Ishmael Ndlovu

Today (Friday the 13th of February 2026), the nation woke up to news that broadcasting legend and journalism mentor John Masuku had passed, at the age of 71. The news was broken in a statement by his family.

I first met the multi-lingual broadcaster at the ZBC Pockets Hill studios in the mid-1990s. I was a rookie back then and had started presenting the news on radio. Up to that moment, I had been a sub editor on the radio news in English desk, subbing radio stories and compiling news bulletins.

I had just started presenting the radio news in vernacular with the likes of the late Isaiah Mtemachani, Alice Mutema, Godden Gondo, Jestina Mukoko, Senzo Mpofu, Marilyn Mhambi and many others, under the guidance of Haile Velaphi Mlangeni. When I started presenting the news in English, John Masuku took an interest.

It was during one of our regular encounters along the corridors at Pockets Hill that he started giving me feedback. Eventually, he promised to give me some notes to enhance my presentation, which promise he kept.

To this day I have the notes, which I cherish. That was his nature. He took a genuine interest in people and helped them whenever he could.

Through his JM archives, he captured memories of the people he came across, highlighting how they met and how they impacted him. He was a repository of history, and some called him a moving encyclopedia.

I enjoyed reading his social media posts on people I came across and worked with, especially at ZBC. He had an eye for detail and reserves of energy as well as matching storytelling skills surprisingly for a man of his age. Masuku found joy in posting pictures and writing about people he once worked with or rubbed shoulders with. He really loved people.

I remember his interview with one of his former colleagues at Radio One, the late Jane Esau who was unwell. They talked about their experiences on radio and the people they once worked with, some of whom were late. I remember also meeting him at the late broadcaster and journalism lecturer Peter Banga’s funeral.

He also loved his family and would post their achievements and moments together at every moment he got.

Those who knew him will attest to the fact that JM, as he was affectionately known, was a people person. He loved people and writing about them.

I get the feeling that he knew his days were numbered and tried to squeeze in as much work as he could in his last days. Otherwise, how does one explain so many posts and travels by a man who should have been enjoying retirement rather than being so active in life?

He had an infectious smile, and was a genuinely good person. I do not recall a day that I found him not in a jovial mood. I could go on and on about JM, but never come even close to capturing what this man was all about.

But I am sure at the end of it all, he would rest easy with a simple epitaph that reads: “Here lies a man who lived his life to the full and loved people unconditionally.”