Tendai Ndemera

Tendai Ndemera
Tendai Ndemera
Born	Ray Muzambiringa Matikinye
Died	December 22, 2020 (aged 62); Sunningdale, Harare
Resting place	Zororo Memorial Park
Occupation	Journalist;
Spouse(s)	Constance
Children	7

Tendai Ndemera was a Zimbabwean journalist and footballer. As a footballer, Ndemera played for Dynamos.

Background

He was born in Harare on February 9, 1958. Ndemera was married to Constance and they had seven children — two boys and five girls, namely; Oliver, Thandi, Charlene, Tendai (junior), Lisa, and Leanne, who is also a trained journalist and had a stint at The Herald Entertainment desk in 2019.^[1]

Career

Ndemera played for the Dynamos age-group teams in the 1970s before pursuing a career in journalism.

He played with the likes of 1980 Soccer Star of the Year David Mandigora, David George, Eric Aisam, and Japhet Mparutsa, who later became the first goalkeeper to be crowned Soccer Star of the Year in 1982.

Ndamera worked with Mparutsa at Harare Central Hospital. Instead of pursuing a career in football, Ndamera joined Zimpapers from the mid-1990s until February 2004 when he was dismissed for writing for the Voice of America. ^[2]

He was recruited for The Herald Sports by Collin Matiza and worked under the publication’s former Sports Editor, Jahoor Omar, and Sam Marisa.

Ndemera also worked under Robson Sharuko, before his dismissal in February 2004. After his dismissal he became a freelance sports reporter until his untimely death in the early hours of December 22, 2020.

Before joining The Herald Sports Desk, Ndemera cut his teeth in sports writing at People’s Voice under Webster Shamu and the late Mike Munyati in the early 1990s.

Ndemera also worked for The Sunday Mail. He also worked for the Daily and the Sunday Gazette. In his later days, he also worked for the Voice of America. ^[1]

Death

He died at his aunt’s home in Sunningdale, Harare aged 62, after a long illness in the early hours of 22 December 2020.^[1] Ndamera was laid to rest at Zororo Memorial Park. ^[3]