Addressing failures, mental health and wellness of students, among motivations for the changes.

The faculty of health sciences will be implementing changes to the Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP) curriculum for fifth-year students in 2020 to address the assessment burden for staff and students and student wellness.

GEMP is a programme that allows graduate students to get into medicine at third-year level if they meet certain minimum requirements stipulated by the faculty. This gives students the opportunity to complete their undergraduate medical studies in a period of four years.

According to Dr Mantoa Mokhachane, a senior lecturer and the director of the Unit for Undergraduate Medical Education (UUME), the changes aim to address the assessment burden for staff and students, student mental health, student failures by April, internship placements, and the disconnect between GEMP 1 and 2 (third and fourth-year) and between GEMP 3 and 4 (fifth and sixth-year).

The proposed change will remove end-of-term assessments for each rotation and introduce an end-of-year exam inclusive of four theory papers instead of seven, which will have a 40% weighting. The examinations will be administered by UUME. A six-week remedial block will also be instituted. If a student has failed a single unit (for example, paediatrics, internal medicine or surgery), they will have three attempts to improve in that unit.

The current GEMP 3 curriculum consists of seven clinical rotations with one theory class running concurrently. End-of-term assessments are written for each rotation and administered by the relevant department within the faculty. Six end-of-year exams are also written based on theory with a total weighting of 60%.

Peter Carides, a fifth-year student said the biggest concern he has with the curriculum is “the disconnect between the theory years (GEMP 1 and 2) and the practical years (GEMP 3 and 4)”.

“Going from four years of study in a purely academic environment into fifth-year was a massive culture shock. The teaching does not prepare us adequately. I am not saying this as a criticism of the quality of teaching we received, but of our own mindsets as studying to pass an exam does not teach us to apply information practically,” he said.

Mokhachane said, “We are not changing the curriculum in terms of content or learning outcomes or core competencies; we are improving the assessments and decreasing the load of assessments.”

Students, however, have a different understanding. “It seems that the changes have been made solely to make assessment easier for UUME to the detriment of the students, and at the same time compromise their learning by doubling the workload they need to study,” Carides told Wits Vuvuzela.

A fourth-year student, Zakariyya Kaka, said, “The changes made are positive, however, it is unfair that these changes are made in any case. From talking to fifth and sixth-year students who have looked at the proposed changes and from their personal experience, it looks a lot harder to pass.”

According to Mokhachane, “Medical curricula have to be reviewed and updated regularly in order to meet the needs of the communities that will be served and to keep up with development in technology.”

FEATURED IMAGE: Changes will be introduced to the GEMP 3 and 4 curricula for fifth-year medical students in 2020. Photo: Lwazi Maseko 

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“This will open a lot of doors and at the same time generate pressure but we are ready and Sho Madjozi and I have been working hard to make sure we have more music on the way.”

(Left) Thabo “Tboy da Flame” Moagi and Sho Madjozi in Dar es Salaam for a video shoot from her album, Limpopo Champions League. Photo: Provided

A vacuum teal room, as if to keep the talent from escaping and a mirrored floor to reflect on the artists’ musical journey.

In the centre, South African musical talent, Sho Madjozi, face glistening, pink braids over her face, and a dress with different shades of pink and feathers. A sight similar to a flamingo – a totem of desire, joy, happiness, and power.

The beat comes on with a bass so intense that if you look close enough, you can see the ground shake. Madjozi performs a fusion of South African house music, kwaito and techno, served with a side of ‘you can’t see me’ – world famous wrestler John Cena’s tagline. John Cena is on The Colors Show, but the heavyweight champion is nowhere to be seen.

John Cena is the name of the song Madjozi is performing. As the song reaches the final hook, the beat plays softer and Madjozi, doing the Thuso Phala, goes “Ah Tboy da Flame, Deejay Exit, it’s too much!”

The Colors Show is a music platform by Colors x Studios that publishes music from different artists around the globe with a unique sound to showcase their talent on a global scale. With more than three-and-a-half million subscribers on YouTube and views over 100-million on their channel, Colors published John Cena over a month ago and the song has gained global traction, reaching about four million views, higher than the number of subscribers.

Third-year bachelor of medicine and surgery student, Thabo Moagi, is the “Tboy da Flame” Sho Madjozi is referring to at the end of the Colors video. He produced the John Cena beat.

“I had no idea that [John Cena] would end up on Colors. I am just grateful for the opportunity Sho has given me,” said the 22-year-old Moagi about the beat he produced with Deejay Exit, who also features on multiple songs produced by the Witsie. Moagi has been a producer for Sho Madjozi for about six months.

Moagi described the production of the beat as spontaneous. “The John Cena beat is just another example of the type of gqom music we produce. I like to make it bang harder by always layering my kicks with snares and claps. Then the toms (a tall, narrow drum) give it a boost and more aggressive gqom feel,” Moagi told Wits Vuvuzela.

“Initially, I used to just submit my beats to [Sho Madjozi], then she started giving me more opportunities such as traveling with her to do more work, and eventually, one thing led to another and here we are,” said Moagi, also 22.

Kelechi “Classic Keys” Nwachukwu, a second-year bachelor of medicine and surgery student and producer of visual content for Moagi, said, “Tboy da Flame is a growing name in the music industry and he has worked alongside many great artists. He has matured and is continually perfecting his sound. He is always practicing new beats and concepts and melodies.

“He has definitely grown in stature in terms of producing and creating music. Since his break out song uBaba kaDuduzane, which secured about two million views on You Tube, you can hear the progression to songs with more depth in terms of how they sound sonically and I believe that’s the making of a great artist,” Nwachukwu said.

Appearing on Colors has extended Sho Madjozi’s global reach. Superstars such as Missy Elliot have applauded the 27-year-old, whose real name is Maya Wagerif and the #JohnCenaChallenge (a dance and lyrical challenge about the song) was conceived. Many people around the world including dance companies such as the DWP Academy, local dancer and actress Bontle Modiselle participated in the challenge during her monthly dance classes with over 100 attendees.

Cena has applauded the song multiple times on his social media. The retired wrestler appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday, September 30, where he was challenged by (So You Think You Can Dance America, season seven runner-up) Stephen “tWitch” Boss to dance to the song as part of the #JohnCenaChallenge trending worldwide.

Moagi told Wits Vuvuzela, “[Being published on Colors] will open a lot of doors and at the same time generate pressure but we are ready, and Sho Madjozi and I have been working hard to make sure we have more music on the way. I cannot wait for it to be released.

“I am looking forward to completing my school work. I used to struggle with time management but I do my best to ensure that I never get left behind on my school work. The work is full of opportunities and one has not lived until they fulfil their purpose in life,” the health sciences student said.

