Ayanda Mdluli
The last few months have been a roller coaster ride in my world as journalist. I’m told by some of the senior journalist that the discipline has its ups and downs. Some of our stories get used and some don’t, “It is the nature of the business,” says Sipho Khumalo; a fascinating character, full of history and knowledgeable on the politics of the industry.
He has been a journalist for 25 years, and every morning I serve as an eager ear, listening to him as he reminisces about the pro’s and con’s of being a journalist during apartheid and how the industry has changed for the better. Each day has its defining moment, and the past month has changed my perspective on the kind of life I want to live as a journalist.
In the cadet school I was taught that one should never be complacent, we must always be willing to learn and in learning we must educate others and strive to make a difference in the world. Well, at least that’s how I understood it. Anyways two young bloods, studying first year journalism at Rhodes cam into our newsroom to do a 10 day work experience programme. I also did something similar at the Daily News, but I was in grade 11 at the time.
The young bloods were eager to work on something interesting and they seemed like sensible guys who wouldn’t panic if confronted with a threatening situation. I decided to take the gamble and invited them to come with me on a story about a deadly drug called whoonga which took Durban townships by storm. We went inside the ghetto and into the drug den, I spoke to the addicts and took pictures and tried to motivate them to turn their lives around.
The young bloods sat, watched and listened but because of the language barrier they couldn’t participate in the discussion as much as they would have wanted to. After that we came back to the newsroom and wrote a front page story and 1000 word feature which has received a wide range of positive responses from the public. Other news papers picked up on it and did follow up stories, broadcast media wanted contacts from me and even drum magazine ran a story about it. The discussions in various publications still continue and more Rhodes journalism students have followed in the footsteps of Daniel Whitehorn and Brendan Ward. There is a group of Rhodes students in Durban as we speak doing a strikingly similar story.
It was all about making a difference and when I was in the newsroom for the first time in 2002 I had a similar experience which motivated me to become a journalist and show the world what happens in the lives of South Africans behind closed doors.
Today, the ANC wants to gag the media and control the press and our freedom of speech. This is a nasty pattern and it is prevalent in African politics once liberation movements gain political power. It is slowly starting to take its shape and during that time one can spot a few African pessimists conveying I told you so attitudes and messages in the papers and social networking sites. I think about Sipho and his stories during apartheid; suddenly, I can see the future and I think to myself; here we go again.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Selling our souls to the superficial
OK wait a minute...rewind, take a break, deep breath and think. Wow, what a day this has been. I have been working on a big story since Thursday 17 June 2010. I finally finished last night on the 20th and got it Published on the 21st of June 2010 on the front page and background section of the Mercury. It was hard work, but thanks to two whiteys who had balls and were eager to learn, we finally managed to get it done, and well before dead line that is.
There are positives and negatives about this situation I find myself in. You see, I did a story on a drug that has been tearing apart the black community in Durban. The drug called "whoonga" has been eating away at the heart of the future of the black youth in our province. This drug, which is a concoction of the Storicin Anti-retroviral, heroin and rat poison leaves our kids feeling lethargic and amotivational, it takes away ones sense of urgency and well being which results in the user neglecting their personal hygiene. Safe to say we paved the way, for every other journo to write about it today.
Yeah I am a bit impressed about the work we have put in. Now, what leaves me in a malignant schizophrenia is the fact that this story has taken me to a place that I had long forgotten. It opened up old wounds and brought back memories of me as a youth, locked in the chains of poverty, surrounded by amotivational friends whom at one point in time I had felt that they were going to drag me into the depths of failure and unemployment squalor with them if I didn't catch a wake up.
You see, there is this ghetto phenomenon, a phase in life that every black- male township youth goes through. Ah yes, we call it the "merchant" phase of our disadvantaged, petty and limited lives. You see dear friends, every ghetto has its "merchants". Not your merchants of Venice, or spaza shops. No, not even the Indian merchants who wormed their way into our lives to ensure that a black man, according to Fred Khumalo, cannot be successful without his Indian. But the "merchant". The merchant of the hood, yes the one who sells weed at 50c a slope, yes oh wise ones, it is he; he who has an outside room at the back of his mothers/grandmothers match box house.
