WHEN I joined TSN group, the publishers of the Daily News and Sunday News in 1994, there were some personalities in the newsroom you could not afford to ignore.
We had a pool of competent editors and senior journalists like Reginald Mhango, Boniface Byarugaba, John Kulekana, Stephen Rweikiza, Wilson Kaigarula, Emmanuel Bulugu, Mangengesa Mdimi and John Waluye.
Other scribes included Ichikaeli Maro, Japhet Sanga, Michael Andindilile, Gabriel Nderumaki, Muhiddin Issa Michuzi, Sukhdev Chhatbar, Pudenciana Temba, Abdallah Yakuti and the current TSN Managing Director, Madam Tuma Abdallah, who was at that time stationed in Unguja Zanzibar as Bureau Chief.
It was at the time when Hamidu Bisanga had left TSN to assume a public relations role at Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) while Mkumbwa Ally had just returned from a lengthy assignment in Mozambique.
Although Mkumbwa was the substantive News Editor, his seat seemed to have no permanent occupant because it kept rotating among senior reporters and editors.
In the event Mkumbwa was absent, which was often the case, the desk was entrusted to seniors like John Kulekana, Balinagwe Mwambungu and Charles Kizigha.
But the most common and notable face you couldn’t afford to ignore in the newsroom was that of Charles Kizigha, a light skinned, strict, rather complicated and a no-nonsense guy. It is unfortunate to note that this media guru has lost the battle to a combination of illnesses.
Charles was an exceptional journalist with unique passion for work. He was among the longest serving members of the editorial staff, having started his career in 1970.
He would usually report for duty earlier than everybody else and was the last to leave the newsroom. He had no tendency to go out for breakfast or lunch because his lunch box was brought from home.
In those days in early 1990s, reporters would key in their stories using old model typewriters and since there were not enough, the machines had to be shared.
Interestingly, although Charles used the most outdated version of typewriter, he would refuse to share it with others in the newsroom.
He was one of the most connected journos and a man with sharp memory and a patent way of attributing his stories, which earned him the label “Mr impeccable sources”.
Charles seldom wrote feature articles, but when he wrote them, they would more often be investigative pieces, attributed to “impeccable sources,” which were virtually always correct.
This earned him a reputation as an investigative journalist and trust among readers and professional colleagues.
Charles was also known in the newsroom as “Mr X”, a name stemming from his purported role in exposing the 1983 coup plot in which 21 army men and nine civilians were accused of planning to overthrow Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s government.
In the subsequent treason trial, one of the prosecution witnesses, a secret service officer, was identified only as “Mr X”.
Another notable event, in which Charles played a crucial role was when he used his connections to get the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) to conduct special audit of TSN accounts following a bad show in 1998/99.
The audit uncovered theft of newspaper and advert revenues to the tune of 600m/- shillings by accounts and sales staff.
Although I wouldn’t claim to have been Charles Kizigha’s closest friend, his first ailment in 2010 when he was hospitalised at Hindu Mandal in Dar es Salaam, brought us closer.
He spent about a month at the hospital and his condition was alarming, to say the least.
When I visited him, an aunt taking care of him confided to me her worries about the patient.
When Charles ordered someone from his Upanga East Home to bring to the hospital a file containing details of the coup plot for me to peruse, the impetuous aunt caring for him was increasingly convinced that he could be making his last wishes.
What Charles told me from his hospital bed is that he was personally involved in exposing to the state the plot to overthrow Mwalimu’s government. He said he was tipped by a taxi driver who was hired by some of the alleged coup plotters and he overheard them discussing the plan.
The driver used to park at Mawenzi hotel near ‘Daily News’ offices along Maktaba Street.
The Mawenzi hotel building has since been refurbished and the name changed to Holiday Inn.
As a human being Mr Charles Kizigha was not perfect. Some people would describe him as arrogant and man of moods.
When you happened to cross his line, he would vent his anger there and then regardless of the rank or age of his offender.
It was that openness that made some characterise him as a complicated person.
During the construction of Mafuta House along Azikiwe Street in Dar es Salaam, Charles wrote a story to the effect that the high tensile mild steel used were substandard and, therefore, the building was likely to collapse in case of tremor.
Considering that high tensile mild steel were bought from one of the local steel manufacturing company, MM steel, the owner Mr Subash Patel was up in arms demanding the story to be retracted on ground that it was false.
Subash maintained that the mild steel met the Tanzanian and British standards.
The story also attracted the attention of Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, who was at the time a member of the Board of TSN and worked closely with the Confederation of Tanzania industries.
The then Managing Editor, Charles Rajabu, assigned me to look for experts from the University of Dar es salaam engineering department, Ministry of Industry and Tanzania Bureau of Statistics to provide expert opinion.
After consultation with Dr Doriye, who was the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industries and Trade, Dr Tesha from the University of Dar es Salaam Faculty of Engineering, TBS and Subash Patel himself, it was proved that the high tensile mild steel used were of the required standard.
Charles didn’t give in easily. He tried to share with me the evidence he had to prove him right, but I had the expert opinion to justify need to correct the story.
In short Charles was a very industrious reporter who never aspired for the higher posts. He acted as News Editor for a long time but his substantive post was Chief Reporter.
President Kikwete was one of the close friend to Mr Kizigha and on November, 2021, one of the Kizigha’s daughter came to AICC Arusha to attend the Youth Leadership Summit in which, Former President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete was a chief guest.
As the summit was inching to the end, the daughter requested to have a picture with President Kikwete. As I introduced the daughter to the former President, I was surprised to note how Mr Kikwete personally knew Mr Kizigha, let alone the sadness he expressed upon noting that Kizigha was still unwell.
“I went to see him the other time and I can only hope that his health will stabilise soon “noted Retired President Kikwete as he was leaving the AICC venue.
Adios amigo comrade, you have left an indelible mark on earth and you have lived your professional life to the fullest. The media fraternity will always treasure and cherish the sweet moments we shared until we meet again.
- Assah Mwambene is seasoned Journalist, former Director of Information and Government Spokesman and current President of the Public Relations Society of Tanzania (PRST). He can be accessed through Telephone +255622553737 or email: isongole@yahoo.com.