FEATURED IMAGE: Thabo “Tboy da Flame” Moagi and Sho Madjozi after their performance in Tanzania for Limpopo Champions League. Photo: Provided

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Focus is on drought at a watermelon farm, with paternity questions thrown in.

A play titled ‘Dipuo: Ngoana wa Tsumo’ will be showcased at the Wits Theatre on Friday, October 4, 2019.

The play is based on a true story of a boy named Dipuo, who stays with his father Pieter, the grounds-man at a watermelon farm that is experiencing drought in Orange Farm.

‘Ngoana wa Tsumo’, describes Dipuo’s character as “the child of storytelling,” said director Themba Dlamini.

The character is portrayed by Hlumie Moloi, a fourth-year theatre and performance student, while Trevor Lynch, a second-year, BA theatre and performance student portrays Dipuo’s father, Pieter.

One of the remarkable aspects of the show is Moloi’s ability to adapt to two different male characters throughout the performance, as she also plays sidekick to Thuso, who is a government official.

Tudor Grants-Peicu (left) and Owethu Ndaza rehearse their perfomance at the Wits downstairs theatre. Photo: Molebogeng Mokoka

“Dipuo” has the ability to bring stories to life and the story captures his life with his father. I love playing the character,” Moloi told Wits Vuvuzela.

The sadness that Dipuo feels is revealed in an emotional scene where he sadly asks Pieter, “Where is mommy and when is she coming back?”

Dipuo then falls asleep during the conversation, which leaves a look on Pieter’s face where it seems he wishes he could provide for Dipuo’s longing for a mother’s love.

Another outstanding scene was the phrase used to describe the water shortage, using the colour of the watermelon.

“Green is what the country needs and red is what we can supply,” said Owethu Ndaza, first-year BA general, who portrays the character of Mokoena, co-owner of the farm, during the perfomance.

The closeness of a father-son relationship is tested with the arrival of a seemingly drunk Bra Biza, who is Pieter’s estranged brother. Looking for work, he is “known for causing havoc wherever he goes,” said Ayanda Tomile, first-year, BA theatre and performance student plays the role of Bra Biza.

Dipuo’s paternity comes into question when information comes to light that Dipuo’s mother, who abandoned the family, had an affair with a Nigerian man when Dipuo was conceived.

“It’s unique to issues and themes engaging political commentary, African storytelling as well as introducing comic relief within a single community,” Dlamini told Wits Vuvuzela.

The outstanding performance of performers to adapt to different scenes while still capturing the attention of audiences keeps the narrative alive.

The play is made possible by Blvck, which is a collaborative theatre collective, founded by Dlamini, Lynch and producer Leboto Moshoeshoe.

“Originally debuted as part of the 2016 RAPS festival, the performance marked the second round of the show, but the first of the Blvck adaptation,” said Martin Grendele who is the administrator behind the play.

Other characters include Theanus, the owner of the farm and Wian who is Dipuo’s best friend, both portrayed by a second-year BSc computer sciences student, Tudor Grants-Peicu.

First-year BA theatre and performance student, Letlotlo Seabela depicts Thuso and Nthuseng, who is Bra Biza’s sidekick.

“We urge people to come and watch. The greatness of theatre is how every performance is never the same, and this is a story that needs to be seen,” Grendele added.

FEATURED IMAGE: Trevor Lynch (left) and Hlumie Moloi in Dipuo, at Wits Theatre. Photo: Molebogeng Mokoka

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Looking at other people’s success and how they are moving towards their goals at a rate faster than yours will come as a form of motivation, but at a certain level, it can push you down even further.

The day I conquered the Wits Edge, beating the lion with the widest smile on my face surrounded by the herd. Photo: File

Five, four, three, two, one… Lift off! Do you ever picture yourself sitting inside a spaceship headed to the moon? Your blood rushing through your veins as you take off – the blistering sound as the engine heating up and you bolt into space? Sounds great doesn’t it?

Now imagine yourself as an antelope that has just spotted a lion headed in your direction and having no choice but to run for your life! Your heart is beating at abnormal speed, adrenaline pumping, and the only thing you can do is run to save yourself. Now, surely you’d dream of being the scientist rocketing into space because he has more chances of seeing another day than spotted prey.

In one way or another, we all find ourselves in situations where we don’t know what to do and our abilities are overwhelmed by all the questions presented in our sub-conscious mind. I am often the antelope in my life, going through every situation, questioning myself and my capabilities to do “the right thing”, or what is expected of me.

I am a young bird finally leaving the nest, soaring high into the sky. I am flying into a new world, filled with brand new opportunities and just as many challenges.

This has been my life recently. Moving out of home came as an amazing opportunity as I had been commuting from the East Rand to Wits University every day since my second year of study.

This new opportunity came along, and the only thing I could do was to put new pressures on myself. Allowing my mind to run wild in deep thoughts of failure and disappointment – disappointing everyone looking at me to succeed and everyone rooting for me.

I have certainly changed my emotional course very quickly. From a beautiful song bird to the antelope filled with fear and anxiety. Often wondering if I could swop places with the pilot. Who am I? Where am I going? How did my route change this quickly and how am I in this position, a situation of life and failure with the vicious lion that is anxiety?

An antelope makes mistakes as it runs away from the lion. This is how it gets caught. But the wise antelope knows not to stray away from the herd to avoid such situations. I have noticed that like all situations, asking for help is the best way.

Do you ever just stop to think and wonder how many obstacles and challenges you’ve had to overcome throughout your entire life and how you always made it through? Do you ever think of how the good always overcomes the bad and how we as human beings are in control of how we react to different situations?

Looking at other people’s success and how they are moving towards their goals at a rate faster than yours will come as a form of motivation, but at a certain level, it can push you down even further.

I have stopped observing the astronaut and I ran as fast as I could. A cloud of dust around my feet as I got back to the herd, panting from the tough run.

The dust will settle for I have stopped looking at the astronaut, because even he, God forbid, may not make it back from the moon.

Anxiety is the outcome of self-doubt and negative thinking, we never stop to think about how capable we are and how the mere thought of positivity and overcoming this vicious lion can actually get us through any situation we find ourselves in.

FEATURED IMAGE: Lineo Leteba. Photo: File

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The fourth industrial revolution is not only a digital disruption of all industries but also a wave of technological innovation to better the way humans interface with technology 

The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) has become a buzz word that is often thrown about and rarely explained. Some understand it as the description of the  wave of technological innovation and some understand it as a technological disruption.  

The term “fourth industrial revolution” was coined by founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab. Schwab described 4IR as a revolution characterised by a combination of technologies that blurs the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres. It is the current and developing environment in which disruptive technologies and trends such as artificial intelligence, robotics and virtual reality are at the forefront.  

According to Schwab, the 4IR unlike other revolutions will bring technological innovation and transformation in almost every aspect of life. There will be technological transformations in medicine and healthcare, financial services sectors, in engineering and education to name but a few. 

