A Trailblazer's Final Deadline: Big Ropa's Legacy in Zim Journalism Tributes are pouring in for veteran Zimbabwean journalist Ropafadzo Mapimhidze who died yesterday in Lusaka, Zambia, where she had gone to seek affordable medical treatment as local facilities are dilapidated and expensive due to a failure of the healthcare system. Mapimhidze (66) was battling with several chronic health conditions throughout her later life, which eventually culminated in her death, particularly diabetes, cancer and hypertension complications. Affectionately known within newsrooms as "Big Ropa" due to both her imposing stature and her immense heart, she breathed her last in Lusaka after travelling from Harare on her way to Ndola to seek affordable medical care. Colleagues from various walks of life described her a gentle gaint; a woman who dedicated her career to telling human interest stories, mentoring, encouraging and protecting young journalists, and advocating for equality in media. From government ministries to Zimpapers and private media organisation like AMH, her record was the same: Hardworking and dedicated professional. Mapimhidze's career began at the dawn of independent Zimbabwe, where she worked as an information officer for the Ministry of Information. In 1985, she transferred to Zimpaper as part of a foundational team tasked with launching Kwayedza, the group's pioneering Shona-language publication. Showing an unparalleled work ethic, she shattered glass ceilings to become the first female Assistant Editor of Zimbabwe's leading daily, The Herald. Later in her career, she brought stable leadership to the private media space, joining AMH ahead of the official launch of NewsDay in 2009. There, she excelled as chief sub-editor, features and supplements editor, and a prolific columnist. Even after retiring from full-time employment, she continued stringing for local and international platforms like the Voice of America, focusing heavily on health reporting and human-interest storytelling. Mapimhidze’s legacy highlights her profound contribution to the evolution of the Zimbabwean press corps across three major dimensions. She was a passionate activist for gender equality in media leadership. Emerging into newsrooms during an era heavily dominated by male practitioners, Mapimhidze proved that women could occupy critical leadership positions. By rising to Assistant Editor at The Herald, she set a powerful precedent, proving that gender was no barrier to driving the editorial direction of a national flagship publication. Unlike mainstream political reporting, Mapimhidze dedicated much of her career to giving a voice to children, women, and vulnerable populations. She covered groundbreaking national stories on child sexual abuse, closely collaborated with the Girl Child Network, and co-founded the Health Communicators Forum. Her storytelling humanised complex policies and brought urgent social injustices into the public spotlight. A sobering reality underscored by her death is the condition of health infrastructure in the region. Her journey to Zambia to seek affordable treatment highlights a systemic challenge faced by many Zimbabweans, including the very journalists who spend their lives reporting on public health deficits. Zimbabwe's healthcare system faces serious strain due to chronic strains, including underfunding, severe staff shortages, and declining international support. The system has been a casualty of the country's extended periods of mismanagement, corruption and incompetence. Mapimhidze’s passing marks the closing of a significant chapter in Zimbabwe's media landscape. As mourning colleagues and friends have noted, she was a repository of history and a steady anchor in high-pressure newsrooms. Her legacy lives on not only through her archive of incisive columns, but also through the generation of younger journalists whom she mentored, encouraged, and protected She ran her race with fortitude and distinction.