Supa Mandiwanzira


Al Jazeera logoCity alum and Al Jazeera English Zimbabwe correspondent Supa Mandiwanzira has gained something of a reputation as a ZANU-PF propagandist. He starred in a recent edition of Private Eye (1210).

Now, thanks perhaps to the curse of Gnome, a report suggests he is about to be cut adrift by Doha:

Al Jazeera has been denied permission to operate in Zimbabwe, a source in the Ministry of Information and Publicity told Metro.

Its Harare bureau will be moved to Johannesburg.

The source said the government was not happy with its plans to fire its correspondent Supa Mandiwanzira who is being accused of not being objective.

Last year before joining Al Jazeera Mandiwanzira was fired from SABC News, South Africa’s State broadcaster for his alleged involvement in a ZANU-PF and Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) sting operation against Roman Catholic prelate Bishop Pius Ncube.

You can watch his report of the ‘million man march’ from November, 2007, below:


10 responses to “Supa Mandiwanzira”

  1. Dear Adrian,

    I am afraid that the content on this page about me is not true. I would appreciate if you removed it. The article you refer to in the Private Eye was a serious load of rubbish. How can they claim that Gracia Machel is Mr Mugabe’s wife? Clearly thats gabbage. For the record, I remain employed by Aljazeera English and was never fired by SABC. My company still has the contract to provide SABC news from Zimbabwe. I have very little respect for journalists who lose sight of the basic principles of the profession when they tackle a subject they love to hate – in this case Mr Mugabe and Zimbabwe. I do have respect for media professionals who have passed through City University more so for the lecurers. Please dont let me doubt myself. Please feel free to call me or email me for factual information not the shameless propaganda you have chosen to repeat without even checking.
    I look forward to engaging you on proper facts.

  2. For the record, I am also aware that Aljazeera English has not been kicked out of Zimbabwe. From where I stand, this information is impeccable. You need to be extremely careful on which internet sources to trust. Better still, I am sure you do have your own contacts in Alajzeera (Doha and London), they could give you better information. With all due respect, I hope the City University journalism students are still being taught the sacred pricinciples of the profession – one of which is checking and checking and checking again facts.

  3. I am a City alum and I respect the university. But I find your article on Supa disappointing. I find it hard to believe without denying the evidence of my senses that you actually teach journalism.

  4. All I know abt this guy is that he is a phenomenal patriot gentlemen…we must all accept that ineluctable truth. An exceptionally gifted journalist for that matter! All patriots I know have been paddocked together as propagandists…hmm… It’s all about from which angle you are taking it from!

    • If there is a journalist or a media practitioner whose reputation and modus operandi I immensely respect: Supa Mandiwanzira. Objectivity is relative…depending on who is questioning the objectivity of Supa’s journalism! Sure…Eurocentric critics are entitled to their stance!

  5. Please.

    Yes, I think this gentleman is just patriotic, not what some journalists portray him to be.