Professor Ian Jandrell, dean of the Wits faculty of engineering and the built environment, said that 4IR is a huge technological advancement needed by South Africa.

“Its fascinating how everything will change with 4IR, the possibilities are endless. We often only think about the ‘little’ guys losing their jobs but the ‘big’ guys will also be affected.

“If you take the healthcare sector as a case study, machines to better diagnose patients are being developed to minimise cases of misdiagnosis by doctors. Now people are starting to realise that it is not only the brick-layer who has to fear for his job but top surgeons as well,” Jandrell said.  

According to Jandrell , every sphere of life can be affected by the digital revolution, even the legal fraternity has room for innovation. 

“People are subjective, that we cannot run away from,  so picture technology that checks precedent against the law and prescribes judgement without human bias – that is what 4IR is about. It aims to better the lives of people through technology,” he told Wits Vuvuzela 

Jandrell also added that Africa is a breeding ground for innovation due to its lack of infrastructure.  This means that new, improved and future-focused technology can be adopted. “Creative hubs like Tshimologong are necessary and are too few for the potential harboured by South Africans when it comes to technology and innovation.”

Wits professor Brian Armstrong describes 4IR as technological disruption and is the advent of machines doing cognitive tasks verging on creative tasks.

“The fourth industrial revolution is changing the way we interface between people and the technical world. It literally blurs the lines and that is why people are afraid of it. 

“It [4IR] shifts reality. Think of how our houses can now be fitted with artificial intelligence such as Alexa or Siri. You can preheat an oven at work on your smartphone so that when you get home you just cook your food. This is the direction we are heading towards,” said the secretary of the 4IRSA partnership at the 4IRSA global economy summit.  

From self-driving vehicles to advancements in medicine and advancements in fields of reporting with introductions such as data journalism, the new era will also bring technical and ethical challenges to how societies function. 

Lecturer at the School of Construction Economics and Management, Josephine Llale, says that jobs will not necessarily be lost due to 4IR but they will take a different form.

“Work that can be done more efficiently by machinery will be taken over but new jobs such as urban ecologist, living systems designer,  medical equipment designer, online doctor, medical robot operator and more,” she said. 

Llale also told Wits Vuvuzela that jobs that will most likely be replaced in future are commercial pilots by 55%, healthcare practitioners by 40% and accountants and auditors by 92%, among others. 

“Accountants and retail people are more at risk because work that requires adding up numbers in columns is usually easily automated. Hence banking jobs, cashiers, quantity surveyors are often cited as at most risk,” she said.  

Second year BSc student, Nontuthuko Nyembezi, said she sees “ it [4IR] as an upgrade in technology and the efficiency in the way things are done. This is especially helpful in the schooling environment and the way we learn is now more visual, virtual and interactive.”   

“Because the nature of work is changing, the teaching curriculum needs to change too. Universities are preparing students for a future that does not yet exist or put in another words, for jobs that do not currently exist. It is imperative that universities start embracing the 4IR,” Llale told Wits Vuvuzela. 

FEATURED IMAGE: Communications minister, Stella Ndabeni Abrahams, speaks at the 4IRSA Digital Economy Summit. Photo: Anathi Madubela

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The effects of food insecurity may expand to other areas of a students life.  

Lunchtime at Wits University means different things to different students. While some enjoy their favorite takeouts at the institution’s Matrix building or other food outlets on campus, including dining halls, many others wonder where their next meal is coming from.

Food insecurity can act as an additional burden to students’ academic concerns.

A recent study at the University of the Free State revealed that 64.5% of students at the institution are food insecure, while another one showed that 55% of the students from low income families at the University of KwaZulu-Natal were food insecure.

Vishwas Satgar, a Wits lecturer and activist with the South African Food  Sovereignty Campaign said that while it is difficult to determining the number of food insecure students at Wits, “the institution is not exempt from this problem”.

Sharing these sentiments is Karuna Sigh from the Wits Citizen and Community Outreach programme (WCCO), who said that “hunger, and student hunger specifically, is a national and global challenge which is linked to increased inequality and poverty.

“We have 1000 students on the daily meal programme, and another 3000 through the food bank and gardens,” Singh told Wits Vuvuzela.

The WCCO programme includes a fully equipped communal kitchen where students can cook meals in the evening and seven food gardens around the campus where students can take fresh produce for themselves to supplement the non-perishable food from the food bank which depends on donations from Tiger brands.

“If we do not get any donations we would need at least three-million rand for the Wits Food Bank and three-million rand for the Masidleni daily meal project. We do receive a basic grant from the University Council, but this needs to be supplemented with the amounts mentioned,” Singh said.

“In 2016 when the meal project began, students would queue outside the matrix for a plate of food. We then signed a petition where we requested a space where students could collect their food in a dignified manner. Gourmet chefs are now coming in to help students cook,” Satgar said.

He added that the initiative now includes residences through “food gardens in Sunnyside residence, International house and on West campus to ensure that they provide quality and nutritious food, using spaces that are available”.

A food drive at Wits residence Barnato Hall is also addressing the issue.

“I noticed that students were leaving food at random places on res. Perhaps they had the right intentions when leaving the food, but I guess they just needed a platform, “said Thandiwe Mailula, BEd education, fourth-year student, who is the brains behind the Barnato Food Drive, which took started on Monday, August 5.

“The idea behind this drive is for us residents to assist each other by donating non-perishable food items,” read an email sent to students from the residence’s house committee.

Mailula said that seeing food left at random places within the residence made her think of those who had no access to it.

“It felt as though students were wasting food and personally, I am not a fan of wasting. That is when I approached the Barnato house committee about implementing a food drive initiative.

Barnato residence caters for about 370 students who have a choice between paying for meals on their student account through the dining hall for a maximum amount of R31 528 for about 39 weeks in an academic year, or buying their own groceries, known as the self-catering option.

The dining hall option, combined with a maximum of  R57 720 in  accommodation fees as well as additional tuition fees, could easily reach, if not exceed R100 000 per student per year.

The project is targeted at all students who may need food regardless of whether or not they are self-catering. It also “creates a platform for students to practice their sense of community by taking interest in the needs of others,” Mailula said.

Two boxes, one by the Barnato reception area and another outside the house committee rooms have been placed where students can donate and collect non-perishables food items.

“The box placed outside the house committee rooms is for students who may feel a bit shy about taking food from the drive,” Mailula added.

While these initiatives play a great role in ending hunger, the core of these problems seem to begin with funding and in particular, delays in the payment of NSFAS funding to qualifying students.

However, Kagisho Mamabolo, NSFAS spokesperson said that the delay sometimes occurs from financial aid offices of various institutions.

“It important to note that all universities agreed to administer direct payments of allowances to their students. This means that students from these universities receive their allowances from the institution not from NSFAS,” he said.

