Sthembiso Sithole

@SITHOLEEXPRESS

                         African Reporting Brought to the Spot Light

The issue of how the media reports on African stories has always been a discussion that media practitioners, journalists, government officials and ordinary citizens have always discussed.

The International Relation and Cooperation in partnership with Oresego Holdings hosted a second Media and Communications Colloquia titled “Telling the African Story: Presenting the Continent to the world”. The event was held at OR Tambo Building, Pretoria on 21 May.

Minister of Home Affairs addressing
at Media Communication Colloquia

Different media practitioners, journalists and government officials such as The Star Editor Makhudu Sefara, political adviser to the presidency Charles Nqakula and Minister of Home Affairs and former Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma was amongst those who attended the event.

“What is story telling? How to tell it in your advantage? Those are the questions that were asked by Koffi  Kouakou a senior lecturer and programme convener at the Wits University Public and Development Management during the debate about how media reports on Africa.

The debate was on, as the panel debated some of the challenges that are faced in the African media landscape. One of those challenges that were debated are ownership of the media and what influences the stories that editors chose when running their publications and news bulletins.

Charles Nqakul, Mandy Rossouw
and Makhudu Sefara

 Nqakula expressed his views on the media reports about Africa. “The story that we are carrying is about failure. The president cannot read his speech that is a story.”         

Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma also took part in the debate were she made her remarks about the theme of the Colloquium. She spoke about the need to tell African and South African stories.

In her opening remarks she said “Telling a story should be our collective responsibility media and all of us.”

“There is a saying that says as long as lions don’t have historians the story will be told by the hunter, we should tell our own story,” Dlamini said.

Mail& Guardian political reporter Mandy Rossouw responded to the remarks that were made by Nqakula that the media reports mostly about negative things that are taking place within government while there are good things that are done e.g. opening clinics and so on.

“Why should we congratulate what the government is supposed to do while my editor does not congratulate me when coming to work?”

The audience were also given a platform to ask questions and one of the questions that were asked was what can journalism schools do to ensure that journalism students are taught about the need to tell African stories.

Other debating panels were Tsepiso Makwetla PM Live presenter an Mzilikazi Wa Afrika and Profesor Pippa Green.

 Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma also urged young journalists to report about African stories

 “Young journalist should be inquisitive and should want to find out for themselves and not write down stories they hear from other people. They should find out for themselves, they should tell stories themselves and should be proud themselves to be Africans.

                                                                          

RADIO PRODUCER TAKES EDUCATION SERIOUS

Radio producer and presenter with more than four qualifications Marcia Lebambo believes that hard work pays. 

Marcia Lebmabo in her third graduation
at TUT, Gencor Hall



Lebambo was born and raised in Bushbuckbridge, Mpumalanga before she moved to Pretoria to fulfil her dreams.

Lebambo is a current affairs show producer and presenter at TUT FM Live@ 6. The radio station is based at Tshwane University of Technology, Soshanguve.

According to Lebambo, she enjoys informing the community about news and things that are taking place in their area.

“Reporting and informing the community is what I enjoy most in the show. We discuss different issue that affects them and we invite different guests for different departments to help bring solutions about the challenges that the community faces.

In 2004 Lebambo completed her matric at Skhukuza SeniorSchool and passed Business management and Economics with distinctions.

Lebambo said she always desired to further her studies but because of financial reasons she thought her dreamswon’t come true until she had a word with her principal Mr Letswalo

“I went to the principal to enquire where I can further my studies and get funds.”

She added that she wrote a letter for different universities after the principal gave her a contact book with different university addresses.

“I wrote for different universities but only TUT responded. I wanted them to accept me after I have upgraded my economics and mathematics,” Lebambo explained.

Lebambo said she initially planned to study for journalism but her parents couldn’t afford to pay for registration fees before the closing date.

Through that she lost her chances of being registered as a student journalist. She had to wait for her parents to get money at the end of the month so that she can register for another course.

In 2005 Lebambo managed to secure her space and registered on time for Administration management. She added that she told herself that after this qualification, she would enrol for another qualification.

“My aim was to enrol for more than one qualification. On my first year I passed all my subjects with distinctions.”

During her first year, Lebambo was an active student as she participated in many activities such as political structure Azania Student Convention, debate team, residents committee and TUT FM 96.2.

“I told myself that Ihave to participate in different activities beside my studies. I didn’t want to be an ordinary student,” Lebambo said.

During her first year, she started volunteering at TUT FMas she saw radio as a good platform to develop her communication skills.

“I saw radio as platform to developmy communication skills.”

In 2008 Lebambo registered for a B-Tech in Strategic Management before she got a job as a resident assistant at Tshwane University of Technology.

At the age of 20-years –old she became a permanent TCE 1 resident’s manager.

In 2010 Lebambo went an extra-mile to register for masters in Entrepreneurship with Tshwane University of Technology.

“The whole last year I was busy with my masters but I did half of it. I am happy that I will be finishing it this year,” Lebambo said.

Lebambo also has a certificate in Business Communication from UNISA and another B-Tech in Public Management.

According to Lebambo she saw education as her only friend.

 “I am not from a good background that is why I took education as my friend. I don’t have a friend that can change my life. The only friend that can change my life is education,” Lebambo said.

Lebambo won several awards such as awarded for being best resident’s manger in the year 2008.

Recently Lebambo visited her previous school to propose a project were she would be offering career guidance.

“I went back to where I did matric and proposed that I will visit them during my spare time and offer career guidance and other things that might take learners to the next level,” Lebambo concluded.

MY VIEWS ABOUT THE SECRECY BIILL 

STHEMBISO SITHOLE

@SITHOLEEXPRESS

The Protection Information Bill has made every South African citizen and the world at large talking about the proposed bill.

 As a budding media scholar, I have read and heard what the ANC ruling party has to say about the bill and why they believe it should be included in our constitution. I share the same sentiment with Youth for African Media for their views and hard work about what many regarded as a secrecy bill.

YAM is a student organization aimed at promoting good governance, access to information and fighting against any attempts to thwart media freedom and the rights which are enshrine in the Constitution.

The ANC government is trying to hide information from us South African citizens about the things that are taking place internal and external. That is why they even went an extra mile to propose that one might face a 15-year jail sentence if found to have acted in contravention.

The issue of the matter is that, this bill is not in the public interest but it is taking South Africa in the dark era of Apartheid. This means that no one will have access to government matters, including the misuse of fortune.

That is way I was and still one of those in the forefront against this secrecy bill.

On the 19 October 2011 I was one of those who celebrated the Media Freedom day.  FACEBOOK:

“Power to MEDIA FREEDOM, Power. Viva media houses viva. Today I am celebrating MEDIA FREEDOM DAY. Please join me by posting your comments, expressing your views about this proposed secrecy bill. Power to journalists and their editor’s power. Expose corruption, Expose!"