Hilarious Mix-Up: Financial Gazette Editor Apologises for Declaring ED Dead
Earlier in the day, unidentified individuals posing as law enforcement raided the editor, Munyuki’s home in Harare
Hilarious Mix-Up: Editor Apologises for Declaring ED Dead
In a twist that could only happen in the world of newspapers, Guthrie Munyuki, editor of the Daily News, found himself in hot water after a monumental blunder. On Friday, Munyuki, along with top brass from Modus Media, which publishes both the Daily News and the Financial Gazette, had an unexpected meeting with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri, and CIO chief Isaac Moyo at State House.
The reason? A jaw-dropping error in an advertisement that mistakenly implied the President had kicked the bucket!
It all started on September 19, when the Financial Gazette published a birthday message from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces wishing Mnangagwa a happy birthday. All was well until the message ended with, “May his soul rest in eternal peace.” Cue the confusion and chaos!
The Daily News quickly issued a public apology, blaming the mishap on a production oversight. George Charamba, Deputy Chief Secretary for Presidential Communications, later reported that Mnangagwa took it all in stride, even jokingly asking, “Where are the flowers for the dead man?”
Hilarious Mix-Up: Editor Apologises for Declaring ED Dead
In a heartfelt letter of apology to Aaron Nhepera, the permanent secretary for the Ministry of Defence, Munyuki expressed deep regret for the mix-up. He explained that the Financial Gazette had meant to send a celebratory message but accidentally included a condolence phrase due to a production slip-up. Munyuki assured that steps would be taken to prevent such errors in the future.
Adding to the drama, earlier that day, unidentified individuals posing as law enforcement raided Munyuki’s home in Harare. Although they didn’t find him, they temporarily confiscated the phones of his wife and children and rummaged through their messages.
New South African Bank Notes have a Spelling Error
Mistakes in advertisements are not uncommon in Zimbabwean newspapers, often due to the use of outdated templates with minimal updates. In this case, it seems the Daily News accidentally used a condolence template instead of a celebratory one. Oops!
So, next time you see a birthday message, double-check it doesn’t send you to the afterlife!