According to a statement by the minister of higher education, science and technology Blade Nzimande, NSFAS has funded about 600 000 students at TVET colleges and universities this year.

Qualifying students need to come from a family with a combined annual household income of not more than R350 000 a year; and not more than R600 000 a year if they are living with a disability.

Mamabolo added that there had been no delays in paying students their allowances.

But questions still remain as to whether these allowances are enough to tackle student hunger.

Zizo Ntshawanti, 22, fourth-year BA general, said that while she has been readmitted into the university system since commencing her studies in 2016, her fee statement continues to haunt her.

“I‘ve been on NSFAS since 2016 and I owe the university over R30 000 in outstanding fees. This year I started staying in an off-campus accommodation since my residence reapplication was declined.

“Moving from a catering residence to a self-catering accommodation means that I have to spend money on groceries, stationary and toiletries.

“NSFAS pays me R2 850 after two months, but I have tried to cut costs on food by going to the food bank once,” she told Wits Vuvuzela.

FEATURED IMAGE: Placed by the residence’s reception area, the food drive box makes allowance to either drop-off food for donation and for those who need it to collect it. Photo: Molebogeng Mokoka

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Yoga enthusiasts spice up the 3000-year-old tradition but at the cost of uprooting the practice. 

Yoga is en vogue once again but the latest iterations have come with more celebrity adherents and a host of somewhat useless yoga accessories.

Gomukhasana (meaning cow face) is an intermediate pose that serves to open up the hips. Photo: Stephanie Schaffrath

But as the practice springs up in many unexpected forms and activities, we have to wonder if the death knell of traditional yoga has been sounded. As Karl Lagerfeld once said, “Trendy is the last stage before tacky.”

The core function of the 3000-year-old practice originally lay in the philosophy of therapeutic intervention that is supposed to promote well-being on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level.

Ideally, the practice should incorporate both the mental and physical, but with its increasing popularity, yoga is arguably becoming more of a high-performance, sweat-inducing competitive sport than a spiritual practice.

Hot yoga is one example of this. Hot yoga is performed inside a tent that serves as a sauna, in which temperatures reach around 35 degrees celcius.

It, however, remains unrecognized as a yogic practice by the Yoga Alliance, an international non-profit association that serves to promote the integrity of the yoga practice. This comes despite research finding the practice beneficial to the body.

Yoga is a traditional practice that has been around for thousands of years. Photo: Stephanie Schaffrath

Studies have found that doing a class in such an environment improves flexibility by 10%, elevates one’s heart rate and increases sweat production, which is believed to be a good detox for the body, in addition to supposedly increasing physical exhaustion by a third. “I love the warmth and for me, the cosy feeling just amplifies the whole experience,” said Judith Friese,a hot yoga practitioner.

Friese continued to say that when practicing hot yoga, she feels like she is less likely to get injured because her body is so warm.

“I think heated yoga can be beneficial, especially in colder weather, so long as the students are warned of the risks of going too far (in a stretch), with their joints being a lot looser than they may otherwise be,” warns physiotherapist and clinical Pilates and yoga instructor, Sam Shrosbree, who prefers a more gentle approach to yoga.

While yoga instructor and owner of Living Yoga studio in Craighall Park, Sarah Bentz, acknowledged that people choose a style of yoga that best suits their expectations of the practice, she is also of the opinion that hot yoga deviates from the core belief of what yoga is meant to be.

Vrksasana (meaning tree) is a standing pose that strengthens various muscles in the legs, the chest, and shoulders. Photo: Stephanie Schaffrath.

Bentz does not support the notion of practicing in a tent that is artificially acclimatized.

On the other hand, Bentz supports practicing yoga in alternative spaces, as long as they are natural. She said, “Doing yoga in different spaces can be a great challenge because these spaces challenge yogis in different way.”

In response to the possibility of getting injured in such unfamiliar environments, yoga instructor Jo Gibbon said, “The minute you move your body or do any physical exercise, there is a chance of getting injured.”

Shrosbree pointed out that, despite being more challenging, sometimes natural and more environments can actually be a better way of doing yoga.

“I would rather fall out of a headstand onto grass than into a solid wooden floor,” laughed the 37-year-old Wits alumnus.

FEATURED IMAGE: Gomukhasana (meaning cow face) is an intermediate pose that serves to open up the hips. Photo: Stephanie Schaffrath

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Students and a future in digital marketing. 

Entrepreneurship is typically associated with middle aged men and women, who, either joblessness or choice, opt to set up a business venture to make an income.

But the term has taken on a more youthful connotation in recent times as young people turn to the“side hustle” or participate in the act of “securing the bag”, to make some money even before they enter the job market. 

One of the spaces in which younger people have found entrepeneurship opporuntities is online, on platforms like Youtube where digital marketing has taken root.

 Jared Molko, YouTube brand partnerships led at Google South Africa was reported in a Business Tech article as saying that “70% of South African YouTuber users are from the ages of 18-34” and are dubbed the YouTube generation , also known as ‘Generation C’. Among this generation has emerged a group of entrepreneurs known as influencers. 

 Sive Mbono, a third year BA general student and YouTuber who creates fashion content and uses her channel to upload videos about what to wear on campus and seasonal clothing must-haves is an influencer. “I make money on YouTube by consistently uploading videos that are more than ten minutes and allow advertisements. On Instagram and Twitter, I get paid by the post and the rates differ from brand to brand and the type of content they require,” Mbono said.

“The idea came from watching pioneering influencers like Mihlali Ndamase and Jackie Aina turn their passion for makeup into digital careers, so I did the same, but with fashion.

“Influence” is defined by the Oxford dictionary as meaning “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself.” On digital platforms, the ability to influence is a marketing opportunity for large companies and big brands and for young people to make some money through entrepeneurship.

Pamela Mtanga, campaign manager at Student Village which is marketing agency that “bridges the gap between brands and students,” said influencer marketing is becoming a huge market in the country and that influencers are competing for brand collaborations. “It is word of mouth that lives digitally and word of mouth is the oldest form of marketing so it has to work,” Mtanga added.

 There are a number of ways in which influencers are remunerated for their work, which is not always monetary form, according to Mtanga. One form is that an influencer can charge a set fee for each social media platform they post to.

The second form is called a trade exchange/incentive, which could be in the form of an experience, products or vouchers. Mtanga says that the second monetary form is the cheapest option brands go for because the product is at their disposal and compensation via a product or experience might actually be worth more than a cash payment.

The third is a combination of both forms of compensation, part cash and part incentive  and is usually done when negotiated due to the influencer needs to make use of resources when creating content.

One trend Mtanga has observed in the influencer space is a shift away from the use of celebrities or high-profile influencers to nano influencers (those with a smaller social media following) .  Mtanga says this is because celebrities are sometimes not relatable to the average person. “People want to feel represented and they want to be able to see themselves before making a purchasing decision,” Mtanga added.

