Chitsulo buried: The goof and gossip at funeral

Malawi media practitioners, corporate gurus, politicians, friends and family of veteran journalist Edward Chitsulo on Tuesday paid their last respects to the ‘Raw Stuff’ columnist who until his death on Sundaymorning was Nation Publications Limited (NPL) managing editor, at a funeral ceremony at his home, Ntepele Village, Traditional Authority Likoswe in Chiradzulu.

The funeral attracted mourners including former president Bakili Muluzi, former information minister Brown Mpinganjira, United Democratic Front (UDF) spokesman Ken Ndanga, , Information Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa, who represented Malawi President Peter Mutharika and People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) president Mark Katsonga.

Veteran journalists and Chitsulo’s close allies Al Osman, Grey Mang’anda and Levi Zeleza Manda were also at Ntepele to say goodbye to their former colleague.

The biggest goof at the solemn ceremony was when Master of Ceremonies, Mgeme Kalirani of Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) kept referring the deceased as Felix Mponda (a journalist for AFP), throwing mourners into spells of puzzlement and laughter, too.

As is mostly the case at funerals, mourners has time to talk issues and the biggest gossip was on “who now is likely to take over?” as Nation newspaper managing editor.

Possible candidates which people discussed included former Daily Times and Malawi Democrat editor-in-chief Charles Simango, Graciun Tukula (formerly of Nation but now with Times TV), Ephraim Munthali, Rebecca Theu and Aubrey Mchulu – all with Nation.

Mourners also observed that a generation of finest and most enduring journalists now sleeps. They include Jika Mkolokosa, Chinyeke Tembo, Horace Somanje, Jonathan Kuntambira, Hardy Nyirenda, Edward Chisambo, Maxon Kazombo, Dingi Chirwa and Poulton Mtenje.

In his eulogy, Information Minister Nankhumwa urged the media practitioners to emulate the late Chitsulo by being ethical and professional in their approach to issues.

“Chitsulo has worked with all governments, from that of Dr Bakili Muluzi, Prof Bingu wa Mutharika, Dr Joyce Banda and now Prof Peter Mutharika. When things were wrong, Chitsulo would criticize to bring change and when things have changed he would commend and encourage government.

“Chitsulo was professional and never wrote bad things against others. Although he knew that the pen was mightier than the sword, he never used it to destroy others,” said Nankhumwa.

In his tribute, Nankhumwa pointed out that Chitsulo was in the forefront of the fight for the legislation of free access to information, saying government will do everything possible to ensure that the Bill goes to Parliament and eventually passed into law.

Alfred Ntonga, Nation;s deputy chief executive officer, hailed the late Chitsulo for being a mentor to hundreds of journalists in the country.

According to The Nation, Chitsulo was a holder of Bachelor of Arts Degree (credit) from the University of Malawi, Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication (India) and Post Graduate Diploma in Practical Journalism (Wales-United Kingdom), Chitsulo was born on April 16 1958 in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Chitsulo died after a short illness at Blantyre Adventist Hospital is survived by a wife and four children.

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