Condolences are pouring pour in after the deaths of stalwart journalist and anti-apartheid activist Enoch Duma,88, on Thursday after a long illness and Athule Mazulu, a young community media journalist.
Duma, the son of a Baptist minister and born in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, worked his way up from court reporting in his hometown to working on a national newspaper.
He started working for the Post in Durban and later moved to City Post in Johannesburg where he focused on crime reporting, especially gangsterism in the city.
Veteran journalist Ike Segola described Duma as “a stalwart of black journalism” in South Africa.
He said Duma was among a band of trailblazing black journalists of the bygone years who had put a stamp on the ability of black newsmen — who operated under overwhelming odds.
“Duma can be remembered as one of the pioneers in the former The World and The Golden City Post. He was among the first black journalists to work for the newly launched Rand Daily Mail Extra and later The Sunday Times Extra editions. His reports always featured prominently in these papers,” said Segola.
Thami Mazwai, a researcher on small business, former newspaper editor and anti-apartheid activist, said he remembered Duma as a very approachable senior journalist who guided young journalists like himself.
“He was one of the gifted and graphic writers. The youth of today should look up to him for his role in journalism,” he said.
Duma worked with legendary writers such as Can Themba, Henry Nxumalo, Nat Nakasa, Doc Bikitsha, Casey Motsisi, Joe Thloloe, Phil Mthimkhulu, Jubi Mayet, Sophie Tema, Nomavenda Mathiane, Stanley Motjuwadi, Benjamin Pogrund, Patrick Mackenzie and many other celebrated journalists.
He was arrested numerous times and spent nine months in prison.
He went into exile in the US with his wife Kitty.
He was a prime mover in the divestment campaign — encouraging US firms to pull out of South Africa — that helped usher in the end of apartheid.
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) said it was also sad to hear of 32-year-old Mazulu's death.
According to her sister Zintle, she was taken to a hospital complaining about stomach pain.
“On Monday they took her to Tygerberg Hospital, she passed away on Wednesday. She was a mother to us as we grew up without parents, she was a hard worker,” said Zintle.
Siphiwo Nkonki, news manager for Cape Town Daily News, said the organisation's news team and Cape Town TV were devastated by the loss of someone so young with so much life and living ahead of her.
Sanef sent condolences to the families and colleagues of both journalists.
“Their deaths are a great loss to the media fraternity and will be sorely missed,” it said.
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Media fraternity mourns deaths of two journalists
Image: 123RF/DANIL CHEPKO
Condolences are pouring pour in after the deaths of stalwart journalist and anti-apartheid activist Enoch Duma,88, on Thursday after a long illness and Athule Mazulu, a young community media journalist.
Duma, the son of a Baptist minister and born in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, worked his way up from court reporting in his hometown to working on a national newspaper.
He started working for the Post in Durban and later moved to City Post in Johannesburg where he focused on crime reporting, especially gangsterism in the city.
Veteran journalist Ike Segola described Duma as “a stalwart of black journalism” in South Africa.
He said Duma was among a band of trailblazing black journalists of the bygone years who had put a stamp on the ability of black newsmen — who operated under overwhelming odds.
“Duma can be remembered as one of the pioneers in the former The World and The Golden City Post. He was among the first black journalists to work for the newly launched Rand Daily Mail Extra and later The Sunday Times Extra editions. His reports always featured prominently in these papers,” said Segola.
Thami Mazwai, a researcher on small business, former newspaper editor and anti-apartheid activist, said he remembered Duma as a very approachable senior journalist who guided young journalists like himself.
“He was one of the gifted and graphic writers. The youth of today should look up to him for his role in journalism,” he said.
Duma worked with legendary writers such as Can Themba, Henry Nxumalo, Nat Nakasa, Doc Bikitsha, Casey Motsisi, Joe Thloloe, Phil Mthimkhulu, Jubi Mayet, Sophie Tema, Nomavenda Mathiane, Stanley Motjuwadi, Benjamin Pogrund, Patrick Mackenzie and many other celebrated journalists.
He was arrested numerous times and spent nine months in prison.
He went into exile in the US with his wife Kitty.
He was a prime mover in the divestment campaign — encouraging US firms to pull out of South Africa — that helped usher in the end of apartheid.
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) said it was also sad to hear of 32-year-old Mazulu's death.
According to her sister Zintle, she was taken to a hospital complaining about stomach pain.
“On Monday they took her to Tygerberg Hospital, she passed away on Wednesday. She was a mother to us as we grew up without parents, she was a hard worker,” said Zintle.
Siphiwo Nkonki, news manager for Cape Town Daily News, said the organisation's news team and Cape Town TV were devastated by the loss of someone so young with so much life and living ahead of her.
Sanef sent condolences to the families and colleagues of both journalists.
“Their deaths are a great loss to the media fraternity and will be sorely missed,” it said.
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Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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