He made history when he became the first black chief editor of The Sunday Mail newspaper in Zimbabwe. Willie was born Wirayi Dzawanda Musarurwa in Zvimba, Mashonaland West Province on 24 November 1927 in Zimbabwe.

Education:

  • Nyamangara School (1939-40)
  • Marshall Hartley School (1941-42)
  • Horward Institute (1943-44)
  • Goromonzi Secondary (1946-49)
  • Princeton University (USA) (1961-62)
  • University of South Africa (1967-70)

Academic Achievements:

  • Diploma in Journalism from Trans-African College
  • BA from the University of South Africa

Career:

  • After High School Willie trained as a teacher at St Augustine Mission, Penalonga and found a teaching job at Epworth Mission (1952)
  • Editor African Weekly, Bantu Mirror, Daily News, African Parade (1958-61)
  • African Businessmen, The Nationalist (1962-63)
  • The Zimbabwe Sun (1963-64)
  • Gonakudzingwa News (1964-65)
  • The Home News (1965)
  • Board Member ZBC
  • Chief Editor, The Sunday Mail

Political Career:

  • Founding member of the National Democratic Party and Zimbabwe African People's Union
  • ZAPU representative in Zambia (1963)
  • Publicity and Information Secretary ZAPU (1963-74))
  • Detained at Gonakudzingwa (1965--74)
  • Member Central Committee African National Council
  • Publicity Secretary ZAPU (1975)

Publications:

  • Know your Rhodesia

He died of a heart attack on April 3 1990 was declared a national hero and buried at the National Heroes Acre.