By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
Harare – The Deputy Chief Secretary for Presidential Communications in the Office of the President of Zimbabwe, George Charamba, has paid tribute to respected South African journalist Tshidi Madia, who passed away this week at the age of 42.
Madia, the Associate Political Editor at Eyewitness News (EWN), died after a short illness.
Her untimely death has been described as a major loss to South Africa’s media landscape, where she was celebrated for her fearless reporting and principled approach to journalism.
Posting on his X account under the name Jamwanda2, Charamba hailed Madia as a rare journalist who held firmly to her convictions and won respect across the political spectrum, including from the late former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
“HERE IS ONE HELL OF A JOURNALIST WHO HAD IT. LATE VAMUGABE HAD TIME FOR HER, EVEN THEN IN THE EARLY PART OF HER EVENTFUL CAREER,” Charamba wrote.
“THANK YOU, GIRL; YOU FOUGHT A GOOD, HONOURABLE FIGHT AGAINST A RACIALLY STRUCTURED WORLD ETHOS. YOU SNUBBED ITS TEMPTATIONS, PRINCIPALLY THE COERCIVE PRESSURE TO BELONG AND TO CONFORM TO IT AND ITS PRESUPPOSITIONS. FOREVER REMEMBERED, DEAR SISTER!!! Ichoooo!!!!”
Her employer, Primedia, confirmed her passing on Wednesday, describing it as a painful loss for her colleagues, friends, and the wider journalism fraternity.
Madia’s career began humbly at Primedia Broadcasting as an assistant at the EWN traffic desk. She later joined Power FM as a reporter and presenter before moving to News24, where she quickly established herself as one of South Africa’s most influential political reporters.
She returned to Eyewitness News as a senior political reporter and rose through the ranks to become Associate Editor: Politics. Beyond her newsroom work, Madia created the popular podcast Politricking with Tshidi Madia, which featured in-depth conversations with political figures and provided South Africans with fresh perspectives on the nation’s politics.
Her passing has robbed the continent of a courageous voice in journalism, admired not only for her professional achievements but also for her integrity and unyielding commitment to truth.