Goodbye my friend it’s hard to die When all the birds are singing in the sky Now that the spring is in the air Little children everywhere When you see them I’ll be there Westlife
Former NewsDay news editor, Mernat Mafirakurewa, who was now Business Editor for Chronicle, has died.
He was 33.
Mafirakurewa, who is survived by a wife, two daughters and a four month old son, died on the spot Wednesday night when his Honda Fit vehicle collided head-on with a South Africa-bound bus near Beatrice on the Masvingo- Harare highway.
A passenger in the bus also died in the accident.
Sunday News senior business Reporter Roberta Katunga, who was travelling with Mafirakurewa, escaped with injuries and has been admitted at a hospital in Harare.
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NewsDay staff members have paid tribute to Mafirakurewa, describing his death as a loss to the whole media fraternity and the country at large.
Vincent Kahiya, Editor-in-Chief of Alpha Media Holdings– publishers of NewsDay- said:
“Mernat was a focused practitioner who made an exceptional contribution to NewsDay during the few years I interacted with him. At a personal level, he was an attentive young brother who valued advice on how to improve his journalistic skills. He worked hard to build a home forhis young family which he cherished very much.”
NewsDay Editor Nevanji Madanhire: “Mernat had such a bright future … I am still in a state of shock.”
Deputy News Editor Zerubabel Mudzingwa said: “I had the opportunity to work closely with Mernat over the few months he was on the News Desk and enjoyed each met to map new strategies to improve the quality of stories. He believed in team work and was always receptive to new ideas aimed at improving the product. I will miss him a lot.”
Deputy Chief-Sub Editor Yvonne Gasura said Mernat was one of the kindest, sociable and patient people she had ever met.
“Getting to know him and work with him was a blessing. During his last months at NewsDay, he always said, Mother muchandifunga each time I talked to or joked with him. Now I look back and wonder if that was his way of saying goodbye”
NewsDay Sports Editor Wellington Toni said Mafira, as he was known in the NewsDay newsroom, was a jovial, down to earth, focused and just brilliant journalist.
“I am loss of words and our world of journalism is much poorer without him. My thoughts go out to his wife and three children. May they find comfort in the Lord. May His soul rest in peace”Senior Court Reporter Charles Laiton said: “Words alone cannot describe the pain that everyone in the newsroom is going through. It is difficult to believe and comprehend that Mafira is no more just like that. He was such a good man and I now understand why someone said every moment of life is a step towards death May his soul rest in peace.”
AMH Group Chief photographer Aaron Ufumeli said “Sheefu!, thats what I used to call him, I will greatly miss him. I remember the last time we travelled with him to Tokwe-Mukorsi we had a nice time there, joking all the way to and fro. We passed through his parents’ place in Mvuma and my heart is with his mother and the children he has left behind. May his soul rest in eternal. In life we meet and we part to meet. Fare thee well.”
Senior Features Writer Phillip Chidavaenzi described Mafira as someone who was more than a friend.
“He was like a brother. He was a man of humility, a man of integrity and purpose-driven. It’s a shattering experience to see the death of one so young and ambitious. My heart goes out to his family.”Chief Reporter Everson Mushava said: “I am extremely hurt. Menart was a good friend and workmate. I still do not believe it’s true that he has gone. It is like a nightmare. I will always cherish the moments, in and outside the newsroom we had been together. May his soul Rest in eternal peace.”
Staff Reporter Moses Matenga said in Mafira, he has lost a brother: “Mafira gave me brotherly advice on anything, from work-related matters to personal issues. …to me he is one man who proved that through hard work, you can rise and achieve. May his Soul Rest in Peace.”
Staff Reporter Feluna Nleya said, as an intern, she got her mentorship from Mafira when the late newsman was at Sunday News in 2006.
“Even when we were now at NewsDay and he was our News Editor, he continued to mentor me. We worked together so well, and he was ever smiling. I liked his statement every morning during our diary meetings, he would say, Feluna, uyu waamunya ka uyu, taakutoda mamwe ma story idea, May his soul rest in eternal peace. Go well my friend!”Business Reporter, Victoria Mtomba, who also worked closely with Mernat when he was NewsDay Acting Business Editor, said she appreciated the guidance she got from Mafira.“You have gone too soon man. We appreciated the guidance you gave to us. ‘Baba Kim’, we will miss you. You were such a hardworker, a friend and colleague. It will never be the same. Go well.”
Online Reporter, Cecilia Kamuputa:
” It’s just hard to imagine Mernat gone, such a soft spoken person, death is just so cruel. Rest in peace Chief, we will cherish the good times we shared.”Online Reporter Tapiwa Zivira:
Mernat was a true mentor, a very knowledgeable and open-minded individual who was always ready take his time to share ideas. A good listener and a patient teacher, Mernat had all the qualities of a leader. I will miss you Chief.
Entertainment Reporter Silence Charumbira:
“You can put up a straight face after a slap and people will admire your ability to ignore that sharp pain but when your soul is jerked a straight face will not do it for you. For this only tells one story; we own nothing on this earth. We are visitors rushing to our destination which by any measure we do not know the time of arrival. We cannot even estimate. May we all find peace in this difficult time and most importantly thank God for the little time we shared with our departed colleagues.
Staff Reporter Blessed Mhlanga:
“I am shocked by the death of Mafirakureva. He was more than a boss but a friend. I remember one night he came to Kwekwe and woke me up around 8pm he wanted me to drive him and his daughter to Bulawayo and we had a chance to share jokes and reflections about our job. I pray that his young family will not be neglected by colleagues in the profession. Go well my brother go well Mafira”
Sub Editor Cliff Chiduku:
“Mernat was a rare character. On several occasions I would approach him for advice on issues to do with my job, he would be there for me. As we were both staunch Dynamos supporters we would tease Highlanders and Caps United fans together. It was a pleasure being in the company of him. The media fraternity is poorer without Mernat. Fare thee well Comrade.”
Correspondent Winstone Antonio:
“The few months that we worked together besides, being my boss, I regarded him as a father.”
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