister: An Anatomy of Endemic Corruption.
Working with him proved surreal. I got to know a “different” Nyarota from the one I had created based on accounts of colleagues.
The Nyati I got to know was humane. A man who loved his family, the extended family included. He took his role as father seriously. He cherished his wife, Ursula.
With his witty turn of phrase, he would fondly appreciate her immense contributions to his success as a journalist.
Professionally, Ursula was in his words “an unpaid personal assistant and institutional memory bank that I call upon any time of day”.
I count myself lucky to have had the opportunity to get up close and experience the humane side of Zimbabwe’s doyen of journalism, a chance many colleagues never got.
Sure Kamhunga
I had the privilege of working with Geoff Nyarota at the Financial Gazette and I was struck by his incredible enthusiasm for exposing the truth and stubborn commitment to professionalism in journalism.
He was a good leader but did not take any prisoners.
His attention to detail and fact-checking was the epitome of journalism that I embraced and became the foundation of my journalism career until I left the profession in 2012.
The least some of us can do is to impart the knowledge and experience that we got from him to the younger generation of journalists in Zimbabwe and wherever we are.
Rashweat Mukundu
Journalists rarely come in the mould of Geoff Nyarota — that is in passion, tenacity and commitment to the profession. The late Geoff Nyarota was a senior in the trade but still found time to engage, sometimes in heated debates with young journalists, many who called him the journalism doyen.
I first met Geoff in 2001, when I joined Misa-Zimbabwe as information Ooficer and Nyarota was Misa-Zim chairperson.
I was asked to draft a statement on one of the hundreds of media violations that took place in Zimbabwe then. The statement which I submitted as a printed draft copy came back almost unreadable with Nyarota’s red pen.
He called and said: “Chief, learn to write”. We parted ways but remained in contact. Nyarota was a journalism repository and a giant in defending journalism.
His mark on Zimbabwean journalism is permanent as he did nothing else other than journalism to the very end. He will be sadly missed.
Millie Phiri
I remember him for being so passionate about Zimbabwe politics. I remember one of my conversations with him after the 2017 coup, and he said: “Zimbabweans are great people. We are peace-loving folk, but we are like a flock of sheep.
“We danced for (UANC leader Abel) Muzorewa, then we danced for (the late former president Robert) Mugabe. We should have danced for (the late MDC leader and former prime minister Morgan) Tsvangirai.
“Today, we dance for (former Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander and Vice-President Constantino) Chiwenga. Tomorrow we will dance for ourselves. May the Almighty bless us all”?
This goes to show how much he had experienced Zimbabwean politics through his writings and analysis. He was very articulate about Zimbabwe politics and the history of the country.
Journalists of his calibre are now very rare. May his soul rest in peace.
Douglas Justice Dhliwayo
When I began my journalism career at ZBC in 1980, I did not know much about Geoff Nyarota. At the time, he was editor of The Chronicle, while I was a senior sub-editor with ZTV News.
The journalist I was more familiar with then was Davison Maruziva, who later became Nyarota’s deputy. Maruziva and I often crossed paths while covering assignments as reporters.
I got to know Nyarota better years later when he served as chairperson of the Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI). On several occasions, Nyarota appeared on my ZTV-commissioned programme, Economic Forum, where he would update viewers on IMPI’s findings.
It was during these interactions that I discovered a different side of him — a remarkably pleasant, calm, and sociable gentleman, who was highly-educated, intelligent, and well-versed in current affairs.
Our professional relationship deepened in 2022 when we worked together as adjudicators, alongside Miriam Sibanda, for the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ)’s National Journalism and Media Awards. It was during this time that I came to appreciate him even more.
I regard Nyarota as one of the finest journalists Zimbabwe has ever produced. His cool, composed, and calculating demeanour, coupled with his fearless approach to journalism, left a lasting impression on me.
I truly cherish every moment I spent with this cool, fearless and legendary figure, whose contributions to the media industry remain unparalleled.
Faith Zaba
Geoff Nyarota was a legendary figure in Zimbabwean journalism, and, in many ways, he indirectly mentored me. He often called to offer feedback, pointing out areas for improvement and engaging me in long, insightful conversations from which I learned a great deal.
His unwavering passion for excellence kept him connected to journalists such as myself, always pushing us to achieve our best. Nyarota was one of my biggest cheerleaders, frequently texting to congratulate me on my accomplishments and encouraging me to keep raising the bar. His guidance, wisdom, and belief in my potential will forever be etched in my heart.
Although I never worked directly with him, Nyarota inspired me to explore investigative journalism and to strive for excellence in every story. His fearless, meticulous approach to journalism left an indelible mark on me, and I remain deeply grateful for his guidance, support, and inspiration.
Jahoor Omar
A journalist’s journalist. A fitting epithet for Geoffrey Nyarota, who we tragically lost earlier this week.
That was one of the reasons I left The Herald after nearly 15 years and joined The Daily News in late 1997.
I wanted to follow Nyati whose name was synonymous with journalism of the finest quality in his quest to produce the first independent national daily newspaper in Zimbabwe.
After all was Nyarota not at the helm when The Chronicle, a smallish daily tabloid from Bulawayo, shook the establishment by unearthing the Willogate scandal in the late 1980’s? Many other top practitioners from different organisations were assembled by Nyarota in those halcyon days when a brand new publication seemed to breath fresh air into the tired, stale monopolies that had existed.
In his trailblazing crusade to offer readers undiluted, honest and balanced reportage Nyarota and his able deputies Davison Maruziva and Bill Saidi were in the forefront of creating a mini revolution.
And within months of the fledgling paper hitting the streets The Daily News was remarkably exceeding the circulation of the long established behemoth that was The Herald. The media landscape would never be the same again.
Many of us were drawn not only by the passion with which Nyarota brought to the Daily News project but by his unflinching directive to tell the story as it is.
Nyati, who was laid to rest on Wednesday at his homestead in Nyazura, may have left this troubled world but his spirit still endures.
He was, it is worth repeating, a journalist’s journalist.
