News / National
Geoff Nyarota betrayed the people of Matabeleland and Midlands
24 Mar 2025 at 08:44hrs | Views
The recent passing of Geoff Nyarota, an award-winning veteran journalist and writer, has reopened a painful chapter in Zimbabwe's history.
While lauded by others as a doyen of journalism, both within the country and internationally, Nyarota's tenure at the helm of the state-funded Chronicle newspaper during the early 1980s, and his perceived handling of the Gukurahundi atrocities, has undeniably left a dark stain on his legacy.
The central accusation revolves around Nyarota's alleged support for the deployment of the North Korean-trained army, the Fifth Brigade, in Matabeleland and some parts of Midlands. This deployment saw the unit wreak havoc upon the region, carrying out acts of killing, maiming, and rape, overwhelmingly targeting the Ndebele-speaking population, whom they accused of harbouring dissidents and supporting Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo, the founder and leader of the then Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU).
Independent human rights groups have estimated that approximately 20,000 people lost their lives during the Fifth Brigade's presence in Matabeleland and some parts of Midlands between 1982 and 1987, a period that to this day is considered a genocide by many. The then Prime Minister, Robert Mugabe, himself described this period as a "moment of madness," yet he died without ever issuing an apology or accepting responsibility for the actions carried out under his command.
In one interview, Nyarota explained that he used to get money and clothes through to the Zanla guerrillas which might explain why he did not report on the genocide in areas that were never pro Zanla.
"I always wanted to be a journalist, but in colonial Rhodesia the only job open to educated Africans was teaching. So I became a teacher in Inyanga near the border. This was in the mid-1970s and the war was on. Teachers were the focal point for Zanu support and contact; we used to get money and clothes through to the Zanla guerrillas."
In the wake of Nyarota's death, Information Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana stated that journalism was "the poorer" for his passing, acknowledging his impact on investigative journalism.
"As a pioneering editor, he left an indelible mark on the country's journalism landscape. His contributions to investigative journalism and robust public discourse will be remembered," Mangwana wrote on X.
Job Sikhala, the former St Mary's MP and National Democratic Working Group (NDWG) Chairperson, echoed these sentiments: "He told it as it is as the then Editor-in-Chief of the Daily News until they bombed to silence it. Panyika idandaro. Rest in Eternal Peace Geoff Nyarota!!!" Sikhala posted on X.
Numerous other prominent figures in Zimbabwean society have also paid tribute to Nyarota's contribution to journalism, including the renowned lawyer and University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturer Professor Lovemore Madhuku, Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) founder and owner Trevor Ncube, and the current Information Minister, Jenfan Muswere, along with a multitude of journalists and commentators.
However, the shadow of Gukurahundi continues to loom large, casting a long and troubling pall over Nyarota's professional reputation. Critics argue that his time at The Chronicle was nothing short of disastrous, alleging that he deliberately chose to ignore the atrocities unfolding in Matabeleland. Furthermore, some claim that he even advocated for the continued deployment of the Fifth Brigade, appealing directly to the late Mugabe to maintain their presence in the region.
It is often said that one should not speak ill of the dead, but the gravity of the accusations surrounding Nyarota's role during this period necessitates a reckoning with this controversial chapter in his career.
Siphosami Malunga, a globally recognised human rights lawyer and activist, offered a particularly stark assessment of Nyarota's legacy, describing his journalistic credentials, particularly regarding his involvement in the Gukurahundi events, as "terrible."
"Fewer speak of his terrible role in aiding and abetting the Gukurahundi genocide in Matabeleland as Editor of the Chronicle newspaper. I'm one of the few, alongside thousands of Gukurahundi victims, who believes that's what ultimately defines his credentials as a journalist."
Malunga further asserted that Nyarota actively chose to side with the perpetrators of these appalling acts, a betrayal of his fundamental duty as a journalist.
"He aided and abetted genocide. A better journalist would have sought to shine a spotlight on the horrors and the uneven impact on innocent civilians. He chose the side of the perpetrators and helped and cheered them to commit unspeakable atrocities."
Malunga is far from alone in voicing these criticisms.
Dr. Admore Tshuma, a UK-based academic, recalls Nyarota's time at the state-funded Chronicle during the Gukurahundi years as a period of profound moral failing, allegedly endorsed by Nyarota himself.
"But there is another side to his legacy, one that is etched in blood and silence.
"When I was at The Chronicle, I came across one of his editorial comments, one that shocked me to the core. In it, he pleaded with Robert Mugabe not to withdraw the 5th Brigade from Matabeleland, stating, and I quote: ‘Ndebeles must be disciplined.’
"Those chilling words were written at the very time when the 5th Brigade was leaving behind a trail of devastation, raped women, decapitated civilians, families shattered forever. Children grew up without parents, without homes, without even the basic dignity of schooling."
Tshuma added: "The people of Matabeleland endured a genocide, and Geoffrey Nyarota, an editor entrusted with truth, chose not to expose the horror, but instead to endorse its execution."
The legacy of Gukurahundi continues to haunt Zanu-PF, as both late president Mugabe and President Emmerson Mnangagwa are inextricably linked to these historically appalling acts of murder and violence against the people of Matabeleland and Midlands.
Nyarota made a name for himself and gained fame through the Willowgate Scandal, a major investigative story, Zanu PF political heavyweight and former minister Obert Mpofu says he was the source of the story and claims to have made Nyarota.
In 1988, Nyarota and his colleagues discovered that several high-ranking government officials, including ministers and parliamentarians, had been involved in a corrupt scheme to purchase vehicles from a local state-owned car dealership, Willowvale Motor Industries.
