VETERAN journalist William Tagwirei Bango, also a top aide to the MDC-T party leader, died Tuesday afternoon in a tragic car collision.
The accident also claimed the lives of two other people travelling in the other vehicle.
Bango is said to have been driving alone in an Isuzu Single Cab from his Chivhu rural home when tragedy struck along the Harare-Hwedza road.
Luke Tamborinyoka, spokesperson to MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, confirmed Bango’s death Tuesday evening, describing the scribe-turned-politician as a national hero.
“It is true Bango has died,” Tamborinyoka said, “He died late in the afternoon in a head-on collision with a Toyota Raum near Dema in Seke communal lands.
MDC-T spokesman Douglas Mwonzora added: “As I am talking to you now, the president (Tsvangirai) has gone to Bango’s house to pay his condolences.
“It‘s a very said development for both the party and the country, we would like to convey our deepest condolences to the family and his children for the unfortunate and untimely death of the veteran politician, Bango.”
Bango, former president to the national scribes’ trade union group – the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) – was taken to Chitungwiza General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
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Speaking in his own capacity, Tamborinyoka, also a former journalist, lamented the death of the former Daily News, news editor.
“It’s a loss to the nation. As far as we are concerned, Bango was a national hero on three fronts. He was a hero of the liberation struggle having been a war veteran.
“He was president of ZUJ; so in the media fraternity, he left a mark. He was also a post liberation hero in that he was part of the MDC-T struggle for real change and positive transformation.”
ZUJ president Michael Chideme also mourned his predecessor.
“It’s a great loss to journalism. He groomed quite a number of present day senior editors, senior journalists and loosing such a man at this point in time is a very big blow to the journalism fraternity. We are with his family in mourning,” Chideme said.
Bango, husband to Charity Bango, a seating councillor in Harare’s Malborough suburb, worked as a journalist and would later become spokesperson to Tsvangirai during the MDC’s early years as an emerging force in opposition politics.
He is also credited with having carried the bigger burden in the authorship of Tsvangirai’s book – At the deep end – a vivid narration by the ex-premier on his brave encounters with President Robert Mugabe’s government both as a firebrand trade unionist and opposition leader.
Bango had in the past few months, been charged with policy in the MDC-T’ president’s office, a position he later resigned from.
Mourners are gathered his Harare home in Malbourough suburb. – New Zimbabwe
