By John Masuku
My sincere condolences to Mrs Phiri, family and the entire media fraternity.
In April 2001 when my friend, businessman Obert Sibanda a past ZNCC president and I, then Controller ZBC Montrose Studios established the first journalism training college in Bulawayo namely BES School of Journalism housed at BES College, Beverley building near Haefelis food court, Gift Phiri was in the pioneer class(see attached first register in my own handwriting).
When, a few months after opening he attempted to drop Journalism studies altogether and take up culinary management training at Innscor’s Chicken Inn Victoria Falls, Sibanda, his friends and I persuaded young Gift to rejoin class and complete the two year diploma course. He agreed after almost two months absence but quickly caught up with others very fast.
Long after completing his Journalism studies and working for different media houses, scooping awards of excellence and getting promoted, I would always tease ‘Givy’, as I affectionately called him, about his yester-year AWOL (absence without leave) at college and he would just laugh it off saying ‘No more of that, my teacher, I am now a grown up.I thank you’
Gift excelled extremely well especially in Print courses where his lecturers were Miriam Madziwa Sibanda(then Sunday News), Loughty Dube and Busani Bafana (then with Zimbabwe Independent) among other guest tutors.
Tula Dlamini (then ZBC) now lecturing Journalism at Monash University in South Africa, Sihlangu Dlodlo of Amakhosi Theatre Production taught Television Production, Selina Chitsiga Moyo (then ZBC Montrose) taught Radio and TV News Reporting while Tapfuma Machakaire(then ZBC bureau chief) was a great course content resource person from a distance.
I taught Radio Production in addition to managing the entire journalism school.
Sam Mkhithika(then ZBC Radio 2 Chief Producer) assisted when I was not available and was to take over when I relocated back to Harare permanently.
Last Madiwa Moyo (Nust, later Wits) and Thabani Mpofu (of Sunday News & later Nust…not to be confused with the two prominent lawyers) taught Media Law and Ethics as well as Creative Writing & Authorship. Mr Kanengoni (BES staffer) taught Public Relations and Advertising. Another Mr Moyo, Selina’s husband made available his music production studios near NRZ main station and a dear friend (I am forgetting, remind me please Useni Sibanda & Thabang Makwati Nare Dumisani O Nyongolo Nkomo, since you guys were my excellent fixers) provided television production equipment and facilities which enabled us to be easily licensed by ZIMDEF as a fully fledged skills training college.
I last interacted with Gift, who was currently with ANZ’s Daily News for a number of years early this year when I facilitated a Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF) organised training workshop on Development Journalism held at the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) Kodzero/Amalungelo House in Harare. I repeated our usual two decades old ‘awol’ greetings joke, but alas, little did I know that I was saying my last good byes to an affable, trendsetting, gifted former student.
Arriving after the course, arranged by Zinef coordinator Njabulo Ncube aka JB had already started,Gift got a massive approval via all sorts of official and unofficial sign languages from those already in class to show that he was a man of the people. One colleague even loudly asked “Gift why are you not wearing one of your designer suits today?” to which Gift responded with his usual captivating and approving smile, waiving.
In mourning Gift Phiri, who joins another 2001-2002 classmate Qonda Senda-Moyo who died in Ireland a fews ago, I join hands with BES College owner Obert Sibanda aka Vodloza and those journalists from our BES pioneering journalism class, most of who have risen quite admirably in the profession including Mqhele Tshuma, now heading ZBC Classic263, Dumisani Sibanda,heading another ZBC station in Gweru, Ntungamili Nkomo (Anchor Studio 7, VOA,Washington DC), Sifiso Mpofu, ZBC news bureau chief in Gwanda, Matebeleland South, SA-based Simba Nembaware former Radio VOP reporter and Coordinator of satellite television radio channel Channel Zim, Davison Mohlomi Mudzingwa now a top film producer behind feature ‘Lost Tongue’, Tichaona Mezah who joined ZBC News,Valentine Mabhugu a top Classic263 anchor, Albert Ncube – Mazhale (Newsday and VOA Studio 7 reporter),Jessie Bore (Kwekwe),Hilton Mavise (Classic 263) and Mayenziwe Ndlovu now a top customer care official in the eSwatini Kingdom civil service.
I have lost touch with our pioneer students I did not mention.
I shall also include Thandazani Zimbwa although he did not complete the course with BES but was an inspiration to the ‘fresh ones’ due to his excellent sports reporting at the time.
Zimbwa also reported about the official opening ceremony on radio and television at which guest speakers were the late grey haired Mr Dube who had worked for the 1950s African Daily News and UNESCO in Addis Ababa as well as Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu who worked for the Chronicle, Lonrho’s Observer and was with the ZAPU information department in Lusaka during the liberation struggle.
Pindai Dube Nqobani Ndlovu Magugu Nyathi Linda Mpofu Busi Ndlovu aka Mamjapani and many other alumni of later BES journalism streams that followed Gift Phiri and the 2001 pioneers I extend my deepest condolences to you as well.
Fare thee well Gift Phiri my brother, former student and colleague
