Seasoned, fearless journalist dies, colleagues mourn

Veteran journalist Sandra Nyaira died on Tuesday after nearly a month in a Harare hospital battling Covid-19 complications, friends said.

She was 46.

Nyaira cut her teeth in journalism working for Community Newspapers before making a switch to news agency, Ziana.

She joined The Daily News at its formation in 1999, rising to become political editor.

When the newspaper was shut down by the government in 2003, Nyaira left for the United States where she worked for the Voice of America’s Studio 7.

Nyaira left the Voice of America in 2015 to join the United Nations as a Public Information Officer based in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Colleagues who worked with Nyaira at The Daily News described her as brave and humble.

“She was a robust, fearless, upright and professional journalist.

“She was a leader in our newsroom as political editor of the original Daily News, the one that shaped the politics of Zimbabwe during the Zimbabwe crisis between 1998 and 2003,” said Pedzisai Ruhanya, who worked with Nyaira on the political desk.

Simba Rushwaya, another of Nyaira’s Daily News colleagues, added:

“She was very humble, hard working and a distinguished political reporter who mentored reporters across all desks at the height of The Daily News’ popularity under the editorship of Geoffrey Nyarota.

“I worked on the sports desk but learnt a lot from her as a junior reporter then.” -Zimlive