BY Nhau Mangirazi ON Monday this week, I joined hundreds of Kariba residents to pay our last respects to the late journalist Laiton Mkandawire.
He was buried at John Ranger Cemetery. He was 51.
Mkandawire died at Mutendere Hospital in Zambia last Saturday.
He is survived by wife Edlight Muneka and three children.
Mkandawire, one of the few fine writers from the resort town, made an impact through provocative social writings affecting the community in local and international publications.
A well-travelled journalist and researcher, Mkandawire made more friends than enemies through his well-articulated stories about the marginalised Tonga community along the Zambezi Valley.
He was counted among the uncommon voices of authority on the iconic Nyaminyami Walking Stick, also known as the Kariba God-Father, whose origins is rooted both in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
I first met Mkandawire in 2010 when I was writing about tourism in the province for the Financial Gazette. Kariba was my focal town.
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Mkandawire, who had more information about Kariba and its environs at his fingertips, challenged me to write more stories from the “other side of Kariba Dam,” covering the rural communities.
In 2014, Mkandawire facilitated one of my major investigations that exposed corruption and exploitation of fishermen along the Zambezi River.
Through his assistance, I managed to do a series of investigations published by the Financial Gazette and ended up winning a Media Professionalism and Investigative Award sponsored by the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) in 2015.
Regionally, Mkandawire worked with journalists in Zambia and Malawi.
Described by some as rude and stubborn, Mkandawire stood for social justice.
He was versatile and was often a tour guide, researcher and journalist.
Mkandawire had no time for cheap politicking, he wanted those in authority to account for their actions.
Street lawyer
Leeds, as he was known, remained humble assisting many locals as a paralegal or “street lawyer.”
He was one of the most prominent, well-travelled journalists, social commentators and tour guides the resort town has had.
He played his role in uplifting the face of Kariba internationally after the country suffered from isolation as a tourism destination following the chaotic and bloody 2000 land invasions.
First lap He was born on September 17, 1971 in Malawi, but his family relocated to Kariba in the late 1970s.
He was the first born in a family of seven children.
According to his father, Kidwell Mkandawire, the late journalist joined Kariba African School, now Mahombekombe, in 1979 for his Grade 2.
It was the only school for blacks.
From 1987 to 1990, Mkandawire went to St Albert’s Catholic High School for his Ordinary Level. He later went to Bernard Mzeki College for his Advanced Level studies.
Mkandawire joined the then-thriving tourism industry in 1994 at Cutty Sark Hotel as a beverage associate.
He later graduated as a tour guide and later formed his own company, Ultimate Leisure Adventures.
Mkandawire was Kariba Publicity Association publicity and information officer from 2016 to 2021.
Throughout his life, he contributed immensely to marketing Kariba as a safe destination.
Mkandawire wrote well-researched articles, reflecting his writing prowess and intelligence as a freelance writer.
He used to contribute stories to Patsaka Community Radio Initiative, now called Kasambabezi FM.
Its director, John Chirinda said the late Mkandawire was among key people at the organisation.
“He was a cog in the organisation as he did his own stories on tourism, fisheries and the environment besides social issues affecting communities. He used to track down the history of the BaTonga people along the Zambezi River, besides editing some of our stories. It’s a sad loss,” Chirinda said.
Mkandawire was one of the radio’s sub-editors.
Second lap Mkandawire did various projects in marketing Destination Kariba, including documentaries.
He used to travel to Zambia and Malawi with ease as he was multi-lingual, fluent in English, Shona, Chichewa and Tumbuka languages.
Before his demise, Mkandawire had proposed an article on the neglect at John Ranger Cemetery.
Along with Enwell Bepe, they wanted to unpack how the cemetery has been neglected by authorities to a point where the graves in Cemetery A, B or Muslim sections have no numbers or tags.
Ironically, on the sad Monday afternoon when we buried him at the same cemetery, we all left Mkandawire without knowing his grave number.
Go well Laiton Mkandawire, you ran your race well.
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