Trevor Ncube

Personal

Ncube was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Ncube holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Economic History from the University of Zimbabwe. He was a teacher at Pumula High School in the early 1980s. He then went to work as a journalist, then editor and ultimately newspaper publisher by end of the 1990s.

Career

In 1989 Trevor Ncube became assistant editor at The Financial Gazette and was named its executive editor in 1991.

Ncube was the main shareholder of the Mail & Guardian from 2002 until 2017. Trevor Ncube is also the host, producer and owner of in conversation with Trevor podcast published primarily on YouTube. The podcast is one of Zimbabwe's best podcasts; interviewing different professionals who have made it in their respective fields. Trevor Ncube was part of Emmerson Mnangagwa's advisers after the controversial 2018 so called second republic. The Mnangagwa administration denied Trevor Ncube a TV license notwithstanding that he was close to Mnangagwa, even having ED's son-in-law as a business partner. He seems to have quietly dropped from the PAC.

He is known for his skepticism or some sort of animosity towards Morgan Tsvangirai, the founding MDC leader and subsequently Nelson Chamisa. He has frequently clashed with Nelson Chamisa's supporters on Twitter. Trevor Ncube has always been an eager proponent of third way, a reference to having another political player other than Zanupf or MDC/ CCC.

Press freedom in Zimbabwe

On 10 December 2005, Trevor Ncube had his passport taken away by Mugabe's government, in the first application of restrictive press freedom laws. The passport was later returned after the seizure was exposed to be illegal. The government of Zimbabwe tried again, unsuccessfully, to strip him of his citizenship on the basis that his father was born in Zambia. The attempt was seen by many as an attempt to close his newspapers which are highly critical of the government of Zimbabwe's President Mugabe.{{cite news

SABC blacklist

The South African Broadcasting Corporation blacklisted critics of Mugabe and Zimbabwe's government—a list which included Trevor Ncube. The information came out of a report from a Pretoria-appointed commission of inquiry. Later, a South African court—the South Gauteng High Court—ruled that Snuki Zikalala, SABC managing director, in overseeing the news operation had acted in the interests of South African President Thabo Mbeki and manipulated news about Zimbabwe, including the silencing of critics.

Awards

• 1994—Trevor Ncube was named Zimbabwean Editor of the Year.
• 2007—International Publishers Association Freedom Prize Award
• 2008—German Africa Award. The German Africa Foundation presented Ncube for his dedication for press freedom, human rights and democracy in Zimbabwe and the whole of Southern Africa.
• 2010—Kenya Nation Media Group Life Achievement Award
• 2012—MISA Press Freedom Award. The Media Institute of Southern Africa awarded Ncube its annual award "for his role in providing Zimbabweans with alternative platforms for critical, alternative views on social, economic and political issues."
• Ncube was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2014.

References

References

1. (21 September 2009). "Trevor Ncube: harnessing the power of publishing". CNN.
2. (24 November 2005). "Meet our board of directors". Mail & Guardian.
3. "Oppenheimer Lecture to the IISS by Trevor Ncube". The International Institute For Strategic Studies.
4. (10 December 2005). "Zim 'undermines press freedom'". News24.com.
5. (14 December 2005). "Zim returns Ncube's passport". News24.com.
6. Rusere, Patience. (29 December 2006). "Zimbabwe Publisher Challenges Revocation of His Citizenship". Voice of America.
7. (21 September 2010). "Transition to Democracy Proves Difficult for Zimbabwe". Voice of America.
8. (10 January 2009). "Report Says Critics of Harare Blacklisted by South African Broadcasting".
9. (28 January 2011). "SABC manipulated news on Zimbabwe, Court Ruled". Byo24NEWS.
10. "Trevor Ncube - ENTREPRENEUR • NEWS PUBLISHER".
11. Van Hoorn, Imke. (3 July 2008). "Trevor Ncube wins German African Award". Mail & Guardian.
12. Parker, Faranaaz. (7 May 2012). "M&G's Ncube honoured for press freedom contribution". Mail & Guardian.
13. newsday. "Trevor Ncube among most influential persons in Africa".