STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF EDWARD CHITSULO

For immediate release, March 15, 2015

 

 

The Media Institute of Southern Africa – Malawi Chapter (MISA-Malawi) has learned with shock and sadness the death of veteran and renowned journalist Edward Chitsulo. Chitsulo died at Blantyre Adventist Hospital in Blantyre this morning, Sunday March 15, 2015 after a short illness.

 

MISA-Malawi sincerely condoles Chitsulo’s wife, children and family, his employers Nation Publications Limited, where he was Managing Editor until his death and the entire media fraternity, and joins them in mourning the loss of this 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.

 

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. 

 

Chitsulo was 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.

 

Chitsulo was one of the founding figures of MISA at regional level and contributed to its establishment in Malawi way back in 1997. He 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.

 

THOM KHANJE

CHAIRPERSON