Veteran Journalist Geoffrey Nyarota Dies At 74 After Battle With Cancer
Veteran journalist Geoffrey Nyarota, the founding editor of the independent Daily News, has passed away at the age of 74 after a long battle with colon cancer. He died on Saturday around 8 PM at the Murambi Garden Clinic in Mutare.
Nyarota was known for his work as a human rights activist and his fearless investigative reporting. He played a major role in exposing the Willowgate Scandal in the 1980s while serving as editor of the State-run Chronicle.
The scandal, involving the illegal resale of vehicles purchased by government officials, led to the resignation of five ministers.
In 1999, Nyarota became the founding editor of Daily News, where he continued his work as an outspoken journalist. During his time at Daily News, he was arrested six times.
On August 1, 2000, it was reported that the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) had sent a man named Bernard Masara to kill Nyarota.
However, Masara reportedly changed his mind after meeting Nyarota and warned him of the plot, which was later verified by the paper’s editors.
In 2003, Nyarota and his family fled Zimbabwe, first moving to South Africa and later to the United States.
He was awarded a fellowship at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University and also taught journalism at Bard College.
In December 2024, a fundraising initiative was launched by friends to assist with Nyarota’s ongoing cancer treatment.
Born in 1951, Nyarota began his career as a teacher before joining The Rhodesian Herald as a trainee in 1978. He became editor of The Chronicle in 1983.
Nyarota is survived by his wife, Ursula, and their three children: Tafirenyika, Itayi, and Rufaro.
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