INDEPENDENT EDITOR MARK CHAVUNDHUKA DIES

UNCLAS HARARE 002481 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA, AF/PDPA NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO ZI SUBJECT: INDEPENDENT EDITOR MARK CHAVUNDHUKA DIES ¶1. The November 10 death of journalist Mark Chavundhuka represents a loss to Zimbabwe's independent media. Chavundhuka was founding editor of the independent weekly "Standard," a position he held through April 2002. He died Monday night at a private hospital in Harare after "a long illness." Friends and family knew that Mark had been living with AIDS for several years. ¶2. Chavhunduka and his chief reporter Ray Choto (now at Stanford University) made international headlines in 1999 when they were arrested and tortured after the "Standard" published a report alleging an attempted coup in the Zimbabwean military. Chavundhuka was a Niemann fellow in the 1999-2000 academic year. ¶3. At the time of his death Chavhunduka had just made history by becoming Zimbabwe's youngest publisher. In April Chavhunduka acquired majority shares in Thompson Publications - owners of Zimbabwe's largest circulating monthly magazine "Parade" - and was the company's Chief Executive Officer. SULLIVAN