Honours in Architecture student, Siphokazi William said she grew up on the internet where she had more friends online than in real life. “I’d watch other YouTubers, and feel close to them as though they were my friends and I wanted that for other people too,” William said.

According to William, the growth of her channel titled Siphokazi William: This is just how I live, has been the biggest reason why she has been able to turn it into an income stream. She has 15 600 subscribers where she shares beauty tips lifestyle tricks and vlogs (video blogs about her everyday life).

“The amount of interaction as well as the amount of time I put into the channel has allowed me to put a price on my passion and my work; however it was knowing the worth of my work that really allowed me to turn it into a form of income” says.

Thato Fox, a Youtuber with 29 400 subscribers, uploaded a video titled “The truth about making money on Youtube”, where she shared her personal journey with the platform and the ways in which it can make money for you.

“Making money on Youtube isn’t easy” Fox says … In terms of adsense (money earned through Youtube placing ads in your videos), there is very little money to be made, especially if you are starting out.

“To budding youtubers, be realistic about your goals. Like any other business, the first year is definitely not the year where you are going to make money. Time, effort and consistency will see you through,” Fox said. 

Young people globally are calling on corporations and the government to take stronger action against climate change.

A call to action, reverberated around the world as four million people took to the streets to march against climate change.

The strike, led by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year old Swedish environmental activist who skipped school every Friday in 2018, ttook place from September 20 to September 27, and included international strikes and protests with demonstrators demanding that action be taken against climate change.

In South Africa the youth protested against companies which stand accused of carbon pollution, and called on the government to take global warming ‘seriously’.

“I am not in school today. I am standing in front of you today, not as an activist but rather as a living organism dying with its home, dying with its planet,” said 17-year-old South African, Anna Conradie who stood outside the offices of Sasol in Sandton on Friday, September 21.

Conradie joined about 300 people in a march against the high levels of and toxic pollution emitted by Sasol as “the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in South Africa and one of the 100 fossil fuel companies linked to 71% of global industrial greenhouse gas emissions since 1988,” according to the 2017 Carbon Majors Report.

The march against Sasol was organised by Cooperative and Policy Alternative Centre (COPAC) and South African Food Sovereignty Campaign (SAFSC). Both parties convened at a roundtable in July and agreed to “target local carbon polluters”.

In her speech, Conradie pleaded, “We [have] disregarded the planet and used it as a credit card with no limit. We have let people chose profit over protection and we ourselves have done so to.”

“While we are dying. It is time we hold our governments accountable, hold corporations accountable as well as hold ourselves accountable. It is time for the corporations and politicians to wake up too,” Conradie said.

At the march, representatives of Sasol accepted a memorandum from the two organisations. Ferrial Adam, a member from COPAC said she hopes Sasol stop investing in coal, “they’ve known about this for years and they haven’t done anything, they’ve attended negotiations but are still polluting, they need to start taking drastic steps”.

Representatives of Sasol receiving the memorandum from Jane Cherry from COPAC. Photo: Lwazi Maseko.

Air pollution and its impact on health

According to COPAC and SAFSC, “about 20 000 people die every year in South Africa from air pollution and there are various respiratory and health problems, including cancers in communities due to toxic air pollution”.

A Wits professor of systems ecology at the Global Change Institute, Bob Scholes, said “air pollution is an increase in the concentration of certain chemicals or particles in the air above the normal background levels to the point where they start damaging people or other organisms”.

The chemical and particles are caused by human activities, but also by natural background sources. These include the “burning of fossil fuels from vehicles, domestic use of stove, industrially heating boiler and petro-chemical processes such as Sasol and the generation of electricity,” Scholes said.

Scholes warned of the danger of the tropospheric ozone saying that while industries don’t produce this ozone, they “produce things that react in the atmosphere to produce tropospheric ozone”.

Sasol has  smoke sacs which emit oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and hydro-carbons. When these two gases are put together and “you shine bright sunlight on to that, in the presence of bright sunlight, those react and the end product is tropospheric ozone,” said Scholes.

According to COPAC and SAFSC, “Sasol emits 67 million tons of carbon a year”, through the production of petrol and diesel by mining coal and converting it to oil, which is referred to as the coal-to-liquids conversion. The 2018 Sasol Sustainability Report said that the company produces a total of 67 412 kilotons of greenhouse gases evidentially.

“Sasol by itself is producing about 17% of South Africa’s complete climate effect,” said Scholes.

‘Carbon Pollution Kills’ chanted protesters. Photo: Lwazi Maseko

Sasol: ‘Carbon polluters’

There are three air pollution hotspots areas in which Sasol’s power plants are located. These areas are “Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area which covers parts of Gauteng and the Free State, the Highveld Priority Area which covers parts of Mpumalanga and Gauteng and the Waterberg-Bojanala Priority Area, which encompasses parts of Limpopo and the Northwest”, according to COPAC and SAFSC.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on behalf of the Department of Environmental Affairs, conducted a health study in the Vaal Triangle “to determine if air pollution levels exceed South African air pollution standards.”

Four power plants in the area were monitored.  and the study collected information from 2013-2015 by measuring the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and particles.

“The measured ambient pollutant concentrations showed that the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter exceeded the standards in some areas,” said the CSIR study.

The study found that the air pollution in the Vaal area was from coal mines, industries, power stations and vehicles.

The groundWork Report of 2017 conducted a study on air pollution and the harmful health impact it has on people living in the Highveld area.

The report, titled ‘The Destruction of the Highveld’ said in the Mpumalanga region, the “burning of coal has enclosed the commons of atmosphere, making it a dirty industrial drain in the sky.”

“At least six decades ago, scientists pointed out that the Highveld was a particularly bad place to burn coal because of the dynamics of the atmosphere,” said the 2017 report.  It added “this did not lead to excluding coal burning industry from the area, but [instead the] massive increase of coal-fired power stations, the location of Sasol 2 and 3 on this coalfield”.

Alex Anderson, senior manager for Group External Communication at Sasol said the company is “is firmly committed to playing our part in transitioning to a lower-carbon economy.”

Anderson told Wits Vuvuzela, “Sasol has taken significant decisions to divert our growth strategy away from further carbon intensive growth paths, and specifically decided on no growth into greenfields Coal-To-Liquids and Gas-To-Liquids, and in new refining capacity”.

Sasol has partnered with North West University (NWU) to develop the ‘green coal project’, which aims to “reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80%,” said Professor Frans Waanders, director of the Centre of Excellence in Carbon-based Fuels at NWU.

The green coal is manufactured from waste products, which is fine coal and is stored in landfills or slime ponds. “This fine carbonaceous coal waste is converted into green coal by the addition of specially treated plant waste materials, such as grass, or even animal waste” said Waanders. He added the product produced is char, which will be combined with the coal.

