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Herald Reporter
The body of freelance journalist Grail Kupakuwanda, who was knocked down by a vehicle in central Harare, spent more than week in a mortuary at Parirenyatwa Hospital as he was not immediately identified. Kupakuwanda was hit and killed by a vehicle at the corner of Sam Nujoma Street and Selous Avenue on October 24, but his body was only identified yesterday.

He was the secretary-general of the National Freelance Journalists Association of Zimbabwe and a member of the Southern Africa Mining Reporters Association. Members of his family in Kwekwe were only alerted by the police after they discovered documents in a folder he was carrying at the time of the accident. Shocked family members and colleagues from the media fraternity have expressed shock at Kupakuwanda’s untimely death.

Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary-general Foster Dongozi paid his condolences to the late journalist’s family, saying the profession has been robbed of a dedicated journalist. “Kupakuwanda has contributed a lot in the field of development journalism,” he said.

“However, the collapse of the local media industry and closure of some media organisations has severely affected the passion for many journalists who are frustrated at the end of the day. “Many freelance journalists have found the going getting tougher by the day as they cannot live from contributing stories to other media organisations that are also finding the going tough.”

A close colleague and publisher Ronald Mtatabikwa said he was saddened by the loss of Kupakuwanda and called on all members of the media fraternity to join his family in celebrating his life which was “cut short.” His friends were yesterday assisting his family to have his body taken to Kwekwe for burial. Mourners are gathered at No. 22 Chikumbiro Street, Redcliff, Kwekwe.