Beating around the Bosch

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Dear Reader,

Our world strives for excellence. Whether it be in the realm of academics, sport, science or monetary gain – human beings always look forward, never satisfied with how far they have come and seeing only an ever-expanding hole of potential.

In this forward-moving world the job of a journalist is ambiguous. Achieving excellence within the profession of journalism means that we must be successful in our representation of the excellence (and demise) of others. The practice of putting others on the stage means that we often go unnoticed and, when we do draw attention to ourselves, it probably means we have failed dismally. 

Journalism is characterised by contrary forces – one being our innate human desire to excel and move forward, and the other requiring us to remain impartial and put our own self interest aside.

So, while we revel in the successes of Olympic champions and others currently in the spotlight, let us consider the successes of those who put them there. Am I comparing the profession of journalism to an Olympic feat? Perhaps that would be a bit of an exaggeration, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that, at times, the pen resembles a javelin, editing, a fierce game of tug of war, and fact-checking, a nail-biting round of archery, requiring arrow-like precision. 

So, as you stare blankly at your television screens, not knowing what to do with yourself this weekend after the end of the Games, here is another round of Olympic mind-blowing just for you.

From Today: Pieter du Toit, The author of The Stellenbosch Mafia, has led investigations into the Phala-Phala burglary, Eskom, and Paul Mashatile, our deputy president. He is perhaps the most solid link between the South African people and the higher-ups, having interviewed every South African President since democracy (except Nelson Mandela) and maintaining connections with powerful business people.

From far away: Hu Shuli is a Chinese journalist and founder of Caixin Media. She is one of the most respected journalists in a country that is notorious for state control of the media. In 2011, she was listed as the 87th most powerful women in the world and was one among the Top 100 Influential People listed by Time magazine. She was also known as “the most dangerous woman in China” (best title of them all, I think) and is renowned for her fierce investigative work which has exposed corruption and fraud by Chinese officials. 

From the past: Henry Nxumalo was considered by many as Drum Magazine’s star, a publication founded in 1951 that became the antithesis of South African press, eventually spreading beyond South African borders to the rest of Africa. He often risked his life for his investigative reporting.

Nicola Amon, newsletter editor

Visual of the Week

📸Some BTS from SMF News’ Eugene Marais:

My news story was about a Maties student who made the South African under-23 basketball team. The only problem was that she was playing for them in Uganda, so I had to get creative with my visuals. I asked Nic, another SMF News journalist, if I could borrow his basketball. Ubaid, our multimedia editor, and I took it to the university’s indoor basketball court. Then came problem number two; the court’s doors were locked. In pouring rain, we walked over to the outdoor court and waited for the rain to dry up. While we waited, we started messing around and playing some basketball for fun. I snapped this picture of the ball near the end of the court after Ubaid completely missed a three-pointer, and I learnt two important lessons: the best photos are often taken in the spur of the moment, and basketball is hard.

📚Good reads from SMF News this week📚

Investigation ongoing after vandalism at Paradyskloof water treatment plant

Sherie Vollenhoven spoke to Stuart Grobbelaar, the Stellenbosch Municipality spokesperson, after a formal criminal investigation was launched into the vandalism at Stellenbosch Municipality’s water treatment facility in Paradyskloof. Captain Natalie Martin of the Stellenbosch SAPS confirmed that a case of “malicious damage to property” was opened by the municipality.

New benchmark for SA fine wine investment

A new fine wine index developed by a researcher at SU will provide a benchmark for investors interested in wine as an alternative asset. Kara le Roux spoke to Dr Mesias Alfeus, lecturer at SU’s department of statistics and actuarial sciences, on his research into the investment potential of wine.

Local fire academy launches “groundbreaking” training technology

The Cape Winelands Fire Academy launched a new offline training system to improve training efficiency. Nicola Amon spoke to Heinrich Louw, regional commander for training at the academy, about the system that was implemented on 12 August.

🎶What we’re listening to:

Word of the Week

Innocuous

~Not likely to give offense or arouse strong feelings or hostility

If our questions remain innocuous, so too will our impact