Zimbabwean journalist Itai Mushekwe, 42, has been laid to rest in Cologne, Germany, under heartbreaking circumstances that have left colleagues and friends deeply saddened.
Mushekwe, who hailed from Rusape, was found dead in his home earlier this year. Living alone and without close family in Germany, his passing went largely unnoticed until recently.
On 20 August, he was quietly buried, with no relatives or colleagues at the graveside. The pastor who presided over the service reportedly had to look up his name online, only then discovering that Mushekwe had been a journalist.
A respected reporter, Mushekwe began his career in Harare before relocating to Europe, where he later founded the online publication Spotlight Zimbabwe. His work was known for bold reporting and an unflinching eye on political developments.
The reality of living abroad with no close relatives near by.News of his lonely burial has sparked sorrow within Zimbabwe’s media community. Many described it as tragic that a man who had dedicated his life to telling stories was himself laid to rest without those who knew his own story best.
