Remembering the courageous work of Ray Choto & Mark Chavunduka

While doing research for an interview I did with Hopewell Chin’ono on Sunday, I came across stories of the 1999 arrest of Mark Chavunduka and Ray Choto.

Then Hopewell mentioned them in the interview.

It’s strange how we have forgotten them as journalists. Politicians are good at remembering their heroes, at reminding us to celebrate them. As journalists, we need to learn to do the same.

Perhaps politicians keeps us so busy running around after them that we have no time to stop and salute those who have lit the way for us.

We must.

Chavunduka died in 2002.

Choto serves as Managing Editor of the Zimbabwe Service at Voice of America.

When I was awarded the Nieman Fellowship in 2015, I remember thinking what an honor it was to be walking in the footsteps of giants like Chavunduka, who was in the Nieman Class of 2000.

LINKS

• See the letter that all the members of the 2000 class sent to President Mugabe when Chavunduka was arrested.
• Nieman Fellows Honor Late Zimbabwe Journalist With 2003 Louis Lyons Award
• Human rights in Zimbabwe – Wikipedia