A study by Duke University’s, Dr Emily Bernhardt, said that, “Clean coal technologies that capture and store the CO2 generated from coal fired power plants will be good for reducing atmospheric CO2 impacts, but they won’t change the persistent pollutant legacy of coal at the source of extraction, processing and combustion waste disposal”.

COPAC and SAFSC said that “for South Africa to achieve its net zero emissions target Sasol will have to shut down.”

Protesters dressed as old people to show the effects of climate change. Photo: Lwazi Maseko

FEATURED IMAGE: Protesters outside of the offices of Sasol demanding that the company takes action in reducing their carbon footprint.  Photo: Lwazi Maseko 

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The biggest African gathering of investigative journalists will consist of three-days of networking, skills training and discussions from well-renowned guest speakers.

By Nosipho Gumede

The journalism industry is facing headwinds, but that is not enough to deter the profession’s hopefuls who are attending the African Investigative Journalism Conference 2019 (#AIJC19). Every year the conference attracts journalism students from across the continent who work in the student newsroom to produce multimedia content and receive mentoring from professional journalists. 

“My experience has been super, I have met with various people from various countries and I’m learning a lot,”Michael Mhina, a student at the Saint Augustine University of Tanzania said.

Attendee Ruth Atim from the Uganda Refugee Online Network shares her expectations on the first day of the 2019 African Investigative Journalism Conference on October 28.   Photo: Itai Muzondo

Tammy Fray described the conference as being incredibly diverse in terms of the different contexts being highlighted.

“I see the need to collaborate across the African region in order to expose stories. It is also important to bare in mind that we operate as journalists in different contexts, for instance, what you might be allowed to say in one context may be completely suppressed in another,” said Fray currently studying at the University of the Free State.. 

For many first timers, the #AIJC19 is a mind opening experience to assist in improving skills, ideas and stories. it is also an opportunity to network, learn and contribute.

Itai Muzondo from the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo in Zimbabwe mentioned that, although his experience has been good so far, the sessions were a bit too packed and shifting in-between seminars has been a bit challenging.

Leano Maphorisa from the University of Botswana said she has learnt a lot on her first day. “My first experience has been overwhelming because I learnt a lot in terms of writing and editing. I have also learnt what to filter out, the importance of direct quotations and how to see newsworthiness of a story.” 

The conference continues for the next two days and these first time hopefuls still have a lot more to absorb.

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From rape threats to online harassment, female journalists face particular challenges in the
industry.

By Carissa Marnce

Online harassment and physical security threats are some of the challenges female reporters are constantly faced with. South African investigative journalist, Pauli Van Wyk, made these remarks at the African Investigative Journalism Conference 2019.

Van Wyk is a reporter for Daily Maverick and is prominently known for her investigation into the Economic Freedom Fighters’ ties to the VBS bank scandal.

“People on social media threatened me by saying that I should be raped and hanged. Political leaders like Julius Malema called me Satan and Dali Mpofu told me that he is not my garden boy,” she said.

Other prominent female journalists in the region including, Catherine Gicheru from Code for Africa in Kenya and Vanessa Offiong, assistant editor of the Daily Trust newspaper in Nigeria, called for more collaboration to combat targeted attacks on female journalists.

Freelance investigative journalist, Sonja Smith (foreground), from Namibia, attends the Being a Woman Investigative Reporter seminar on Monday, October 28 at the 2019 African Investigative Journalism Conference. Photo: Stephanie Schaffrath

“We need to create a network in our internal and external spaces to receive this support,” said the veteran Kenyan editor, Gicheru. She continued, “women need to get contacts of people who will give them the support they need when internet trolls attack them.”

Offiong said, that despite the severe repercussions that come with being a female investigative reporter, their work was still very meaningful. A report by the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Security in Europe states that female journalists face a double-burden by being
attacked as journalists and as women. “Threats of rape, physical violence and graphic imagery show up in their inboxes and on their social media platforms as they go about their workday,” the report stated.

The Freedom House 2019 report, Freedom in the World, postulates that attacks on journalists were
a reflection of democracy in decline. “It has become painfully apparent that
a free press can never be taken for granted, even when democratic rule has been in place for
decades.”

Female journalists face a number of threats both in Africa and globally and call for more support in dealing with these challenges.

FEATURED IMAGE: Catherine Gicheru (foreground) from Code for Africa, points out that when women are criticised, it always seems to go below the belt. Fellow journalist at Daily Maverick, Pauli van Wyk (background), strongly agreed, saying that she had received countless threats via social media. Photo: Stephanie Schaffrath

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The United Nations Development Programme has just released this year’s Human Development Index and your editor wants the story and data within an hour. What do you do?

By Thobeka Kunene

In this digital era where many governments are going paperless, there are countless troves of information constantly available at the touch of a button.

But extracting information from the various files on the internet can be a nightmare for anyone using the ‘copy and paste’ method. Enter data scraping—the process or tool of importing information from a website into a user’s file or spreadsheet.

Siyabonga Africa, program officer at the South African Media Innovation Program and data specialist, said journalists no longer have to go through the trouble of copying, pasting and rearranging the data on their computers. Rather, any journalist can scrape data using Google Drive and deposit it there.

Data journalism techniques have grown more powerful in the past two years, Africa said. These have made it easier to do tasks like scraping data with free tools like Google Drive, Tabula and others.

Journalists can tell many types of stories with their stored data.

“It’s reductive to say that data journalism is restricted to finance and investigative journalism,” Africa said. “Something like getting the World Cup rankings; that is a sports story. Getting the list of board councillors; this would be a politics story. It definitely spans a number of beats.”

FEATURED IMAGE: Siyabonga Africa, program officer at the South African Media Innovation Program and data specialist, hosts a workshop on data scrapping at the 2019 Africa Investigative Journalism Conference on October 29. Photo: Busang Senne

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An insightful reveal behind the grips of undercover investigations.

By Wendy Qampi and Nosipho Gumede

Ghanaian undercover journalist, Anas Anas revealed on the second day of the African Investigative Journalism Conference 2019 at Wits University, that he works according to three principles: naming, shaming and jailing.

Anas was speaking on a panel alongside Channel 4’s investigations editor, Job Rabkin, and expert in public interest journalism and media law, Sammy Darko. In this seminar, titled Undercover investigators, Anas said, “This (session) is to remind you that undercover journalism is not a tea party.”

Having lost his colleague, Ahmed Hussein-Suale, during a targeted shooting, the undercover journalist opened the session with a reminder that this type of journalism can be very dangerous. He, however, went on to validate the risk by saying, “My journalism is (dedicated) to society – it is about my society.”

