By a Correspondent
Highlanders Football Club board chairman Luke Mnkandla has launched a scathing attack on sections of the media over what he described as the insensitive and premature reporting of the deaths of senior club officials and a supporter killed in last week’s horrific road accident.
Mnkandla (pictured) accused some media outlets of racing to break the story ahead of the dignity of grieving families, saying relatives were forced to confront devastating news through public reports before they had been formally informed.
Speaking at a memorial service at Barbourfields Stadium on Monday, Mnkandla said families should be the first to receive news of the death of their loved ones, warning that the race to break stories should never come at the expense of basic humanity and journalistic ethics.
He said the desire to be first with a story should never override ethical considerations, particularly when lives have been lost and families are still coming to terms with the tragedy.
“Families deserve to receive such devastating news through proper channels before it is broadcast to the nation,” he said.
The Highlanders board chairman acknowledged the media’s critical role in keeping the public informed but said reporting deaths and other tragedies demanded a higher level of sensitivity, patience and verification.
“The rush to be first should never come at the expense of the dignity of the deceased and their loved ones,” Mnkandla said.
The accident, which occurred along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway last Thursday, claimed the lives of Highlanders chairman Retired Colonel Kenneth Mhlophe, vice-chairman Sifiso Siziba, finance executive Nkani Khoza and supporter Mbalenhle Sibanda.
The deaths sent shockwaves through Zimbabwe’s football community, triggering an outpouring of grief from supporters and football institutions across the country.
Mnkandla’s criticism comes amid growing concerns over the speed at which unverified information spreads across social media and messaging platforms, often before families, authorities or affected organisations have made official announcements.
In Zimbabwe, platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook have made it possible for distressing news to travel across communities within minutes, sometimes leaving relatives to learn of a loved one’s death through messages or social media posts before receiving official confirmation.
The consequences can be particularly devastating when reports emerge before identities have been formally confirmed, potentially deepening confusion and trauma for families already struggling to come to terms with a tragedy.
Mnkandla said journalism should not become a contest in which being first matters more than getting the facts right or considering the impact of reporting on those directly affected.
His comments are likely to fuel wider debate within Zimbabwe’s media fraternity over the responsibilities that come with breaking news, particularly at a time when social media has increasingly blurred the line between verified journalism and unconfirmed information.
Despite his criticism, Mnkandla praised the football community, government, corporate partners and Highlanders supporters for rallying behind the bereaved families and the club during what he described as one of the darkest periods in the history of the Bulawayo football giants.
Thousands of mourners gathered at Barbourfields Stadium to pay their final respects to the four victims, whose deaths have left a deep sense of loss across Highlanders and the wider Zimbabwean football fraternity.
