Nation Mourns Media Icon John Masuku

The Post On Sunday

Zimbabwe has lost one of its most enduring media voices with the death of John Masuku, a veteran broadcaster and journalist whose career spanned more than five decades and whose influence shaped generations of newsroom professionals. Masuku, affectionately known among colleagues and friends as “Ndwandwe”, his Nguni clan name, died in the early hours of Friday at the age of 70.

His passing came on World Radio Day, a date of deep personal significance to a man whose life was inseparably woven into the sound, rhythm and public service mission of radio. Each year, Masuku marked the day with colleagues and protégés, celebrating not just the medium itself but the power of radio to inform, educate and give voice to ordinary people. That he should pass on a day dedicated to the platform he loved most has struck many in the profession as profoundly symbolic.

Masuku’s journey in journalism began in 1974 at the Rhodesian Broadcasting Corporation, now the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), working from the historic Mbare Studios in Harare. From those early days behind the microphone and in production rooms, he embarked on what would become a 52-year, uninterrupted commitment to media work, a rare and remarkable feat in an industry often marked by upheaval, political pressure and professional burnout.

Colleagues describe Masuku as a towering figure in Zimbabwean journalism, not in ego, but in presence, discipline and institutional memory. He was a storyteller at heart, deeply attentive to detail, context and the human consequences behind every headline. Over the decades, he witnessed and reported through seismic national transitions: late colonial rule, independence, the early optimism of nationhood, and the complex political and economic challenges that followed. Through it all, Masuku remained steadfastly committed to professional ethics and public interest journalism.

Beyond his own work, Masuku’s most enduring legacy may lie in the many journalists he mentored. Young reporters, presenters and producers passing through newsrooms found in him a patient teacher, firm but generous, demanding but deeply invested in their growth. To many, he was not just a colleague but a custodian of standards, reminding younger generations that journalism was first and foremost a public trust.

The Masuku family confirmed his death in a statement shared by veteran journalist Funny Mushava on a local media platform, expressing shock and grief at the sudden loss.

“The Masuku family confirms with profound sadness the passing of Mr John Masuku, who passed away at his home in Mabelreign on the morning of Friday, 13 February 2026.

Though he had a known heart condition, Mr Masuku was in good health and going about his normal activities. His passing has come as a complete shock to the family, and we are still trying to process this sudden and unexpected loss.”

Mourners have gathered at the family home at Number 1 Pat Palmer Owen Drive, Cotswold Hills, Mabelreign, where colleagues from across the media fraternity, friends, neighbours and former students have been paying their respects. The family has respectfully requested privacy as they come to terms with the loss of a husband, father, relative and pillar of their community.

That Masuku died on World Radio Day has not been lost on those who worked closely with him. Radio was more than a profession to him; it was a calling. He believed deeply in its accessibility, especially in a country where millions rely on radio as their primary source of news and information. To many, his voice, whether heard directly on air or indirectly through the programmes and journalists he shaped, was part of the national soundscape.

As tributes continue to pour in, one theme remains constant: Zimbabwe’s media fraternity has lost not only a journalist, but an institution. John Masuku’s legacy lives on in the stories he told, the standards he upheld, and the countless journalists who carry his lessons into newsrooms across the country.

Masuku’s Body will be taken to his residence, 1 Pat Palmer Owen Drive, Cotswold Hills, Mabelreign and to be buried tomorrow, February 15 2026 in Harare.

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