Young people follow in the steps of Nat Nakasa

@SITHOLEEXPRESS
 

Winner of the Nat Nakasa essay competition Sbongakonke Mbatha, with the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mathatha Tsedu and KZN Premier Senzo Mchunu

The Nat Nakasa Essay Competition will help journalism students to know more about Nat Nakasa.

Speaking in an interview with SABC Digital News, Arts and Culture spokesperson, Sandile Memela says: “He (Nat) was a young journalist himself; it was agreed that we should run an essay competition that is specifically directed at drawing the attention of young media or journalism students to get to know Naka Nakasa and his significance and impact on journalism.”

In honour of Nakasa’s significant contribution to journalism,  The department of Arts and Culture partnered with Sanef to give three university students a chance to win journalism internships. To qualify, students had to submit a 600 word essay explaining how the work of Nat Nakasa inspired them as aspiring journalists to be the best in their field.

The three winning essays had to display writing flair and show that the contestants are familiar with the works of Nakasa. Winners were selected by a panel of independent judges and members of Department of Arts and Culture staff.

The winners were  announced during the Nat Nakasa lecture at the Moses Mabhida stadium on Friday night by Director General of Arts and Culture, Sibusiso Xaba.

Arts and Culture Minister NathiMthethwa, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu and Sanef Executive editor Mathatha Tsedu handed laptops and certificates to winners Sbongakonke Mbatha, Qiniso Mbili and Nkamogelang Lebeloane. They also qualified for the Sanef supported internships.

Mbatha says: "She is grateful that her essay was selected. I am a creative person. I wrote my piece in last minutes. Nakasa had his struggle and my struggle is to liberate my writing."

The three-month long internship is tenable at participating South African media houses during the course of 2015. During the internships, the three students will acquire invaluable journalistic skills and learn from some of the best practitioners of the craft.

Nakasa left South Africa in 1964 on an exit permit; he would not be allowed to return to the country. He accepted a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard at the age of 28, and died the following year in New York.

Nakasa, whose body was exhumed from the Ferncliff Cemetery in the US, will be reburied on September 13, at the Heroes' Acre in Chesterville north of Durban. Nakasa's remains were repatriated to South Africa a month ago.

Memela says Nakasa’s return coincides with the 20 years anniversary celebrations of democracy and freedom.

This article first appeared on SABCNews site.  It was done by Sthembiso Sithole (@SITHOLEEXPRESS) on Twitter.