News / National
Tommy Sithole to be replaced as Zimpapers board chair
20 Jan 2024 at 11:36hrs | Views
Veteran journalist and sports administrator Tommy Sithole will soon be officially replaced as Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Ltd (Zimpapers) board chairperson in an imminent announcement of a new board for the giant state-controlled publishing house, sources at Herald House say.
The publicly-owned listed Zimpapers is the oldest newspaper organisation and commercial printer locally, as well as the largest publisher, having been in the industry since 1891 - a year after Cecil John Rhodes' colonial Pioneer Column arrived in Zimbabwe.
Apart from newspapers, it also runs radio and online television stations.
Sithole, formerly editor of The Herald and Zimpapers editor-in-chief, is expected to be replaced by Doreen Sibanda, former executive director of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.
Other new board members are expected to include Dr Gift Machengete, Director General of the Postal and Telecommunications of Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, Dr Alexander Rusero, a veteran media trainer who is International Relations, Journalism and Political Studies Researcher at Africa University and former Herald senior assistant editor George Chisoko, now Director for Media Services at the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.
Some members of the Sithole board, like Zimpapers chief executive Pikirayi Deketeke, will be retained until the Annual General Meeting in June when they will also be replaced.
Sithole, a liberation struggle cadre with Zanu PF, was a basketball player in his youth. He became a sports journalist, covering Olympic Games, World Cups, and Commonwealth Games, among many other events.
In 1980, he was appointed Zimpapers editor-in-chief.
He would later serve as the group chair, beginning in 2019.
In 1983, he was approached the first black editor of the Bulawayo-based Chronicle.
Sithole was an active member of the Zimbabwe Air Force and became Air Zimbabwe director. In 1982, he was elected as President of the Zimbabwean Olympic Committee. He also served in executive positions with the Confederation of Southern African National Olympic Committees, the Association of the Olympic Committees of Africa, and the Association of National Olympic Committees.
He led the organising committee for the 6th All-African Games in Zimbabwe in 1985.
Sithole was co-opted onto the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1996.
He served until 2003 and was on the executive board in 2002-2003.
He stepped down as an IOC Member when President Jacques Rogge asked him to take over the position of Director of International Cooperation and Development for the IOC.
Sithole spent 12 years in that position (2003-2014), which also led him to become a deputy representative for the IOC at the United Nations.
The publicly-owned listed Zimpapers is the oldest newspaper organisation and commercial printer locally, as well as the largest publisher, having been in the industry since 1891 - a year after Cecil John Rhodes' colonial Pioneer Column arrived in Zimbabwe.
Apart from newspapers, it also runs radio and online television stations.
Sithole, formerly editor of The Herald and Zimpapers editor-in-chief, is expected to be replaced by Doreen Sibanda, former executive director of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.
Other new board members are expected to include Dr Gift Machengete, Director General of the Postal and Telecommunications of Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, Dr Alexander Rusero, a veteran media trainer who is International Relations, Journalism and Political Studies Researcher at Africa University and former Herald senior assistant editor George Chisoko, now Director for Media Services at the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.
Some members of the Sithole board, like Zimpapers chief executive Pikirayi Deketeke, will be retained until the Annual General Meeting in June when they will also be replaced.
Sithole, a liberation struggle cadre with Zanu PF, was a basketball player in his youth. He became a sports journalist, covering Olympic Games, World Cups, and Commonwealth Games, among many other events.
In 1980, he was appointed Zimpapers editor-in-chief.
In 1983, he was approached the first black editor of the Bulawayo-based Chronicle.
Sithole was an active member of the Zimbabwe Air Force and became Air Zimbabwe director. In 1982, he was elected as President of the Zimbabwean Olympic Committee. He also served in executive positions with the Confederation of Southern African National Olympic Committees, the Association of the Olympic Committees of Africa, and the Association of National Olympic Committees.
He led the organising committee for the 6th All-African Games in Zimbabwe in 1985.
Sithole was co-opted onto the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1996.
He served until 2003 and was on the executive board in 2002-2003.
He stepped down as an IOC Member when President Jacques Rogge asked him to take over the position of Director of International Cooperation and Development for the IOC.
Sithole spent 12 years in that position (2003-2014), which also led him to become a deputy representative for the IOC at the United Nations.
Source - newshawks
