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Herald Reporter
Veteran journalist Conway Tutani was a patriot who dedicated his intellect to the enrichment of national discourse, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.

Tutani collapsed and died on Monday evening at his home in Houghton Park, Harare.

In a statement last night, Minister Mutsvangwa said she learnt of Tutani’s death with a “deep sense of grief” yesterday afternoon.

“On behalf of the Ministry Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, the media fraternity, and indeed on my own behalf, I wish to convey my deepest condolences to the Tutani family on this their very sad loss,” she said.

At the time of his death, Tutani was working for Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) newspaper stable.

Minister Mutsvangwa said Tutani held strong opinions on current affairs, and he ignited the media landscape with his Saturday column that added to the diversity of opinion, characteristic of a media landscape with a plurality of voices.

She added that his death was particularly saddening as it came in a year where Zimbabwe has lost a number of journalists including Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu, Tawanda Gudhlanga, Sandra Nyaira and Samuel Mkithika Thebe, among others.

“The ranks of the more experienced senior journalists are diminishing, and the nation is poorer without them.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said Tutani’s strong opinions should never be mistaken for lack of patriotism, as he was a stout patriot who dedicated his sharp intellect to the enrichment of national discourse.

She added that there is much to glean from his professional conduct, particularly for the new and upcoming journalists who are buffeted on all sides with compromise and prevarication.

To the very end, said Minister Mutsvangwa, Tutani remained true to the values and ethos of Pan-Africanism, adding that he was a rare breed of patriotic journalists.

Tutani’s career spans four decades, beginning in 1981. Throughout the period, he distinguished himself as a meticulous proofreader, who later evolved into a columnist of note.

Before joining AMH where he ended up, he had worked for Zimpapers for two decades and later for ANZ.