Harare (New Ziana) -Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa on Monday sent her condolences following the death of award-winning journalist Fanwell Sibanda, saying he will be remembered for his immense contribution to the media industry, particularly the ongoing revival of New Ziana.
Sibanda died on Saturday from suspected lung infection. He was 58.
At the time of his death, Sibanda was working as an editorial consultant at New Ziana where he was involved in the rebranding of its Community Newspapers Publishing Group (CNP) provincial titles.
Mutsvangwa said Sibanda would be sorely missed by all his colleagues.
“The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Honourable Senator M. Mutsvangwa, the Deputy Minister Honourable K. Paradza, the Permanent Secretary Mr N. Mangwana, the Chief Director Mr J. Gandari, Directors and the rest of the staff would like to express their heartfelt sadness on the passing on of Mr Fanwell Sibanda, an award-winning journalist and member of the Zimbabwe Mass Media Trust.
“Mr Sibanda worked in the media industry for 37 years with exposure in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Angola and Iraq. He also worked for various media houses like the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, The Herald, the Financial Gazette, The Daily Gazette and Parade Magazine to mention a few.
“He will be remembered for his immense contribution to the profession, more specifically the revival of New Ziana as well as rebranding of Masvingo Star, Chaminuka, Indosakusa, Nehanda Guardian, Pungwe News, The Telegraph, Ilanga and The Times,” she said.
Meanwhile, a funeral service for the late Sibanda was held in Harare before his body departed for his rural home in Lower Gweru.
Zimbabwe Mass Media Trust (ZMMT) trustee Tommy Sithole, friends and colleagues attended the service.
ZMMT executive secretary, Ray Mungoshi said: “Fanwell was an award-winning journalist and had worked in the media industry for the past 37 years with exposure in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Angola and Iraq.”
Sibanda was born on February 2, 1965 in Lower Gweru, where he attended St Luke’s Primary School before moving to Jameson High School in Kadoma.
He trained as a journalist at the Harare Polytechnic’s Division of Mass Communication between 1984 and 1985 after which he worked for various media houses, including the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (News and Current Affairs), the Herald as senior reporter, then Midlands Bureau Chief, the Financial Gazette, Features & Supplements Editor, Deputy Editor, The Daily Gazette and Parade Magazine (Deputy Editor).
The late Sibanda was the founding editor of ANZ’s The Dispatch, (Bulawayo 1998) and was appointed Production Editor/Night Editor of The Daily News in 1999. He then left to pursue some private work.
At New Ziana, in addition to assisting in the rebranding of the CNP provincial titles, the late Sibanda was also helping with the development of its online platforms while at the same time working on the Zimbabwe Yearbook with the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.
He is survived by two children, a boy and a girl, and is expected to be buried at his rural home on Tuesday, according to his brother Jordan Sibanda.
New Ziana