The officials had used their top positions to acquire the vehicles at subsidised prices, and then resold them at huge profits.
While lauded by others as a doyen of journalism, both within the country and internationally, Nyarota's tenure at the helm of the state-funded Chronicle newspaper during the early 1980s, and his perceived handling of the Gukurahundi atrocities, has undeniably left a dark stain on his legacy.
The central accusation revolves around Nyarota's alleged support for the deployment of the North Korean-trained army, the Fifth Brigade, in Matabeleland and some parts of Midlands. This deployment saw the unit wreak havoc upon the region, carrying out acts of killing, maiming, and rape, overwhelmingly targeting the Ndebele-speaking population, whom they accused of harbouring dissidents and supporting Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo, the founder and leader of the then Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU).
Independent human rights groups have estimated that approximately 20,000 people lost their lives during the Fifth Brigade's presence in Matabeleland and some parts of Midlands between 1982 and 1987, a period that to this day is considered a genocide by many. The then Prime Minister, Robert Mugabe, himself described this period as a "moment of madness," yet he died without ever issuing an apology or accepting responsibility for the actions carried out under his command.
In one interview, Nyarota explained that he used to get money and clothes through to the Zanla guerrillas which might explain why he did not report on the genocide in areas that were never pro Zanla.
"I always wanted to be a journalist, but in colonial Rhodesia the only job open to educated Africans was teaching. So I became a teacher in Inyanga near the border. This was in the mid-1970s and the war was on. Teachers were the focal point for Zanu support and contact; we used to get money and clothes through to the Zanla guerrillas."
In the wake of Nyarota's death, Information Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana stated that journalism was "the poorer" for his passing, acknowledging his impact on investigative journalism.
"As a pioneering editor, he left an indelible mark on the country's journalism landscape. His contributions to investigative journalism and robust public discourse will be remembered," Mangwana wrote on X.
Job Sikhala, the former St Mary's MP and National Democratic Working Group (NDWG) Chairperson, echoed these sentiments: "He told it as it is as the then Editor-in-Chief of the Daily News until they bombed to silence it. Panyika idandaro. Rest in Eternal Peace Geoff Nyarota!!!" Sikhala posted on X.
Numerous other prominent figures in Zimbabwean society have also paid tribute to Nyarota's contribution to journalism, including the renowned lawyer and University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturer Professor Lovemore Madhuku, Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) founder and owner Trevor Ncube, and the current Information Minister, Jenfan Muswere, along with a multitude of journalists and commentators.
However, the shadow of Gukurahundi continues to loom large, casting a long and troubling pall over Nyarota's professional reputation. Critics argue that his time at The Chronicle was nothing short of disastrous, alleging that he deliberately chose to ignore the atrocities unfolding in Matabeleland. Furthermore, some claim that he even advocated for the continued deployment of the Fifth Brigade, appealing directly to the late Mugabe to maintain their presence in the region.
It is often said that one should not speak ill of the dead, but the gravity of the accusations surrounding Nyarota's role during this period necessitates a reckoning with this controversial chapter in his career.
Siphosami Malunga, a globally recognised human rights lawyer and activist, offered a particularly stark assessment of Nyarota's legacy, describing his journalistic credentials, particularly regarding his involvement in the Gukurahundi events, as "terrible."
"Fewer speak of his terrible role in aiding and abetting the Gukurahundi genocide in Matabeleland as Editor of the Chronicle newspaper. I'm one of the few, alongside thousands of Gukurahundi victims, who believes that's what ultimately defines his credentials as a journalist."
Malunga further asserted that Nyarota actively chose to side with the perpetrators of these appalling acts, a betrayal of his fundamental duty as a journalist.
"He aided and abetted genocide. A better journalist would have sought to shine a spotlight on the horrors and the uneven impact on innocent civilians. He chose the side of the perpetrators and helped and cheered them to commit unspeakable atrocities."
Malunga is far from alone in voicing these criticisms.
Dr. Admore Tshuma, a UK-based academic, recalls Nyarota's time at the state-funded Chronicle during the Gukurahundi years as a period of profound moral failing, allegedly endorsed by Nyarota himself.
"But there is another side to his legacy, one that is etched in blood and silence.
"When I was at The Chronicle, I came across one of his editorial comments, one that shocked me to the core. In it, he pleaded with Robert Mugabe not to withdraw the 5th Brigade from Matabeleland, stating, and I quote: ‘Ndebeles must be disciplined.’
"Those chilling words were written at the very time when the 5th Brigade was leaving behind a trail of devastation, raped women, decapitated civilians, families shattered forever. Children grew up without parents, without homes, without even the basic dignity of schooling."
Tshuma added: "The people of Matabeleland endured a genocide, and Geoffrey Nyarota, an editor entrusted with truth, chose not to expose the horror, but instead to endorse its execution."
The legacy of Gukurahundi continues to haunt Zanu-PF, as both late president Mugabe and President Emmerson Mnangagwa are inextricably linked to these historically appalling acts of murder and violence against the people of Matabeleland and Midlands.
Nyarota made a name for himself and gained fame through the Willowgate Scandal, a major investigative story, Zanu PF political heavyweight and former minister Obert Mpofu says he was the source of the story and claims to have made Nyarota.
In 1988, Nyarota and his colleagues discovered that several high-ranking government officials, including ministers and parliamentarians, had been involved in a corrupt scheme to purchase vehicles from a local state-owned car dealership, Willowvale Motor Industries.
The officials had used their top positions to acquire the vehicles at subsidised prices, and then resold them at huge profits.
Source - NewZimbabwe
