Fernando Veloso, trailblazer of Mozambican journalism, dies aged 71

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Fernando Veloso, trailblazer of Mozambican journalism, dies aged 71

8:05 CAT | 21 Oct 2025

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Mozambican journalist Fernando Veloso, a prominent figure in the country’s media landscape and founder of the weekly Canal de Moçambique, has died in Portugal at the age of 71 following an illness, a source from the newspaper told Lusa.

The same source from the private weekly Canal de Moçambique added that Fernando Veloso had been in Portugal for some time receiving medical treatment.

Born in 1954 in the city of Beira, in Sofala province, central Mozambique, Fernando Veloso founded Canal de Moçambique in 2006. Before that, he had also been one of the founders of Media Fax, part of the Mediacoop group — the first independent and private press project in post-independence Mozambique.

He also worked for other newspapers, including Zambeze, Savana and Notícias da Beira, accumulating more than 40 years of journalistic experience, having started his career as a photographer.

Today, the Beira Municipal Council described Fernando Veloso as a respected figure in Mozambican journalism.

“The Beira Municipal Council expresses its deep sorrow over the death of the journalist, which occurred in Portugal. The municipality mourns the loss of this remarkable figure and extends its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues, wishing his soul to rest in peace,” reads the statement published on the council’s official page.

In statements to Lusa, journalist Luís Nhachote, who was Veloso’s business partner at Canal de Moçambique after having worked with him at Media Fax and later on the editorial management of Zambeze, described Veloso as a professional deeply concerned with the country’s wellbeing, who created a newspaper to serve as “a counterbalance to the excessive power” concentrated in the Government of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo).

“He protected me a lot during solitary moments. At no point did I feel unsafe sharing information with him,” Nhachote said, adding that he “learned a great deal” from Veloso.

Source: Lusa