You see, the "merchant" played a significant part in our street education growing up. In my township at Inanda Newtown A, we looked up to our ''merchant", whether one smoked or didn't smoke, whether one drank liquor or not, the ''merchants'' place was our area of congregation, a place where topics raging from soccer, to girls and sex were discussed. It was a place where local gun-dubula's (gun toting tsotsis) and petty thieves sought refuge from the po-po. A place where we all joked and laughed and if there were quarrels between two parties, it was a place of settlement where an offender would broker peace by extending a "peace pipe".
If one had bunked school in those days, rest assured he could be found at the "merchants" place. We could rely on our merchant, it was innocent...No one would even think of selling stolen goods or contemplated any criminal activities because even the older, responsible working guys whom we looked up to would come after a hard days work and play round after round of the casino card game until we all decided it was time to go home, eat, sleep, shit and face another day.
Today, it pains me to see the new generation infected by this foreign rot that is severely chipping away at the moral integrity of our darkie communities. A rot that you will never find in your uMhlanga rocks, Sandtons and Campsbays of this world. Today when I look at these kids and the new "merchants" that have emerged, I think and wonder how it all went wrong. We always had a few scum bags who would try to corrupt young and Innocent minds, but they were always outnumbered by those who had big dreams and common sense.
But what do we do when all those big dreams get broken by the desire to get rich quick..not even rich quick, but just to have enough money to buy an expansive bottle of whiskey, get a new pair of designer jeans and bang a nice girl on a Friday night...Because that is what these whoonga dealers aspire too. Its all superficial I tell you...And our new generation has sold their souls to what they see on TV...A morally degenerate generation is looming, and I guess we only have our selves to blame. For we too have sold our souls to the superficial in one way or the other.
There are positives and negatives about this situation I find myself in. You see, I did a story on a drug that has been tearing apart the black community in Durban. The drug called "whoonga" has been eating away at the heart of the future of the black youth in our province. This drug, which is a concoction of the Storicin Anti-retroviral, heroin and rat poison leaves our kids feeling lethargic and amotivational, it takes away ones sense of urgency and well being which results in the user neglecting their personal hygiene. Safe to say we paved the way, for every other journo to write about it today.
Yeah I am a bit impressed about the work we have put in. Now, what leaves me in a malignant schizophrenia is the fact that this story has taken me to a place that I had long forgotten. It opened up old wounds and brought back memories of me as a youth, locked in the chains of poverty, surrounded by amotivational friends whom at one point in time I had felt that they were going to drag me into the depths of failure and unemployment squalor with them if I didn't catch a wake up.
You see, there is this ghetto phenomenon, a phase in life that every black- male township youth goes through. Ah yes, we call it the "merchant" phase of our disadvantaged, petty and limited lives. You see dear friends, every ghetto has its "merchants". Not your merchants of Venice, or spaza shops. No, not even the Indian merchants who wormed their way into our lives to ensure that a black man, according to Fred Khumalo, cannot be successful without his Indian. But the "merchant". The merchant of the hood, yes the one who sells weed at 50c a slope, yes oh wise ones, it is he; he who has an outside room at the back of his mothers/grandmothers match box house.
You see, the "merchant" played a significant part in our street education growing up. In my township at Inanda Newtown A, we looked up to our ''merchant", whether one smoked or didn't smoke, whether one drank liquor or not, the ''merchants'' place was our area of congregation, a place where topics raging from soccer, to girls and sex were discussed. It was a place where local gun-dubula's (gun toting tsotsis) and petty thieves sought refuge from the po-po. A place where we all joked and laughed and if there were quarrels between two parties, it was a place of settlement where an offender would broker peace by extending a "peace pipe".
If one had bunked school in those days, rest assured he could be found at the "merchants" place. We could rely on our merchant, it was innocent...No one would even think of selling stolen goods or contemplated any criminal activities because even the older, responsible working guys whom we looked up to would come after a hard days work and play round after round of the casino card game until we all decided it was time to go home, eat, sleep, shit and face another day.
Today, it pains me to see the new generation infected by this foreign rot that is severely chipping away at the moral integrity of our darkie communities. A rot that you will never find in your uMhlanga rocks, Sandtons and Campsbays of this world. Today when I look at these kids and the new "merchants" that have emerged, I think and wonder how it all went wrong. We always had a few scum bags who would try to corrupt young and Innocent minds, but they were always outnumbered by those who had big dreams and common sense.
