263Chat correspondent Tendai Makaripe was honoured with the Yasser Arafat Journalist of the Year Award at the National Journalism and Media Awards (NJAMA) in Harare for his powerful piece, “The Irony of 1948: How the Birth of Two Apartheid States Shaped Southern Africa’s Support for Palestine.”
The award, sponsored by the Palestinian embassy in Zimbabwe, recognized Makaripe’s skill in drawing historical parallels between apartheid-era South Africa and the modern-day experiences of Palestinians.
Makaripe’s article explored how shared legacies of colonial oppression have fueled Zimbabwean and South African solidarity with Palestine’s struggle for autonomy.
“I am pleased to have my work acknowledged, though it comes amidst the ongoing loss of Palestinian lives under Israeli occupation. My hope is to see a free Palestine, and I will continue to use my pen to highlight their plight,” Makaripe remarked.
Palestinian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Tammer Almassri, commended the journalists’ role in amplifying the Palestinian cause, emphasizing the global consequences of unchecked occupation and violence.
At the same ceremony, 263Chat’s Lovejoy Mtongwiza also received the Multimedia Journalist of the Year award and was runner-up for Photojournalist of the Year.
