Veteran journalist Mathatha Tsedu cautioned the public against forgetting the past because, he said, by forgetting the past, we run the risk of repeating its mistakes and horrors.
Tsedu was addressing invited guests, members of the media, traditional leaders and businesspeople during a remembrance ceremony that was held in honour of journalists who had died over the past 17 years. The ceremony was held at the Babylon Resort in Thohoyandou last Saturday (17 September). The lives and work of five local journalist, namely Elijar Mushiana (1973 – 2014), Wikus Lee (1955 – 2020), Richard Mmbi (1973 – 2016), Robert Nevhulaudzi (1965 – 2010) and Alpheus Siebane (1953 – 2005) were highlighted and a special plaque, engraved with their names, was unveiled.
During his speech, Tsedu said: "Although it is important for us to move forward, today we choose to remember and honour the lives and contributions of these five journalists from our region with whom we have worked with in various publications and other platforms. We are here to pay tribute to these gallant soldiers of this industry who served their communities."
He said the departed journalists had laid a strong foundation for the current crop of journalists. "Journalism is about verified information; it is not about gossip. Those of you still active in the field have a major responsibility to ensure that the legacies of those we honour today do not get defiled by the actions of gossipmongers presenting themselves as journalists. We have a duty to uphold the ethical and dogged search that permeated the good work of our fellow deceased journalists," said Tsedu.
Representing local media houses, Mr Anton Van Zyl from Zoutnet Publishers, from where most of the deceased journalists launched their careers, thanked the organisers for putting up such a historic event. "The journalists we are remembering here today sacrificed everything for the sake of their careers at a time when things were very difficult in the journalism industry," he said.
Van Zyl brought along some iconic historic cameras to illustrate how difficult operating yesteryear used to be, which still did not prevent the photographers and journalists from producing some exceptional work. He showed the guests the type of cameras used by people such as Sam Nzima (who took the famous Hector Pietersen photo in 1976) and Peter Magubane. "The fact that you have a modern camera does not make you a good photographer, just as the fact that you can post your work online does not make you a good reporter," he said. Van Zyl said just as they should respect the old cameras that taught them the basics of photography, they should respect the journalists who had laid the foundation for so many journalists who followed.
Traditional leader Vhamusanda Vho-Mudzulathungo Mmbi, who spoke on behalf of the families of the remembered journalists, said they appreciated the great initiative of remembering their loved ones. "We initially thought our dear family members had been forgotten, but today we are assured that their legacy lives on. This clearly demonstrates what a tremendous impact they had on so many people's lives while they were still here on earth."