Through his work across the African continent, Anas has become famous for methodically gathering evidence, while working undercover. This evidence was then turned over to authorities, leading to the sentencing of various criminals, ranging from corrupt soccer referees to human traffickers.

In doing so, he puts himself at great risk with every project he undertakes, forcing him to hide his identity through wearing a string of vertical beads over his face and a hat.

FEATURED IMAGE: Anas Anas highlights  that “undercover journalism is not a tea party” during a session at the African Investigative Journalism Conference. Photo: Stephanie Schaffrath

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State capture leaves many affected and powerless when basic necessities are unavailable, says Kenyan journalist Johan-Allan Namu.

By Khomotso Makgabutlane

State capture doesn’t only happen at a massive scale such as the Guptas in South Africa or the corruption that Africa Uncensored co-founder, Johan-Allan Namu and his colleagues uncovered.

Namu, a Kenyan investigative journalist, was speaking at the first session of the second day of the African Investigative Journalism Conference (#AIJC19) at Wits University, where he also presented the work he has done on state capture.

Earlier this year Namu and fellow data journalist Purity Mukami published investigations into the tenders of dams allocated for the production of hydroelectric power in Kenya. His team showed how the funds for this project passed through many different accounts. Over $40 billion were misappropriated between 2014 and 2018, they found.

He said corruption and state capture, “also happens at different levels, especially at those levels that are not being policed properly.

“Unfortunately, with this kind of theft, we never get our value for money in some of the projects the government engages in.”

Another investigation he and his team worked on is of a woman who died of cervical cancer on July 15, 2019, which represents the negative impact state capture has on ordinary citizens. The woman did not have enough money to pay the $12 fee for treatment after she received her diagnosis. A crowdfunding effort followed the publication of a video detailing her plight, but the government did not purchase the necessary equipment in time to help the woman.

“The procurement of equipment that was done by the government was done without looking at the medical needs of the public,” explained Namu, adding that the equipment the government purchased did not work after arriving late.

FEATURED IMAGE: John-Allan Namu, co-founder of Africa Uncensored, discusses how state capture in Kenya has led citizens to crowdfunding in order to afford basic services. Photo: Ortal Hadad

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In investigative journalism, the writing matters as much as the reporting.

By Tony Manyangadze and Banathi Mgqoboka

Reporting is only half the job in investigative journalism. Writing an article that people can not only read but also vividly understand is equally important, said Ron Nixon, the international investigations editor for the Associated Press on the second day of the 15th African Investigative Journalism Conference.

Nixon shared some of his top tips from decades of investigative journalism.

“An investigative story needs to be readable. If these stories are not readable then we lose audiences,” he said.

Here are four tips for improving your investigative writing:

1) Donkey

According to Nixon, a ‘donkey’ is a device that moves the story. It draws the reader to continue through the entire story. The donkey can be a person or a chapter, and in some cases your story can be divided into time periods.

2) Kebab

A ‘kebab’ is a story structure consisting of a lead, a nut graph, and followed by paragraphs supporting the argument or statement taken in the introduction. The best way to remember this is how a kebab looks like. It is made up of different chunks of meat, linked together by a wooden stick.

3) Orphan lead

Nixon also advised investigative journalist not to use an “orphan lead” in investigative journalism writing. He described this as a lead that explains a concept or a character only in the first paragraph. The rest of the story is then detached from this concept or character leaving it abandoned like an orphan.

4) Clear and concise language

“There is a belief that the way we use words to show people how smart we are by how your vocabulary is. However, they don’t care about all that. They just want the story,” explained Nixon. Investigative journalists are supposed to make things simple by writing plain and clear language.

While there are many more tips for great writing, Nixon says his investigative writing methods have proven to work throughout his career.

FEATURED IMAGE: Ron Nixon puts emphasis on the issues of simplicity when writing investigative journalistic stories at AIJC 2019. Photo: Lineo Leteba

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Non-governmental organisation’s are often overlooked and underreported on because they are seen as the good guys.

By Lucas Nowicki and Ntombi Mkandhla

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) wield a considerable amount of power in society and power always needs to be checked, according to editor-in-chief at the Mail and Guardian, Khadija Patel.

Patel and Ron Nixon, head of international investigations at the Associated Press shared the stage during the 2019 African Investigative Journalism Conference held at Wits University on Tuesday, October 29. They both shared their experiences involving NGOs, lawsuits and investigations.

Nixon, who reported on the mismanagement of funds at international non-profits such as the Southern Africa Enterprise said, “NGOs are seen as the do-gooders. They have a reputation of doing charity work so they don’t get the same scrutiny as a business or politicians would”.

“It is easier to hold to account Jacob Zuma and the Guptas, than it is to hold to account the people we think are good guys,” said Patel.

Viewing NGOs in a favorable light has resulted in media companies overlooking the sector and not conducting much needed investigations.

Nixon wrote a story for the New York Times in 2013 detailing how the Southern African Enterprise was plagued with mismanagement of funds at the time. Thereafter the organisation threatened to sue them.

“You can use such [law-suites] to your advantage,” Nixon said.

Ultimately, the threat of legal action aided him in gaining important information and documents for his investigation into the NGO.

Patel highlighted how the wave of investigations into NGOs is new territory for media organisations. She added, “reporting on NGOs is hard because there are few guidelines” however she urged journalists to pay attention to the sector.

FEATURED IMAGE: Speaker and editor-in-chief at Mail & Guardian, Khadija Patel, speaking at a seminar focusing on reporting on and holding NGOs accountable at #AIJC19 on October 29. Photo: Rose Clemence Shayo

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Publicly available databases are useful in cultivating story ideas and sources.

By Naledi Thabane

Databases can expose hidden truths that you can build a story on, said seasoned American journalist and investigative correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR), Cheryl Thompson.

The journalist has reported on issues regarding criminal justice in America, including investigating police misconduct cases. She recommended searching for police and law enforcement databases as a source and for cultivating potential sources. “They are a gold mine,” she said.

She was speaking during a master class on generating investigative news ideas during the African Investigative Journalism Conference.

In analysing databases in order to tell a human story, Thompson advised journalists to look and pay attention to patterns within data. “Investigative reporting is about patterns,” she says.

When investigating a database of closed homicide cases from the Washington DC police department, she was able to prove that the police department lied about its 67% closure rate. Only about a third of homicide cases had been closed. “The police’s duty is to make people believe that they are safe,” she said in explaining the police’s motive.

While journalists have a fundamental right to information, Thompson emphasised that you need to know how the organisations under investigation operate. This helps journalists in avoiding bureaucratic barriers to accessing administrative information such as databases. “Once you know how a system works, people tend to back off” Thompson said.

