Zimbabwe Independent, the standard, HSTV and Newsday owner, Trevor Ncube spoke to Blessed Mhlanga on his life and business at the ideas festival in Nyanga.
Key points from the discussion
1. He worked for the ZBC doing a business show
2. The owners of the Financial gazette approached him and asked him to be a deputy to Geoff Nyarota.
3. At the time he was doing the Mphil and Dphil at the UZ.
4. When he joined the Financial Gazette he had low respect for journalists because he had spent a lot of time at the National Archives and believed that journalists did not research before they wrote.
5. In 1989, Mugabe tried to impose a one party state.
6. Ibbo Mandaza was fired after he was quoted by the Financial Gazette saying a one party state was stupid.
7. This is when he found himself inetrested in issues of governance.
8. Initially he was left leaning. However, being an editor of the Financial Gazette changed him to be pro-market.
9. Ncube says its not a crime to change one’s position (On being pro-ZANU).
10. Ncube said he does not interfere in the editorial stance of his newspapers.
11. Ncube said he resigned as Mnangagwa’s advisor 2 years ago after agonising for over a year.
12. He said being Mnangagwa’s advisor was a national duty.
13. His conscience was not clear working with Mnangagwa due to the Gukurahundi.
14. He was convinced that Mnangagwa had an opportunity to transform Zimbabwe.
15. With time the arrest of Hopewell Chin’ono made him leave and also the abduction of journalists.
16. Ncube said he has asked Mnangagwa about abductions.
17. Ncube said he has sat next to Mnangagwa when he was given advise and he only listens to what he wants to listen to. He does not act and do the principled thing.
18. Mnangagwa is a very stubborn person and once he makes up his mind he does what he wants.
19. Ncube said he gave Chapman an opportunity to say his story but was not his backer.
20. On Morgan Tsvangirai, He said his wife gave him one of his first cheques. Ncube said he was disappointed when Tsvangirai had a fallout with Welshman Ncube.
21. Ncube was approached by people in South Africa and was asked to mediate. He met Ncube at a restaurant at fife avenue.
22. He went to meet Tsvangirai and Tsvangirai refused to admit back Ncube over tribal issues.
23. He tried again and Tsvangirai was not interested because he thought he would win the 2013 elections.
24. When Chamisa was about to take over, Chamisa came to his office to see him.
25. Down the line he realised the young man does not listen to anyone.
26. Then he decided to work with Nkosana Moyo. Things didnt work out.
27. He was the largest fund raiser for Simba Makoni.
28. Ncube said he is now in a different space and politics is no longer the future of Zimbabwe. He has disengaged with politics.
29. Ncube said although he is also stubborn, his not listening does not affect the whole country.
30. Currently he is not funding any political parties
31. Ncube said he has sold the newspapers to Gerald Mlotshwa and Ken Mafukidze, Mlotshwa is Mnangagwa’s son in law.
32. he says this did not compromise the editorial policy.
33. On Dumisani Muleya, Ncube said its sour grapes when they say he was not independent. Ncube said he will not waste time with Muleya because he waited to be fired to speak. Why did he work for 10 years if there was no independence
34. Ncube said his father was Zambian and his mother was Ndebele.
35. Democracy is dying in Zimbabwe in the opposition.
36. After having a conversation with Tshabangu, he discovered that he did not understand him. The interview will be out in 2 weeks.
Please watch the video above this post for more details.
