By A Correspondent – Long-serving Reuters photographer and chronicler of Zimbabwe’s post-independence turmoil, Howard Burditt, has died.

He was 67.

Burditt passed away in his sleep on June 4 in Cape Town due to heart failure.

According to his family, he had been struggling with poor health, including fluctuating blood pressure, in recent years.

A Zimbabwean by choice and conviction, Burditt documented the country’s most turbulent moments over several decades.

His lens captured Zimbabwe’s political upheavals, social unrest, and moments of hope, often under difficult and dangerous conditions.

During the violent 2008 elections, Burditt was arrested for using an unregistered satellite phone to transmit photos to Reuters, in defiance of a government clampdown on the press ordered by then-President Robert Mugabe.

He was detained for three days in the harsh, overcrowded Bindura provincial jail before appearing in court.

He pleaded guilty to unknowingly violating the Broadcasting Services Act and received a suspended two-month prison sentence on condition of good behavior over five years.

The court later imposed a fine of ZW$20 billion—equivalent to just US$30 at the time, given Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation.

Beyond Zimbabwe, Burditt also covered regional events across southern Africa, contributing to the photographic history of the continent.

In his later years, he stepped back from frontline journalism and turned to renovating historic homes and buildings.

He is survived by his wife Vanessa and their two adult sons, Sam and Jake.

Fellow photojournalist Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi paid an emotional tribute on social media, reflecting on their years working side by side.

“When I was starting out as a photographer in Zimbabwe, Howard was one of the first people I moved around with,” Mukwazhi wrote. “He generously taught me the ropes—especially how to shoot cricket. I’ll never forget being thrown into the deep end by AP to cover my first international match: Zimbabwe vs England at Harare Sports Club in 2003. There I was, clueless, and there was Howard, guiding me, showing me where to stand, what to look for, and when to click.

‘You should bring a sun hat, Tsvangirayi,’ he’d say, grinning, ‘and don’t forget the sun lotion.’”

Mukwazhi recalled long road trips through a politically volatile Zimbabwe, covering violent farm invasions and unrest.

“I once got kicked in the backside for bringing a white photographer to a farm invasion. Back then, war veterans were aggressive, and being seen with a white colleague could get you labeled a sellout. Still, I stuck with Howard, and he stuck with me. He understood the terrain. And when I said, ‘not today,’ he never argued.”

Despite the racial tensions, Mukwazhi said Burditt never allowed skin colour to define their working relationship.

“Ironically, being Black gave me access in ways he couldn’t, and sometimes I got the scoop. But with Howard, skin colour didn’t matter. He was Zimbabwean after all—and to me, always just Howie.”

He described Burditt as a master of “quick, quiet, precise photography,” comparing their work to that of “bank robbers—slipping in and out of chaos with cameras, not guns—and always emerging with visual gold.”

Mukwazhi also recalled their unspoken rule of never covering protests alone—especially critical for white photographers who risked being targeted.

“Let’s not compete for information,” Burditt would say, cigarette in hand. “Let’s compete with our cameras on the ground.”

A memorial service will be held in Harare on Saturday, 21 June at 11:30am, at 5 Bollitree Close, Umwinsdale. Friends and colleagues are invited to attend and are kindly asked to bring a plate of snacks and drinks.

“Rest in peace, Howie,” Mukwazhi wrote. “You taught me so much, gave so much—and never asked for credit.”

Source: The Baron