I grew up seeing Tony Namate’s cartoons, and when, around 1991, he started doing independent political cartoons and then joined the Daily News, his work took on a major significance—not just on how I viewed the corruption and impunity of Zimbabwe’s government but also on the landscape of Zimbabwean political commentary.

Namate’s cartoons were bold, audacious, and sometimes made one worry for him. “Will he be safe? Will he get away with this?” one wondered. Namate and his Daily News colleagues were part of a wave of independent journalism that brought new dissenting voices into Zimbabwean media. In 2000 and 2001, the Daily News offices were bombed and, in 2003, the paper (founded by Geoffrey Nyarota, NF ’04) was shut down by the government.

Namate’s work has been recognized around the world. In 2004, he received the Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award by Cartoonists Rights Network International.

“The main point of a cartoon,” Namate once said, “is to be a link between the politicians and the masses.” His work continues to do that and he remains an inspiration for journalists and cartoonists around Africa and the rest of the world.