Malawi veteran journalist Edward Chitsulo dies aged 56: Burial Tuesday

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 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.

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