Malawi veteran journalist Edward Chitsulo dies aged 56: Burial Tuesday

March 15, 2015 Alfred Chauwa -Nyasa Times 74 Comments

Malawi veteran journalists Edward Chitsulo, 56 who was Managing Editor for the Nation Publications Limited (NPL).died on Sunday, 15th March 2015 at Blantyre Adventist Hospital.

Chitsulo with President Mutharika
Chitsulo with President Mutharika

Chitsulo was also a columnist in the Weekend Nation under ‘Raw Stuff’, one of the pioneers of newspaper publishing during the transition period when he, alongside another journalist Grey Mang’anda, established GE Publications Limited which produced popular newspaper titles in the name of Michiru Sun and The Star which were key in the fight for multi-party democracy, constitutionalism, respect for human rights and liberalism in Malawi.

Family spokesman described Chitsulo as a father figure who helped everyone in the family to realise their goals.

In a statement issued Sunday, Media Institute of Southern Africa – Malawi Chapter (MISA-Malawi)  condoles Chitsulo’s wife, children and family, Nation Publications Limited, the entire media fraternity, and joins them in mourning the loss of ‘an inspirational and monumental professional’.

“To most media practitioners, he was not only a senior and respectable colleague but also a mentor, trainer and father figure,” said Thom Khanje, Chairperson of Misa-Malawi.

Khanje was journalist working for Chitsulo’s Michiru Sun.

He said Chitsulo will be remembered by journalists and Malawians in general as one of the champions of media freedom, freedom of expression and democracy as he led the media fraternity in its transformation to liberalisation between 1991 and 1994 as the country transitioned to multi-party system of government.

Misa also notes that Chitsulo was one of the founding figures of MISA at regional level and contributed to its establishment in Malawi way back in 1997.

Chitsulo also played a leading role in the establishment of other key media institutions such as the Journalists Association of Malawi (JAMA), the Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ) and the Media Council of Malawi (MCM).

“He had unwavering standards of professionalism and was a furnace that shaped the media profession in Malawi. In Chitsulo’s death, Malawi’s media has lost a pillar of strength, an icon of media freedom, a model of professional journalism, a fountain of wisdom and a caring senior colleague. May the soul of Edward Chitsulo rest in eternal peace,” said Khanje in the statement.

Nyasa Times editorial director Thom Chiumia who was once trained by Chitsulo at Polytechnic said he was deeply saddened by the death of veteran pressman who worked tirelessly to shape journalism in Malawi.

“We will always miss him. We will always remember what he did. His contribution was immense and has left an unforgettable legacy in the area. My heart goes out to Edward’s family,” said Chiumia from England.

President Peter Mutharika Msaid he learnt with deep shock the untimely death of Chitsulo abd has also offered his condolences.

“The President joins all Malawians in expressing his condolences to the bereaved family, the NPL, the Media Institute of Sothern Africa – Malawi Chapter, the entire media fraternity and the Malawi nation for the loss of a journalist par excellence,” reads a statement from State House.

“Mr. Chitsulo was not an ordinary media practitioner. He was a patriot who, through his writings, fought for and shaped democracy in Malawi. As a media trainer, he helped in the growth of the industry not only in Malawi but in the entire region. As an editor, he helped in the development of Malawi by sensitising our people regarding their rights and responsibilities,” Mutharika said in the statement.

State House said Chitsulo will be missed for his charm, his courage, his zeal, his skills and his willingness to share his ideas with all.

Fellow journalists honoured the late newsman on social media remembering his incredible work over the years.

They pointed out that Chitsulo was an extraordinary journalist, story teller and “an absolute master of his craft.”

The family planned to lay Chitsulo to rest on Tuesday to Ntepele village, near Nguludi Turn-Off on the road to Kanje market in Chiradzulu.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Follow us in Twitter

74 replies on “Malawi veteran journalist Edward Chitsulo dies aged 56: Burial Tuesday”

  1. This is very sad. I know Edward from way back and as Facebook friend. My condolences to the Chitsulo family.

  2. Oh, why so early Edward? I remember Edward when straight from Chancellor College he was posted to teach English at my secondary school at the age of 21 or 22! – he came with two other young teachers and they all caused havoc on campus on weekends with their loud music systems. He taught me English very well, and he taught me how to publish the school newsletter. Little did I know that this young English teacher would one day make it big in journalism in Malawi. May your soul rest in peace, Mr. Chitsulo!

  7. Tears are being shed all over the country. Including by us “Rawstaffers” to be sure.
    RIP BWANA.
    As head “Rawstaffer”, Mr. Chisulo was focused, impartial and yet hard-hitting in his columns. And you could sense thru his columns, even without meeting the man in person, that he was a gentleman at heart. Just shows a columnist doesn’t have to be abrasive, and nakedly biased to be successful in our print media.
    Taken from us, so young?

  8. Nation Publications should consider publishing his articles in a book. Could share the proceeds with Chitsulo’s family. RIP son of the soil.

  16. I used to buy Week end Nation because of your column. there was no column in the country that has remained raw than the Raw Stuf. Fare thee well mapwiya. we could have loved it if you remained but alas, who are we to question Gods actions?

