Online Reporter
John Masuku-Correspondent
When Jane Esau began presenting some primary school radio lessons in the late 1960s, many listeners always visualised a mixed race English-speaking young lady who had mastered fluency and the correct pronunciation of indigenous names.
Esau died at her Marlborough home in Harare on January 17, and was buried on Tuesday at Glen Forest Memorial Park.
She was 91.
“A talented broadcaster blessed with a charming voice, I first met her as a learner at Shingirai Primary School in Mbare when she was still a young teacher in the 1960s. However, over a decade later, she had forgotten me when both of us were employed by ZBC with her as an announcer and newsreader on Radio One, the former English Service, while I worked as a sub editor, radio and television reporter in the News Department,” recalled seasoned journalist and author John Gambanga.
Switzerland-based retired senior International Red Cross nurse Lorraine Mangwiro and her former Shingirai classmates recall how they enjoyed listening to their own class teacher during radio lessons.
Esau, whose family background was Malawian, was born and raised in Penhalonga, Manicaland.
Back in 1982, she narrated to me her life history during an interview for “Look and Listen” radio and television magazine.
“When I was about seven years old, the then Penhalonga Postmaster was looking for a black girl to be part of his family, not as a domestic worker. My parents responded to this offer and I spent the next few years playing with the Postmaster’s daughter and being cared for by her parents. I owe all my fluent spoken English to that family.”
Esau said the gesture brought relief, especially on clothes and school fees.
After completing her secondary education at Hartzell High School near Mutare, young Jane decided to go for two-year teacher training at Morgenster Mission in Masvingo.
Giving a testimony at Esau’s funeral, Mrs Analisa Nhende(nee Makoni) a member of the St Paul’s Anglican Church Marlborough parish where Esau worshipped, revealed some age-old gender inequalities which still beg for final eradication until this day.
“I am here representing my 93-year-old Gweru-based father Mr Sinfree Japhinos Makoni, who was Gogo Jane’s classmate at Morgenster Mission Teachers Training College.
“Their group comprised of 12 students with her being the only woman. Armed with fluency in spoken English and chiManyika, she was a self-assured no toss-around person. In fact, daddy said Gogo was the one who always confidently led the whole group whenever required to sing in public” she explained.
Completing her teacher training course in 1955, Esau taught at various schools in Manicaland, including St David’s Bonda High School and St Matthias Tsonzo.
She also taught in Marondera before going to Shingirai in Harare National now Mbare where her former classmate Makoni was the headmaster.
In 1968, Esau was engaged on a part time basis by the Audio Visual Services (AVS) in Mount Pleasant under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to present radio lessons which were aired on RBC African Service at the Harare Studios and listened to in schools all over the country.
I first met her in April 1974, the month I joined RBC African Service as a broadcaster.
She was in the company of AVS boss John Parry, a former BBC director, when they came to drop radio lessons tapes at Harare Studios.
Esau had left the classroom the same year to join AVS permanently to continue only as a full time radio teacher.
While at AVS, later working under David Gardiner, Esau did part time commercial programmes like the unforgettable “In The Kitchen With Jane” and “The Sweet Life”.
In September 1981, Jane Esau joined ZBC Radio One (Spot FM, now Classic 263) and worked under managers like James Robinson, Tony Gaynor, Patrick Nyamhunga before I was appointed to head the station 1991.
In my eulogy at the requiem mass, I said that besides news reading and on-air continuity presentations, Esau understood Radio One’s sophisticated variety of genres, including classical music making one think that she was born and raised somewhere in Austria.
While at ZBC, she once toured Germany to meet and exchange notes with like-minded European broadcasters.
Former workmates of Esau who also spoke included her “all weather friend”, advertising executive Praxedes Dzangare who she met in the 1970s during part-time commercial programming at a private Salisbury production house, Advertising Promotions Limited (APL).
Tsitsi Dangarembizi applauded Auntie Jane for her kind, patient mentorship approach.
Over many years, Jane Esau’s fellow broadcasters included Brighton Matewere, Noreen Welch, Carolyn Thonycroft, Radar Naidu, Obert and Lily Mandimutsira, Colin Harvey, Jill Darke, Jack Day, Craig Hamilton, Joan Freeman, Penny Lumley, Sophie Chamboko, Comfort Mbofana, Tsitsi Vera, Audrey Mpunzwana, Farai Mungazi, Kelvin Sifelani, Isabella Matambanadzo, Bill Francklin, Phatutshedzo Hwacha (Moyo), Christine Ndlovu and Terry Yates-Round among many others.
From different international bases, some of Jane’s former workmates were full of praise for her.
“Jane had such a youthful spirit and was such fun,” said Sophie Chamboko from South Africa
From Australia, fellow newsreader and presenter Jill Baker, who also owned Jill Baker Associates Advertising Agency, emotionally recalled their happy time together.
“We spent many years working together at APL, RBC/ZBC. Apart from being such a fine broadcaster, she had warmth and a loving spirit about her that was infectious.
“The velvety voice never diminished. I am one of her beneficiaries of radio lessons which improved African education in the countryside during the colonial days,” remarked former radio and television news reporter Fortunate Hove Cooper from the USA.
Notable among the mourners were Mutasa brothers Lincoln, Chairman of the ZIFA Normalisation Committee and Shingi proprietor of Joina City Shopping Complex.
Esau was once married in their family and her children bear the Mutasa surname.
I last visited Jane Esau on June 15, 2022.
She could not hide her excitement as we traced our long, exciting broadcasting journey, cutting across many colonial and post-Independence generations.
John Masuku is the former ZBC head of Radio One and Controller Radio Services.
