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!"

NURSES TAKE STAGE

Sthembiso Sithole

@SITHOLEEXPRESS

South Africa’s largest hospital hosted Mr and Miss Chris Hani Baragwanath 2012 that was held at Chris Hani’s Baragwanath Hospital Recreational Hall.

Celeb Makahubalo and Thando Dudludlu crowned
Mr and Miss Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital

Student nurses gathered in their numbers as they looked lavish to witness their new King and Queen.

The event was aimed to boost student’s confidents about their bodies and to relax their minds as they spend most of their time studying. This is according to Londiwe Ntuli,Chris Hani Hospital project officer.

“Today’s event, we want our students to feel confident with their bodies, especially ladies. We want our students to have fun as they work hard in their studies.”

Celeb Makahubalo and Thando Dudludlu were crowned Mr and Miss Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital after entertaining the judges with their swim and formal wear attires.

Thando Dudludlu said she entered for the competition in last minutes but she is glad to have won the pageant.

“I feel overwhelmed and excited that I won to be Miss Chris Hani hospital 2012. I took my chance to enter for the competition in last minutes and I managed to take it,” Dudludlu said.

1st prince and Princess were Karabelo Sempe and Perseverance Tshabalala.  Mojalefe Maselela and Sibahle Mthembu were crowned 2rd prince and princess.

Making the pageant more interesting, organisers decided to add other categories such as Mr Money, Ms Fit nurse and Ms Fun, Fully and figured also known as Ms Fohloza.

President of Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital Nursing College, Patrick Lekala said the event was a success and hopes that next year it will grow big.

“We did not have sponsors but the event managed to succeed.  We hope next year things will grow big.”

While judges looked keen to the contestants, the crowed was screaming to the music that Dj Tisetso Bokgutso played.

Former Mr and Miss Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital Tshepiso Moitsheki and KeleabetsweDumpe walked on stage to say their goodbye as they make way to the new Mr and Miss Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

MY EXPERIENCE AT FJP

Sthembiso Sithole
@SITHOLEEXPRESS

Studying Journalism at Tshwane University of Technology is a great experience that led me being chosen to be part of Future Journalists Programme in Grahamstown.

FJP is a great programme that I believe has changed my life as a journalism student. It has opened my mind about the media landscape in Africa. Today I know how the western media push its own ideology in the African continent.

Yesterday we watched a short film Kony 2012 that was created by Invisible Children, Inc. It is aimed at raising awareness about Joseph Kony and the crimes that he committed in Uganda.

2012 FJP peers in the news

Everybody has dreams, my dreams are big and I can’t stop dreaming. One of the reasons why I chose journalism, it is because I want to tell those untold stories. I want to be the first to break that story. Yes, you got it right; I want to be the best in the media game.

When I was chosen to be part of FJP, I told myself that this is the time for me to grow and meet new people. I met fellow journos who have passion and love for journalism. I learned a lot from them as they expressed their views about different issues that are facing South Africa and how journalists can bring change.

First day; we learned about news writing and that was one of the sessions I enjoyed. Rhodes University lecturer Simwogerere Kyazze taught us about different ways and methods in writing for news. He emphasized the need for one to write for readers not him/herself.

One of the things that I realized about journalism, it needs someone with passion, talent, love and enthusiasm for it. FJP was a better place for me to discover my strength and weakness as a journalism student.

We were given a task to do vox pops about ‘My Democracy My write’. That was interesting because we went to the streets of Grahamstown.  We asked residents about the healthcare system in public and private hospitals. I must say they were welcoming and that made things easy for us.

Podcasting is one of the things that I am taking with me from this programme. It felt great to know that I can take my radio work in the internet. I think that makes things easy for people to hear my work and that will improve my chances of getting an internship next year. 

Don’t die this Easter, urges MEC

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KUTLWANO OLIFANT, STHEMBISO SITHOLE, ANGELIQUE SERRAO and KARABO SEANEGO

 

DON’T become a road death statistic this Easter. That’s the message from Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Ismail Vadi, who was speaking yesterday at the 2012 Easter Road Safety Campaign launch in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Community Safety.

“We urge road users to obey the rules of the road and take necessary precautions to ensure that their vehicles are in a roadworthy condition,” said Vadi.

“The message is straight-forward – don’t become a road death statistic during this period. Make road safety everybody’s responsibility.”

Vadi asked pedestrians to make use of pedestrian crossings, or cross a road where it’s safe to do so.

And both Vadi and Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko warned motorists not to overload vehicles, to take rest breaks every two hours and to be courteous towards fellow road users.

Mazibuko said the unveiling of the campaign complemented the national launch presided over by Minister of Transport S’bu Ndebele in KwaThema, Springs, on March 18.

There were 272 road fatalities in Gauteng this past December.

Mazibuko said camps had been established at various locations in the province, including Moloto Road, the N1 at Wallmansthal and the N3 and N14 Petro Port Total garages. Motorists could get information and assistance and were encouraged to use filling stations to rest when tired.

Earlier, dozens of taxi drivers at the Faraday taxi rank fled as both MECs paid a surprise visit. Mazibuko said five taxis were confiscated.

Meanwhile, the Automobile Association has warned motorists that this Easter weekend will be a busy one despite rising fuel costs.

AA spokesman Gary Ronald said they were expecting the N1 to Polokwane would be the busiest route as Zion Christian Church members make their way to Moria.

The N3 and N4 will carry a lot of traffic from tomorrow morning until midday on Friday, as will the N1 and N2 to and from Cape Town.

Ronald warned motorists to be safety conscious while making their journeys and recommended that these easy steps be taken: plan your route; adhere to the six-second following-distance rule; have a rest break every 200km or two hours; adjust your speed to the prevailing conditions; and buckle up.

Traffic officials are gearing up for the Easter rush and are not taking anything for granted.

The Tshwane metro police department (TMPD) has come up with an extensive operational plan that will see it collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams comprising the SAPS, SAPS Air Wing, cross-border patrols, the Gauteng traffic police and the Road Traffic Management Corporation.

“Focal areas will include vehicle fitness, driver fitness, drunk driving, moving violations, excessive speed and overloading,” said TMPD spokesman Console Tleane.

There will be highly visible patrols and systematic checkpoints on the N1, N14, N4, Moloto Road, R80 (Mabopane highway) and R101 (Old Warmbaths Road).

“The SAPS’s Air Wing will patrol highways during peak hours on April 5-9. Sporadic air patrols will also be conducted throughout the weekend. Motorists are asked to be patient at toll gates as high volumes of vehicles are expected during peak hours,” said Tleane.

This belongs to THE STAR NEWSPAPER.

FJP 2http://soundcloud.com/sthembiso-sithole