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Blessings Chidakwa and Elita Chikwati

The death of a prominent journalist Rumbidzai Abigail Gamanya has robbed the nation of a person who was committed to empowering female scribes, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said yesterday.

In a statement, Minister Mutsvangwa said it was with a heavy heart that she learnt of the passing on of Gamanya (49) at Dandaro clinic in Harare on Monday.

“Abigail, who was the executive director of the Gender Media Connect at the time of her passing on, is remembered for her immense contribution and leadership to the media industry, especially the empowerment of female journalists.

“She was not only an experienced and strategic leader, but also a mentor of life skills whose work spanned from training female parliamentarians to journalists,” she said.

Minister Mutsvangwa described Gamanya as a self-motivated media professional with vast experience in media freedom advocacy, media law, media development, gender mainstreaming, training and research.

She said Gamanya had 20 years of experience cutting across broadcasting, print, digital  media.

“Zimbabwe will remember her contribution towards the  elevation  and empowerment of female journalists.

“Indeed, for many years, she stood out as the voice of female journalists, fighting hard for gender equality and equity and recognition of women in media as competent enough to occupy top positions in media organisations.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said Gamanya did not only lament the absence of many women in senior leadership positions but went the extra mile, working with the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services and other stakeholders, to push for the case of female journalists as deserving of top position as much as their male counterparts.

“On behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe, my ministry and staff in the ministry and my own behalf, I want to express deepest sympathies to the Gamanya family on the sad loss.

“Abigail will be missed and remembered by all of us. May her soul rest in eternal peace.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said Gamanya had been in the leadership of various media bodies in Zimbabwe, including Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ).

She said for the last five years, Gamanya has been the Zimbabwe National Coordinator of International Training Programme (ITP) on media development, sponsored by the Swedish International Development Agency.

Meanwhile, journalists have described her death as a major loss not only to the media industry, but the nation as whole.

Gamanya was described as a heroine, mentor, counsellor, advisor and loving sister who fought for the rights of women in the media industry and their elevation to leadership positions.

Sunday Mail Editor Victoria Ruzvidzo described her as a gentle giant in the journalism and gender discourse.

“She exhibited a lot of energy and passion as she moved from newsroom to newsroom and conducted numerous workshops to ensure female journalists got their rightful place in the media.

“She was not confrontational at all, but went about her business soberly but with high impact. She created even male friends in the process because she managed to package her message well.

“One could not talk about gender and the media without mentioning Abby.

“I worked with her on a number of projects that left me truly empowered as a journalist. She was such a pleasure to work with. I am still in shock. It is hard to believe she is no more but we find solace in the work that she did. Many newsrooms were transformed while a number of female journalists received wise counsel from her and it gave them confidence to keep going.

“We will miss her dearly. To me she had also become a personal friend. She would just call to check on me and i know she did this to many of us. She was a sister and a half,” she said.

Women in News advisory manager for Africa Mrs Susan Makore said Gamanya was “a colleague, a sister, a friend, a critic, a confidante, a loving mother and gender activist par excellence — that’s who you were and more. Abigail Gamanya you ran your race”.

“I knew Abby when we worked together at the Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe which she successfully rebranded to the Gender and Media Connect,” she said.

Mourners are gathered at 83A Harare Drive in Greendale.

Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.

“Abigail was always passionate about ensuring everything about women was fair and there was balance,” said Makore

“She took that into the media organisations. She worked with a number of media organisations to craft gender policies,” she said.

Makore said Abigail also helped fight against sexual harassment in the newsrooms.

“She helped so many people and ensured those sexually harassed in the newsrooms had assistance. She would support victims and find a lawyer or counsellor for them. She was proud of other women. If you needed someone to talk to , Abby was the person; always a sisters’ keeper,” she said.

Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary general Perfect Hlongwane said the media industry was now pooper without Gamanya.

“As a union and as a profession we have lost a heroine. She was someone who contributed immensely to the profession particularly to the training and fighting for women journalists’ rights and freedom in the newsrooms.

“She fought hard to ensure there was equality in the news rooms and that the place was conducive for women to grow in the profession. Our newsrooms can be toxic especially to the young women but Gamanya was there to guide these young women and fought for their space. May her soul rest in peace, “he said.

Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe executive director, Loughty Dube described Gamanya as strong gender freedom fighter.

“We are saddened on the passing on of Gamanya, a media freedom fighter. She fought hard for the promotion of women in the media industry. Her promotion of gender equality was unparalleled.

“Her death is a huge loss not only to the women in media but the whole country,” he said.

Gender Media Connect finance and administration officer Mrs Maria Magwai described Abigail as a loving sister.

“Abby believed in sisterhood more than anything else. She would tell you the truth and went over and above to help others. She was also a mother and would check on you and your family from time to time. I have lost a sister and not a boss,” she said.