But what do we do when all those big dreams get broken by the desire to get rich quick..not even rich quick, but just to have enough money to buy an expansive bottle of whiskey, get a new pair of designer jeans and bang a nice girl on a Friday night...Because that is what these whoonga dealers aspire too. Its all superficial I tell you...And our new generation has sold their souls to what they see on TV...A morally degenerate generation is looming, and I guess we only have our selves to blame. For we too have sold our souls to the superficial in one way or the other.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The News room scene
As a new journalist in the making, my news room experience has been an eye opener in what i want to do with my life and my career. I started at the Mercury on the 3rd of May with my fellow cadets from the Independent Newspapers Cadet school. I'm one of the first batch to hatch from this prestigous experiment aimed at nuturing young talent in field.
We were placed under the guidance of Jonathan Ancer, a gentle soul who scooped the Mondi Shanduka Newspaper Award for best hard news in 2004 and 2005. The opportunity to join the cadet school couldnt have come at a better time as I was stuck in a 9 to 5 government job with no prospect for future employemnt.
It was tough in the begining, I had no journalism experience and couldnt write a news article to save my life. Fresh out of writing essays at varsity I was employed by the department of public enterprises to do resaerch and write media analysis in its communications and International relations unit. My first piece of writing in this intense journalism programme was disected and torn into shreds (verbally), throwing me into a state of brief uncertainty about the future and my ability to cut in this cut throat business. Thankfully, the critisicm came with solutions and I was able to work on my weaknesses and overcome my obstacles.
There is no backing down now, my optical is limitless and i have realised that it doesnt matter what I think is right or wrong. It about the facts and having the ability to report those facts to the people in a way that they'll understand them. David Canning, the previous editor of the Mercury is my mentor and he is helping me walk the walk. I'm also surrounded by a team that works tirelesly to bring hard news to a broad audience and our editor has a vision to turn the paper into a publication that reaches all the different spheres of South African society.
I dont see mself doing anything else for the next five years. We live in a world of endless possibilities, and as long as there is a world and people living in it, their voices will be heard and their stories told.
We were placed under the guidance of Jonathan Ancer, a gentle soul who scooped the Mondi Shanduka Newspaper Award for best hard news in 2004 and 2005. The opportunity to join the cadet school couldnt have come at a better time as I was stuck in a 9 to 5 government job with no prospect for future employemnt.
It was tough in the begining, I had no journalism experience and couldnt write a news article to save my life. Fresh out of writing essays at varsity I was employed by the department of public enterprises to do resaerch and write media analysis in its communications and International relations unit. My first piece of writing in this intense journalism programme was disected and torn into shreds (verbally), throwing me into a state of brief uncertainty about the future and my ability to cut in this cut throat business. Thankfully, the critisicm came with solutions and I was able to work on my weaknesses and overcome my obstacles.
There is no backing down now, my optical is limitless and i have realised that it doesnt matter what I think is right or wrong. It about the facts and having the ability to report those facts to the people in a way that they'll understand them. David Canning, the previous editor of the Mercury is my mentor and he is helping me walk the walk. I'm also surrounded by a team that works tirelesly to bring hard news to a broad audience and our editor has a vision to turn the paper into a publication that reaches all the different spheres of South African society.
I dont see mself doing anything else for the next five years. We live in a world of endless possibilities, and as long as there is a world and people living in it, their voices will be heard and their stories told.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Pissing against the Wind
Politics in South Africa! Many think that South Africa is heading for political turmoil, economic stagnation coupled with the explosion of her racial melting pot when it reaches boiling point. There is an intrinsic aspect of South African politics that is worth dwelling into, and that is post liberation party politics.
Post liberation party politics has been studied through the assesment of post colonial African independence. Post liberation party politics is studied within post colonial dimensions and the type of states that have emerged from thereof. In South Africa however, the context is entirely different, there was no full scale intrastate conflict or civil war that brought about the libeartion of black people. There were skirmishes, protests, terrorists attacks, sabotage, philosophies such as Black Consciousness, Pan Africanism and international sanctions that contributed to the end of apartheid and the emergence of post liberation party politics.
