Journalism is a diverse career and the constitutional mandate to inform the Nation cannot be fulfilled by one journalist hence the advocacy for media pluralism and diversity.
Shortly after KwaZulu Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi exposed the political interference in the operations of the South African Police Service (SAPS) with allegations linking Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and alleged crime boss Vusumuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala, Times editor and top journalist Mbongseni Ndzimandze investigated Matlala and discovered that, he was in possession of an alleged fraudulent Eswatini Identity Document (ID).
The ‘Cat’ Matlala story was not only timely but, it went on to dominate the public discourse and created a framework of debates within the South African Parliament and other public accountability institutions in that country.
As a result, Ndzimandze won cash and electronic gadgets amounting to over fifty thousand Rands (R50,000.00) during the recent Eswatini Media Awards for his outstanding journalism work.
But I was surprised to read some comments in our Journalists Association Whatsap Group, other reporters are questioning how Ndzimandze and other journalists won.
This is the mentality that delayed the growth of some journalists, some have worked for more than twenty (20) or thirty (30) years but their journalism career is still stagnant and/or without any significant growth.
As a journalist, you lose absolutely nothing by saying “well done” to a winner because in any competition, others win while others lose but, the greatest winner in this regard, is “journalism” not individuals.
Ndzimandze investigated the story and some of us including the South African media subsequently conducted further investigations and published follow-up stories, the winner here is the journalist who first published the story and we must allow him to enjoy the benefits that comes with the awards.
In my over 20 years experience as a journalist, I have learned how jealous have delayed the progress of good and skilled journalists in Eswatini, even if you can be a good journalist, once you conclude that journalism “starts and ends with you”, then you will have a serious problem.
Journalism “was there before you and, the media as an institution, will continue to exist even after you”, this must ring inside the heads of all journalists who are jealous of the recent winners.
The hosting of the Media Awards is a great win to journalism and we herby congratulate all winners and wish them continued growth in the media industry, some of us want to leave a strong and vibrant media when taking retirement.
Equally so, we express gratitude to all corporate sponsors for supporting the media through the Journalists Association and Eswatini Editors Forum.
But in conclusion, let me urge all journalists in the country to be loyal to journalism as a career, Times editor Mbongseni Ndzimandze’s win is actually a win to journalism and therefore, we must remember that we are serving the public not pushing individual interests.
Shortly after we published “Times editor Mbongseni Ndzimandze win” story, former South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Foreign editor Sophie Mokoena and other top journalists in South Africa re-posted the story on X appreciating the win.
But some fellow Eswatini journalists are bitter after a fellow colleague won, it’s sad to see journalists who have worked for so many years, being stagnant akukhululwe letinhlitiyo kwentiwe umsebenti welive.
Times editor Mbongseni Ndzimandze.