FEATURED IMAGE: Cheryl Thompson is an award-winning journalist who revealed her secrets on how she found some of her greatest stories through law enforcement documents and reports. Photo: Ortal Hadad

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“Data is not just a number, it is reality”

By Leano C. Maphorisa

The advancement of data journalism shows a diverse and robust impact. Alastair Otter and Laura Grant from Media Hack, showed highlighted this by discussing some of the best data projects from around the world the African Investigative Journalism Conference 2019.

They spoke about a project called “The Wall” which was population-based; it entailed video footage of residents, documentaries and virtual graphics of the whole population thus the term population density.

In a data project called “The Deadly Force & US Mass Shootings Project”, the infographics and graphs displayed the most affected gender, location, occupation of victims. This showed the intensity and variation of experiences, in the hope that this could alter policies affecting these issues.

The projects further proclaimed the importance of collecting statistics of deaths and injuries. The projects made room for readers to participate in cases where they can contribute with their experience or knowledge.

During the presentation for “The Hurricane Maria’s Death Project”, what intrigued the audience the most was the detailed infographics displaying natural disasters, including wiped out houses of over 300 families.

According to Grant, data is solely effective when one tells stories of people in a way that shows the gravity of their situations. She made reference to her shared project, “The Race to Save the River Ganges”. Here, scientific data was presented as a story in such a way that the river was the epicenter and showed that people utilizing it experienced adverse effects.

Grant and Otter also explained that data journalism, despite its positive impact, takes a lot of effort, and that it requires filtration of points. Moreover, data is affected by mainstream media as well as parallel media in that fake news travels hastily, thus impeding the accuracy and authenticity of media reports.

This summary of some data journalism projects highlighted that the this form of journalism has both global importance and impact.

FEATURED IMAGE: Data visualisation specialist Alastair Otter with Al Jazeera’s interactive editor, Mohammed Haddad address the audience during the #AIJC19 discussion on data journalism on October 28.   Photo: Rose Clemence Shayo

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The fact-checking organisation used the night to honour Africa-based fact-checking media.

By Sanele Msiza

It was a big night for West African journalism at the sixth annual Africa Check Fact-Checking Awards held on Tuesday, October 29 at Wits University in Braamfontein.

The winners and runners-up of the two awards given out all hail from West African countries Nigeria and Senegal.

Nigerian journalist Odinaka Anudu took home the bigger award of the night for Fact-Check Of The Year By A Working Journalist for his investigative work published in Business Day Nigeria, ‘Ongoing projects in South East: Truth vs Lies’.

Anudu received the award in absentia as he was unable to attend the ceremony held on day two of the 2019 African Investigative Journalism Conference.

Investigative journalist Taiwu Adebulu, of the Nigerian independent publication The Cable,  was on hand to receive the award on his behalf.

Fellow Nigerian journalist, Oluwamayowa Tijana from AFP Fact Check Nigeria was the runner-up in the category and was awarded a cash prize of R14 618.

Anudu, who won R29 236, was one of two journalists honoured at the award ceremony.

Student journalist Souleymane Diassy was received the award for the Fact-check Of The Year By A Student for ‘Santé : Kolda a-t-elle le plus grand ratio de mortalité maternelle au Sénégal ?’ (Health: Does Kolda have the highest maternal mortality rate in Senegal?), an article published on his blog.

A student at the Centre d’Etudes des Sciences et Techniques de l’Information (CESTI) journalism school in Dakar, Senegal, Diassy is an avid fact-checker and was joined by Dienyaba Thiombane, a fellow student at CESTI, who was the runner-up of the prestigious award.

Diassy and Thiombane were both awarded R14 618 and R7 309 respectively.

Executive director of Africa Check, Noko Makgato, said fact-checking is a vital element of journalism in Africa because “we operate in countries where information is not freely available. When it is available, it is of a questionable quality prone to influence the citizenry.

We need citizens to be recipients of verified, quality information so they can make informed decisions about their lives,” he said.

Makgato added, “The objective of the awards is to encourage journalists to engage in fact-checking, a sorely needed key element of journalism missing in Africa.

We are hoping to develop this further with more journalists taking fact-checking up as a vocation,” he said.

Associate professor at the University of Mauritius, Roukaya Kassenally, who headed the awards’ judging panel said the judges sought groundbreaking work which does not always make the headlines.

“We were looking for stories that matter and touched lives; stories that had an in-depth analysis where the journalist used a gamut of techniques to dig through the information to get the story,” she said.

Kassenally who is also the CEO of the Africa Media Initiative, noted the growing output of fact-checking from French-speaking countries.

“The spread of the submissions from both anglophone and francophone countries shows fact-checking cuts across the continent as a fundamental technique,” she added.

FEATURED IMAGE: Tonight’s winners proudly take the stage as they receive their awards. Photo: Lesole Semetjane/ Lesole_Snap

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The influential scholar tackled some of the media’s most pressing questions.

By Busang Senne 

Nobel Memorial Prize winner and renowned American economist Joseph E. Stiglitz was in conversation with Caxton adjunct professor Anton Harber at the closing plenary of the 2019 African Investigative Journalism Conference. 

The discussion covered various themes. First, Stiglitz responded to questions of how media as a sector and industry should adapt to the pressure of social media. 

“One of the problems with the internet is that [social media] were so politically powerful that they effectively got exemption from two important pieces of legislation that [traditional media] is subjected to. Print is words on paper, why should words on an internet forum be different from words on paper?” said Stiglitz.

When asked about how the media should be resourced while maintaining its independent integrity, Stiglitz provided an economic lens of how the media should be funded. He defined investigative journalism in the category of public good along with fire departments, law enforcement, judicial systems and education as a sector that requires public funding and institutions to survive. 

The barriers, boundaries, limitations and potential for journalism were a central focus in how the media should move forward and define its shifting role in exposing corruption and advocating for justice and truth-telling amid socio-economic and cultural changes.

In terms of media as a tool to combat inequality and growing global populism, Stiglitz emphasized the importance of journalism in responding to the widening gaps and imbalances of power. 

“Journalism can play an important role [in combating inequality]. There’s a movement called solutions journalism that basically takes the view that journalists should not just expose the problems, but they should use the power that they have of investigating around the world of where things have worked and give people a sense of optimism and hope,” said Stiglitz. 

Harber, a professor at Wits Journalism and organiser of the flagship event, said in his closing remarks that the conference is not only an opportunity to interrogate the media’s role, learn new skills and witness great stories, but it is also a space to form real connections and networks that enrich and empower the work of investigative journalists. 

“The greatest value is getting together with colleagues and peers…this has been a great opportunity to grow networks of investigative journalists and we need to see more collaboration and support among journalists,” he said.

FEATURED IMAGE: American economist and Nobel Memorial Prize recipient, Joseph E. Stiglitz discusses how important importance of funding for investigative journalism, as it contributes to the knowledge of the public good. This was at the closing session of #AIJC19 which was hosted by renowned journalist, Anton Harber. Photo: Ortal Hadad

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