There is a pattern in African multi party democracies, and that pattern is the dominant party system that has come to characterise the African democratic experience. All one needs to do is look at the state of opposition politics in Southern Africa with examples ranging from Mozambiques FRELIMO, Angola's MPLA, Namibia's SWAPO and South Africas Very own ANC. Now the question that is hot on the lips of every political comentator in the country is, "is the ANC leading South Africa into oblivion"? Not in those words, but clearly the proposed amalgamation of opposition parties in the country signifies the proactive measures that opposition parties are taking in trying to combat the ANC Titan. The question that needs to be raised in South African political discourse is: "To what extent will the governing political party cling to political power?"
Lets look at the political terminology that has charactersied post Thabo Mbeki ANC political discourse over the past couple of years. We have had terms sucha as militancy, cockroaches, womaniser, rapist, tenderpreneurs, hyena's, fat cats, elite, corruption, over indulgent spendthrifts and so on and so forth. Putting those into perspective, where is this country headed? Your guess is as good as mine but untill we move from liberation politics and entitlemnt to nation building, job creation and infrastructure developmentm, the better. Untill then all of our efforts to ensure the effective development of of our country will be like pissing against the wind.
Post liberation party politics has been studied through the assesment of post colonial African independence. Post liberation party politics is studied within post colonial dimensions and the type of states that have emerged from thereof. In South Africa however, the context is entirely different, there was no full scale intrastate conflict or civil war that brought about the libeartion of black people. There were skirmishes, protests, terrorists attacks, sabotage, philosophies such as Black Consciousness, Pan Africanism and international sanctions that contributed to the end of apartheid and the emergence of post liberation party politics.
There is a pattern in African multi party democracies, and that pattern is the dominant party system that has come to characterise the African democratic experience. All one needs to do is look at the state of opposition politics in Southern Africa with examples ranging from Mozambiques FRELIMO, Angola's MPLA, Namibia's SWAPO and South Africas Very own ANC. Now the question that is hot on the lips of every political comentator in the country is, "is the ANC leading South Africa into oblivion"? Not in those words, but clearly the proposed amalgamation of opposition parties in the country signifies the proactive measures that opposition parties are taking in trying to combat the ANC Titan. The question that needs to be raised in South African political discourse is: "To what extent will the governing political party cling to political power?"
Lets look at the political terminology that has charactersied post Thabo Mbeki ANC political discourse over the past couple of years. We have had terms sucha as militancy, cockroaches, womaniser, rapist, tenderpreneurs, hyena's, fat cats, elite, corruption, over indulgent spendthrifts and so on and so forth. Putting those into perspective, where is this country headed? Your guess is as good as mine but untill we move from liberation politics and entitlemnt to nation building, job creation and infrastructure developmentm, the better. Untill then all of our efforts to ensure the effective development of of our country will be like pissing against the wind.
The Discoverers – Bantam Books, July 1994
Here is a book that takes you to the pre colonial era of sea voyagers and adventures that stumbled upon a Africa. The Discoverers reader is taken on a journey that explores pre-colonial trade relations with European traders and African kings in the 15th century. A time when it was every explorers dream to reach the Southern most tip of Africa.
Paul King is well known for publishing pre-colonial voyager literature, with books such as the Dreamers and the Voyagers. The Discoverers was published in 1994 and gives an enlightening historical account of the life of voyagers that sailed across the seven seas hoping to find new worlds accompanied by the promise of riches and adventure. The genre has had an everlasting phenomenon on African culture with other Authors such as Joseph Conrad reaching critical acclaim for their work in books such as the Heart of Darkness and Victory. The literature has directed the African continents historical path, and an interesting fact about the book is that it highlights the how legitimate traders fell into the trap of acquiring quick riches through the slave trade.
The book is centered around the crusades, in 1453 when Constantinople fell to the forces of Mohammed II. The defeated Christians characters embark on individual voyages. Some motivated by honor, greed, revenge and glory. The literature is informative yet provocative in its description of pre-colonial African culture. With some of the characters admiring the exotic and rich culture of African people, while other characters see Africans nothing but godless savages and heathens who have created nothing of any historical value.