  17. Iam very much saddened by his death, very humble manager, i worked with him, but we communicated only in tumbuka because am from north mzimba and he told me his first job was at livingstonia secondary school, when he speaks tumbuka, u cant know that he from chilazulu, very humble he was never tribalistic this guy, am personaly saddened by his demise, Edward chisulo, mukawa waka adada wane when we met and talked, am so sorry for your children, he used to call me akulu(achimwene) but belive me i am just 34, a just a son to him!!!!!!! yifwa iyi yanipweteka akulu, death is the final enemy we have to face in this world!!!!!! rest in peace

  18. This is a big blow to us readers. I can’t imagine not seeing and reading ” The Raw stuff” column in the Weekend Nation. Very sad indeed that this great man has gone to join Che Vikara. He once called me, someone unknown to him, to discuss a feedback to his article and we had a good brief chat.I felt very honoured indeed. We will surely miss him and my condolences to the family and his workmates. May your soul rest in peace, Edward, true son of Malawi.

  21. Mr E Chitsulo analidi ntolankhani weniweni moti NPL yaluzadi mzati.Sizinazi ati Rafaelo masaya ngati mbewa ya dugu ali kachasu.Eddie C may your soul rest in peace.

  22. ‘Malawi best journalists Eduard Chitsulo’ kodi kulemba nkhaniku mudaphunzira kuti amwene?

  24. Oh My God! Oastengako nkhalamba zikuyipitsa zikupa za ndedezi bwanji? I wish it were a bad dream

  25. Raw staff was the best column i have ever seen in this land of prison wall painting presidents

  26. Oh no! I will miss Edward’s sense of humour through his “Raw Stuff”. May his soul rest in peace

  30. May his soul rest in eternal peace! A big loss indeed to the media fraternity and the nation as a whole. Would have preferred though to know cause of death and who he is survived by. Try to give us complete articles

  31. Iam very sad indeed because if i wanted to buy a nation newspaper ,it was due to that particular article,i enjoyed his column very much,pathu si padzikodi

    1. Your former “Lecture” or Lecturer? This proves you did not benefit from his wisdom. Shame. And may his soul rest in peace.

  34. We have lost a journalist that was telling everyone a spade is a spade. I liked his style of impartiality. To the family, receive my heartfelt condolence. What a loss to the entire nation?

  41. Kumanda kunka anthu wanthu kusiya amisala akusuta chingambwe nkumalemba mmakoma. Pepani ofedwa, mwafwa – tafwa.

  43. who the hell is he? I just know Wagwa Gwede from Nysatimes, aand Ndirande Love, Imran Sadick, Peter Mathanyula wakuba. Do we have other sources of news apart from Nyasa? Its news to me.
    Anyway, rest in harmonic eternal peace my mentor, papa. A big loss indeed

  44. On the picture I am seeing the president surrounded by a group of Lhomwes only apart from the Late Chitsulo.

    R I P Chitsulo , you have left this cruel country in the hands Lhomwes and we are now suffering real suffering.

  46. So sad, may his soul rest in peace I as another Chitsulo am shocked am surely I will miss raw stuff.

  48. I and my fellow Engineers (2003 fourth year class at the Polytechnic) will always remember him as one of the finest Lecturers in Communication of our time. May his soul rest ib peace.

  49. I was not happy yesterday when I bought the Weekend Nation only to find “we are unable to bring you Raw Stuff due to a technical problem”. Little did I know that the tecnicalproblem wss that the writer Edward Chitsulo was sick. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Weekend Nation will no longer be the same without Raw Stuff.

  50. Gone too soon Mr Chitsulo. I still remember having lunch with you at Crossroads Hotel and telling you how I loved the ‘Raw Stuff’ column. May your soul rest in eternal peace, till we meet again in the next life.

  52. I remember this great son of Malawi as a master of the art of journalism. Jika Nkolokosa Edward Chitsulo and late Jonathan Kuntambira just to mention a few will be remembered as Gurus of the Media world in Malawi. Rest in eternal peace.

  60. I AM SIMPLY SHOCKED AND DEVASTETED. MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE. REST, BROTHER, REST IN PEACE.

  61. MY HEARTFELT CONDOLENCE GOES TO NATION NEWSPAPER AND THE BEREAVED FAMILY.I WILL MISS MY COLUMN “THE RAW STUFF”SO SAD.

  63. May his soul rest in eternal peace we shall miss him greatly for his contribution to the media fraternal

  66. Mr Chitsulo, you were the reason I used never to miss The Weekend Nation. I came to know you way back in 1997 when The Nation was at K5. Your way of articulating and presenting facts were a marvel. I will personally miss you. Pepani aku banja, nation newspaper, dziko lonse ndi awerengi anzanga a nation newspaper. I will miss you. I will miss the Raw Stuff column. Rest in eternal peace Mr Chitsulo!!!

  69. Nzeru zanu munandiphunzitsa pa Polytechnic ndizimene ndikugwiritsabe ntchito mpakana pano. You were a genious and a very intelligent wise lecture and father to me.Go well and see you when we get there!

Comments are closed.