Tenthani killed in car crash: BBC, Associated Press correspondent in Malawi

Respected journalist and influential columnist Raphael Kinn Tenthani was killed Saturday night in a car crash at Kamwamba, Zalewa Road.

Details were sketchy but an eye witness Tiya Somba Banda, a Super League of Malawi treasurer general said it was “terrible” accident.

Tenthani’s body was taken to Mlambe Hospital mortuary in Blantyre and later transferred to College of Medicien.

His two children who survived the accident are at Queens Elizabeth central hospital receiving treatment.

He was a freelance journalist , a BBC correspondent and well known for his popular column, “The Muckraking” which appeared on Nyasa Times, Sunday Times and was also well known for providing political analysis on topical issues.

Tenthani was also a correspondent for Associated Press  Pan African News Agency, the Maravi Post and Nyasa Times.

He was named by Malawi’s flagship online news Nyasa Times as its ‘person of the year’ for 2014 (http://www.nyasatimes.com/2014/12/31/nyasa-times-person-of-the-year-goes-to-malawi-media-and-tenthani)

Tenthani was also Best Columnist, MISA Malawi Awards – 2012, for Daily Times  and UN Media Award 2010, for Associated Press Millennium Development Goals (MDG) correspondence.

Human rights campaigner at Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitations (CHRR) Makhumbo R Munthali said Tenthani’s detah is “great blow” not only to the media fraternity but also to the entire democratic governance realm.

“ He was an activist in and out, a true patriot that exposed the gaffes of our collapsing public service without fear and favour. He will be remembered as one of the fiercest columnist who called a spade a spade – a scenario that often landed him in bad books with those in authority,” Munthali told Nyasa Times.

Tenthani has been the subject of controversy for his candid reporting on political issues.

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