The literature is undoubtedly influenced by the likes of Conrad, however there are certain elements in the book that are very informative as the reader is taken on a journey of discovery through the eyes of the explorer.
Ayanda Mdluli
Independent Newspapers, 31 March 2010
Paul King is well known for publishing pre-colonial voyager literature, with books such as the Dreamers and the Voyagers. The Discoverers was published in 1994 and gives an enlightening historical account of the life of voyagers that sailed across the seven seas hoping to find new worlds accompanied by the promise of riches and adventure. The genre has had an everlasting phenomenon on African culture with other Authors such as Joseph Conrad reaching critical acclaim for their work in books such as the Heart of Darkness and Victory. The literature has directed the African continents historical path, and an interesting fact about the book is that it highlights the how legitimate traders fell into the trap of acquiring quick riches through the slave trade.
The book is centered around the crusades, in 1453 when Constantinople fell to the forces of Mohammed II. The defeated Christians characters embark on individual voyages. Some motivated by honor, greed, revenge and glory. The literature is informative yet provocative in its description of pre-colonial African culture. With some of the characters admiring the exotic and rich culture of African people, while other characters see Africans nothing but godless savages and heathens who have created nothing of any historical value.
The literature is undoubtedly influenced by the likes of Conrad, however there are certain elements in the book that are very informative as the reader is taken on a journey of discovery through the eyes of the explorer.
Ayanda Mdluli
Independent Newspapers, 31 March 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Soul-Jah Who Never Dies
They told him he never cried when he was born like the other babies of this world. His struggle has always been defined by conflict, which is why he refers to himself as a Soul-Jah. Not your professional soldier like those fighting in the Iraqi war, or mercenaries from Executive Outcomes, but the Soul of Jah, a proud member of the army of Christ. He is the soldier of society fighting a war against racism, oppression, poverty and HIV/AIDS. Through Gods guidance, he has outlived many of his peers and has overcome those who have tried to change his perspective and eradicate his belief in an after life and the inevitable Day of Judgment and Armageddon.
It’s a lovely Easter Sunday morning at the beach in the beautiful suburb of Sea Point in Cape Town. He sits on a rock and stares into the horizon. His dreadlocks are blowing east in the direction of the sunrise, chanting biblical songs while beating his drum with his palms and fingers. He is the raw breed, the years of pain and experience on face gave that away. The wrinkles on his face tell a different story, they said he is the no nonsense kind, very opinionated and would never renounce what he truly believes in. The wrinkles also said that he was selfish yet giving, loving but hateful, forgiving yet resentful. He is made up of different hypocritical characters that define your average poverty stricken Joe Public.
He agrees that who he is, reflects on the way he treats other people. He tries to be as honest as he can in his interaction with society. He notes that it is difficult, especially when he goes to bed on an empty stomach. Righteousness is his philosophy, with an empty stomach and all; defiant till the end and unfazed by the glitz and glamour the demons of the world throw at his feet. As he explains his position in a cut throat world, full of people who renounce Christ socially and academically, the wrinkles on his face change from that of pain and experience, to that of an undiscovered wisdom that makes South Africa such a beautiful country.
It’s a lovely Easter Sunday morning at the beach in the beautiful suburb of Sea Point in Cape Town. He sits on a rock and stares into the horizon. His dreadlocks are blowing east in the direction of the sunrise, chanting biblical songs while beating his drum with his palms and fingers. He is the raw breed, the years of pain and experience on face gave that away. The wrinkles on his face tell a different story, they said he is the no nonsense kind, very opinionated and would never renounce what he truly believes in. The wrinkles also said that he was selfish yet giving, loving but hateful, forgiving yet resentful. He is made up of different hypocritical characters that define your average poverty stricken Joe Public.
He agrees that who he is, reflects on the way he treats other people. He tries to be as honest as he can in his interaction with society. He notes that it is difficult, especially when he goes to bed on an empty stomach. Righteousness is his philosophy, with an empty stomach and all; defiant till the end and unfazed by the glitz and glamour the demons of the world throw at his feet. As he explains his position in a cut throat world, full of people who renounce Christ socially and academically, the wrinkles on his face change from that of pain and experience, to that of an undiscovered wisdom that makes South Africa such a beautiful country.
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