Jonathan committed himself to David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. 2 And Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his military gear, including his sword, his bow, and his belt. – 1 Samuel 18:1b-4
Death was announced August 31, 2024 of Malawi’s celebrated veteran journalist, author, poet and playwright Willie T. Zingani. Also known as Zingz and WiTiZi, Willie’s 43 illustrious career in journalism blossomed and entwined with mine and another veteran journalist. For some unuttered reason he and Felix Mponda made to be my mentors, advisers, protectors, and guardians. In the media corridors, both Felix and Willie were my chief defenders, lifting me up, warding off flaming arrows of attacks from enemies within the profession or from outside. They were my undeclared brothers. First Felix passed, and now Willie is gone.
I wrote about and bitterly mourned Felix in February 2021. Today, I mournfully write about Zings. Had I known that my brief seven-month interaction with Zingz were the last, I may have tried harder to connect with him more when as Editor in Chief of the MASM Magazine; I would have asked more about where and what his children were doing, where he was living, and more importantly how his print news project was progressing. I would have called him.
Felix, Zingz and I first met when Felix was the Drum Beat columnist, and Zingz was Assistant Editor at Daily Times and Malawi News, and I was engaged as a senior reporter for the Daily Times. Although Felix, Roz, and I were corridors apart from Zingz at the Blantyre Print and Publishing (BP&P) Ginnery Corner head offices, we were bound together by the nature of the two newspapers. Fatefully, Felix left the BP&P for greener pastures.
After some years running the Daily Times’ Women’s, Features, and Leisure pages, I was moved to the Malawi News section as Features Editor and worked briefly with Zingz, during the brief times we were together, I reached a new high learning from Zingz the ropes of editing.
He made me perfect the art of editing whereby I incorporated loveable and embraceable terminology that authors adopt.
This vintage Zingani coaching led to terms like Kwinks, Ndixville, and Ndix in George Matewere’s Kwinyani weekly satire of the drunkard from Ndirande.
But vintage Zingz unfolded and our relationship grew when at a political meeting a politician said something with massive innuendo. After journalists had been thrown in jail for reporting on unsalacious happening during the Kamuzu Banda years. Zingz said “I didn’t hear that.”
Immediately, the entire journalists’ corner burst out laughing. From that time, the jokes kept cracking and outdoing each other was the name of the game. And his love for twisting peoples’ names was as keen as mine.
When Zingz left Malawi News to become the GM for the Blantyre Synod publishing company that owned the CLAIM Bookshop, Zingz and I did not connect for a long time. I left Blantyre Print, although Felix and I partnered to start Woman Now magazine. But Felix left Woman Now and re-surfaced in my orbit with the introduction of the New Express newspaper.
The New Express newspaper was published by Felix and Zings. But the first bunch NE landed Felix in jail. Local and diplomatic community led to Felix’s release and the New Express led to the introductions of other newspapers such as Michiru Sun (Edward Chitsulo and Grey Mang’anda) The Post (Al Osman), The Democrat (Simango), The Observer (Wandale), The Monitor (Stambuli), The Independent (Karim), Nation (Mbumba Banda), The Enquirer (Chikuni), The Mirror (Mtuumodzi), The Chronicle (Jamieson), and many others.
What Zingz and Felix started in challenging the one-party governance system of the Malawi Congress Party, became full blown with the mushrooming of the other newspapers mentioned above. The dawn of democratic Malawi led Zingz to Sanjika Palace as Press Secretary and Felix to former second VP Chakufa Chihana as Publicity secretary, while I continued with The Independent. Despite our different platforms, Felix, Zingz, and I remained a team tied with strong cords not seen or appreciated by many colleagues in the profession.
When my husband passed away in January 2003, former President Muluzi heard of this from Zingz when he asked for time off from his duties, so that he could attend the funeral. Zingz and Felix were with me. The next day, the former President sent his condolences to my family.
From the State House Willie worked for Limbe Leaf and recently for MASM magazine. My contributions to the MASM magazine were on men and mental health, and another one on educating children living with disabilities in Malawi.
But Zingz was also a prolific writer, mostly in Chichewa.
Feliz Mponda and Willie Zingani (Zingz) had an unwritten code to protect and many times promote anything to do with Janet Zeenat Karim (Jayzedkay and Zeenz). They were a jolly great set of friends to have on my side.
And now they are all gone.
Gentlemen, rest in Jehovah God’s eternal loving peace, till we meet again in the Newsroom in Heaven.
