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Dumisani Sibanda

Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
SCORES of people who included journalists from different media houses yesterday attended the burial of veteran journalist and former Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) president Dumisani Sibanda at Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo. Sibanda (44) died on Monday. Mourners described him as a humble man whose works promoted unity in the country. Sibanda worked for Sunday News as its Political Editor before joining the Chronicle where he also became a Political Editor. He thereafter moved to Newsday Southern Edition as Bulawayo Bureau Chief and was later appointed the Zimbabwe Mail Bulawayo Bureau Chief.

He succumbed to stroke. The funeral service started at the family house in Lobengula Extension where speaker after speaker spoke glowingly about Sibanda’s good works as a journalist and a trade unionist. Politicians, civil society representatives, academics and businesspeople were among the hundreds that paid their last respects to Sibanda.

Zanu-PF legislator for Mpopoma-Pelandaba constituency Cde Joseph Tshuma said he had known Sibanda since 2000 as a peace-loving and humble man who did not discriminate anyone based on tribe. He said members of the public should learn from his works. “He had friends from all over the place. He was humble and respected everyone in society, even those considered to be the lowest in the social strata,” said Cde Tshuma.

“He shunned tribalism but today we’ve some people claiming to be Christians yet they hate people from other tribes. We’re people who go to church but you’ll hear them saying they hate a Shona or Ndebele speaker. How can you hate God’s creation yet you claim to love God?”

Cde Tshuma said some people give hard times to pastors when they die as preachers have to lie just to create a better image for them when they are dead. He urged people to shun violence, saying it can cause bloodshed without solving problems.

Cde Tshuma said people should pray for the country as God is the only one who can solve the country’s problems. Zuj secretary general Foster Dongozi said Sibanda’s life should not be mourned but celebrated as his works were fulfilling in society.

“From what has been said we shouldn’t mourn but celebrate the life lived by an accomplished individual. I was privileged to work with Cde Sibanda in 2010-2011 when he was leading us as Zuj president,” said Dongozi.

He said leading journalists is a difficult role but Sibanda led them with dignity which earned him respect from his colleagues. Dongozi said Sibanda’s ability to interact with anyone was reflected by the number of people who came for his burial.

His sentiments were echoed by Sunday News Editor Limukani Ncube who said Sibanda’s death was a blow to the media fraternity and society at large as witnessed by condolence messages that came from all walks of life.

“Dumisani was an intelligent worker no doubt about that. He was also an award winning journalist. Journalism was in his blood. We know this because when you’re at work, you’ll see some people struggling with their work but he was always on point. Journalism was flowing through his veins,” said Ncube.

He also shared Sibanda’s lighter moments explaining to the mourners some of the nicknames that Sibanda earned. Ncube said Sibanda was nicknamed “Sobohla manyosi” after a column he used to write called scorpion where he would tackle societal issues using a pseudo name ‘Sobohla manyosi’. He was nicknamed cobra, said Ncube, because of the way he danced raising his hand, imitating a cobra striking prey.

“As Sunday news, Chronicle and Zimpapers, the largest media organisation in the country, we’ve lost a great colleague. After news of his death spread across the country, even politicians from across the political divide started sending their condolence messages. This proves that he was a man of the people. He respected and was respected by many” he said.