Trevor Ncube

Academic Qualification

• First class Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economic History University of Zimbabwe

Previously Held Positions

• President of Print Media South Africa and Chair of the Newspaper Association of South Africa from 2004–2008.
• Group Director Editorial, Zimbabwe Independent (1996–2000)
• Editor-in-Chief, Zimbabwe Independent (1996–2000)
• Executive Editor, The Financial Gazette (1991–1996)
• Assistant Editor, The Financial Gazette (1989–1991)

Awards

• Zimbabwe Editor of the Year | 1994
• Council for Development of Economic Research in Africa (CODERSA)
• University Zimbabwe Post Graduate Scholarship
• International Publishers Association Freedom Prize Award 2007
• German Africa Award 2008
• Ncube was bestowed the Nation Media Group Life Achievement Award 2010

In recognition of what Ncube has achieved over the years, he was named in top 100 of the most influential persons in Africa.^[4]

Journalism career

Trevor is not a journalist by training, instead, he was invited to join the Financial Gazette by Elias Rusike in 1989 despite not being in possession of any training in the field. He worked for the paper for seven years after which he was fired for allegedly maintaining a critical stance on the government.^[5]

Founding AMH

It was reported that Trevor struggled to look for employment after being dismissed from The Gazette in 1996 and this set him on a path to become one of the business persons out of Zimbabwe. In conjunction with Sarah Clive and Thompson Clive The initial print run of 10 000 copies is said to have been sold out before midday on Friday, May 10, 1996.^[5] To date, Trevor Ncube has interests in Munn Marketing, StrandMultiprint.

Business Problems

Ncube made the headlines in South Africa when it was claimed by the Star that his employees had gone for months without pay, suppliers and other contributors had also gone for some months without receiving their dues. The report also claimed that Trevor's company faced a possible strike over bonuses and incentives. The alleged rough patch that Trevor's company was facing was attributed to his "loss-making" operations in Zimbabwe.^[6] The allegations made on Trevor and his operations were however shot down by Trevor himself and Mail & Guardian chief executive Hoosain Karjieker both insisted that claims that there were facing a cash crunch were unfounded and not factual.^[6]

Loss of Guardian and Mail Shares(South Africa)

In December 2017 it was reported that Ncube did not have shares in the Guardian and Mail South Africa. This was reported to be as a result of a loss while trying to shift from print to digitalization.^[7] Ncube was reported to have said he wanted to focus more on the Zimbabwe-based business ( Alpha Media Holdings)

Controversy

Trevor Ncube was also said to have been detained for close to an hour at OR Tambo airport after the authorities at the airport had claimed that there was something wrong with the photograph on Trevor's passport. Ncube was said to have been furious over the incident arguing that authorities should not assume that every black person is a criminal.^[8]Ncube was also involved in a war with Iqbal Survé after the latter had refused to sell to its chairperson, Trevor Ncube, and his funders, three flagship titles in the group. In rejection of Ncube's offer, the organization made claims that Mail and Guardian was being funded by the US intelligence.^[9]

Personal Life

Domestic Violence & Tribalism

In 1994, Ncube's wife,Eva Muzuva, sought a court peace order to prevent Ncube from assaulting her. Nzube admitted he had assaulted her "about 6 times". The order was granted by the courts. In her founding affidavit, Muzuva said Ncube had "called me a 'stupid Zezuru' and wished he had married from his own tribe"^[10]

Controversy

In May 2016 Ncube was involved in a twitter war of words with Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Jonathan Moyo. Moyo accused him of burning people alive to which Ncube failed to answer but asked Moyo if he defrauded the Ford Foundation.

Gallery

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  Trevor Ncube

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  Image credit: Africa Media Initiative.

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  Photo credit: Russell Roberts via Sowetan Live

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  Image Credit: Monocle.

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  Photo Credit: Reuters.

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  Photo Credit: Mail & Guardian

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  Image via: TechCentral

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  Photo Credit: © Deutsche Welle/K. Danetzki Via GICAFRICA

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  Photo Credit: M&G

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  Photo Credit: Southern Eye

Videos

References