HARARE – ZBC reporter Janet Munyaka died from Covid-19 complications on Saturday, the corporation said.
The 48-year-old died at Harare’s St Anne’s Hospital after a two-week battle with the respiratory illness.
ZBC acting CEO Halliet Rushwaya described Munyaka’s death as a “great loss to us at ZBC and to the media fraternity.”
She is the second journalist to die since the virus was first detected in March. Freelance journalist Zororo Makamba was the first Covid-19 death.
Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said she had known Munyaka for many years and was “devastated to learn of her passing.”
“She was a strong, hardworking, accomplished and able journalist. The public broadcaster, the journalism fraternity and indeed the nation is poorer without Janet,” Mutsvangwa said in a statement.
Munyaka joined the ZBC in 2000 as production assistant in the news department. She rose through the ranks to become municipal correspondent and health correspondent before being promoted to diplomatic correspondent, taking over from the late Judith Makwanya.
Munyaka’s was one of 10 deaths reported by the ministry of health on Saturday – the highest daily toll since September.
There were 70 new infections, the ministry said, taking the total cases in the country to 10,617 of which 8,844 have recovered.
