Ambassador Mandigora key player in media fraternity
AMBASSADOR Thomas Tommy Pedzisayi Mandigora was born on 9 June 1955 at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo in a family of 10, seven girls and three boys.
His father was a policeman who later on had a good friendship with the late President Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
His father worked as a policeman in Bulawayo from where he was transferred to Kadoma in 1956, then in 1960 he was transferred to Harare’s Tomlinson Depot to where he moved with his family.
In 1961, the ambassador started school at Braeside and did Sub A and Sub B. His father was then transferred to Highfield Police Camp in 1963.
He then attended Chipembere Primary School in Highfield from 1963 to1968.
Ambassador Mandigora then went to St Augustine’s Secondary School in Penhalonga, near Mutare in 1969 for his Form 1 and 2.
In 1971, he was transferred to Nyatsime College, and obtained ‘O’ Levels in 1972.
In 1973, he worked temporarily at National Breweries in Southerton, then in 1974 he got a permanent job at the National Registry at Market Square in Harare as a clerk in the birth certificates section.
After crossing into Mozambique in April 1975 with Charles Chaza, Gaylord Hlatswayo and Noble Mutsambiwa, they became part of the group of young men who joined former President Mugabe and the late Edgar Tekere at Seguranca.
The group included the students that abandoned their studies at the University of Zimbabwe following the assassination of the late Zanu Chairman, Cde Herbert Chitepo, in March 1975 in Lusaka, Zambia.
The young students included Sobuza Gula-Ndebele, George Chiweshe, Justin Mupamhanga, Christopher Mutsvangwa and Neville Dembetembe, the late national heroes, Willard Zororo Duri and John Mayowe.
When Mugabe and Tekere moved to Quelimane, the young freedom fighters moved to Nyadzonia and constituted Company D.
In 1976, Cde Mandigora was sent for military training in Tembwe in Tete Province. There, he met instructors John Chimbandi, Cdes Vhu and Ronney Ngarava and Golden Shumba.
After training, he was deployed to Zimbabwe’s North East battlefront where he distinguished himself as a combatant under the command of the late Perence Shiri.
Cde Mandigora got injured in battle in 1977 and was withdrawn from the front to the rear for treatment and recuperation.
On attaining full recovery, he was inducted into the Chitepo School of Ideology alongside current Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs Honourable Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri.
After completion of the political orientation programme, he was sent to Maputo to join the Information and Publicity Department led by Cde Rugare Gumbo and Cde Eddison Zvobgo.
In Maputo, Cde Mandigora worked with Grey Tichatonga (Mark Marongwe), Charles Ndlovu (Webster Shamu) Victor Mhizha-Murira, Stalin Mau Mau, Munyaradzi Machacha and Jomo.
He contributed to the production of Zimbabwe News and other party publications, as well as reporting for the Voice of Zimbabwe Radio.
In 1978, Cde Mandigora was later sent to Lusaka, Zambia, to work with the late General Cde Edzai Chimonyo, the Defence Logistics Coordinator under Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, the Zanu chief representative.
In Lusaka, Cde Mandigora did a lot of diplomatic work attending meetings aimed at mobilising war resources and moral support from the Zimbabwe diaspora in Zambia.
Upon returning to Zimbabwe from the war in 1980, he joined the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) under the leadership of Director-General Tirivafi Kangai, the younger brother of the late national hero Cde Kumbirai Kangai.
Cde Mandigora was then posted to Bulawayo as Head of News and Current Affairs, regional management, implementing editorial policy, production planning and programme scheduling from 1980 to 1982.
From 1983 to 1986, he was the head for Television News (National Network), Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation: management, implementing editorial policy, production planning and scheduling on ZBC’s four radio stations and two television channels.
From 1985 to 1986, he became executive editor for news, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation: Management, responsible for news editorial policy formulation, production planning and scheduling on ZBC’s four radio stations and two television channels.
In addition, he was instrumental in the implementation of ZBC’s decentralisation programme through the opening of provincial offices from 1985 to 1987.
He became the Executive Editor for news on the four radio stations and two television channels as well as implementation of the ZBC’s decentralisation programme through opening of provincial offices.
From 1988 to 1991, he was the Director of News and Current Affairs channels.
In 1991, he became Director of Television Services, responsible for News and Current Affairs Editorial policy formulation, production planning and programme scheduling.
In 1992, Cde Mandigora became Director Programmes News and Current Affairs before he left the Corporation in 2001 to join the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Authority.
Ambassador Mandigora was the first and founder chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Authority.
He developed the required policies and procedures to establish a broadcasting regulatory authority in Zimbabwe as provided for by the Broadcasting Services Act.
He also successfully conducted the first national broadcasting survey in Zimbabwe to determine licensing priorities.
In 2005, Cde Mandigora was appointed Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the Republic of Botswana and served until 2018. His duties included the enhancement of bilateral ties between Botswana and Zimbabwe.
He was part of the negotiations for the supply of foot and mouth vaccines from Botswana to Zimbabwe as well as supply of credit lines to the two countries private sector.
Cde Mandigora was involved in the negotiations that established the SADC Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre in Zimbabwe.
He also played an instrumental role in the negotiations resulting in the voluntary relocation of the Nswazi people from Matabeleland South to Botswana.
Cde Mandigora served as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Botswana as well as the Dean of the African Committee of Ambassadors.
He attended and participated in various preparatory meetings of SADC Council of Ministers as well as SADC Summit meetings.
Cde Mandigora attended various broadcasting and management courses with Irish, American, French and British institutions.
He also obtained an MBA in 1996 at the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside in the UK.
The late hero Thomas Tommy Pedzisayi Mandigora leaves behind three children, two girls and one boy. Go well Comrade-in-Arms. You played your part. MHSRIP.