Musa Ndlangamandla, the then Swazi Observer Chief editor gave me a chance to work in the media back in August 2009, I still regard Musa Ndlamangandla as my boss because I wouldn’t be where I am today if he rejected me.
Ndlangamandla did not end there, while working as an entertainment journalist at the time, he would assist me learn how to write articles, another journalist who used to assist me is Simon Shabangu who now works for the King’s Office as a photographer and Acting Government Spokesperson Thabile Mdluli, the then Swazi Observer Proof Reader.
But before joining the print media, I was writing drama plays(imidlalo yemoya) for the State owned Radio Station, one of the greatest radio journalists of our time, now working as the King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane was acting drama plays part-time, I interacted with these great minds, unfortunately Producer Gideon Vilakati is long-gone, my Producer was Juliet Zwane.
But in the print media we do have a few top journalists who are still alive and these top journalists include Nation Magazine editor Bheki Makhubu, former Swazi Observer editor Jabu Matsebula, Channel S Qhawe Mamba, Nation Magazine’s Vuyisile Hlatjwako and Nimrod Mabuza and Times Managing Editor Martin Dlamini.
Others include Makhosi Magongo(now Motor Vehicle Accident Fund Spokesperson), Montigny Spokesperson Sihle Mavuso, Lucky Tsabedze now Mbabane Municipality Spokesperson, Charles Matsebula, Innocent Maphalala, former Radio Journalists Marwick Khumalo and Cedusizi Ndlovu to name but a few.
Of course some of the above mentioned are State journalists but we call them top journalists because they mentored other journalists, we wouldn’t be having South African Broadcasting Corporation(SABC) Presenter Simphiwe Ncongwane today if it wasn’t for Channel S Director Qhawe Mamba.
It is worth-mentioning that, some of the above mentioned journalists wrote articles that changed emaSwati’s lives, there’s a decent school today at Mlindzini because Sihle Mavuso exposed how children were learning under the tree, that was over twenty(20) years ago.
In the print Sports Department, we have one living veteran-Lwazi Dlamini, there’s no Sports journalist in this country who have matched Lwazi Dlamini in the print media-sports reporting but we do have upcoming reporters.
Senzo Dlamini was working for the Times of Eswatini ridiculing young journalists, “telling them how useless they are”, he used to tell some of us that we will never make it in the media, that was back in 2010, Senzo Dlamini has always claimed to be a Prince and would from time-to-time “demands undue respect by bullying young journalists”.
Personally, I will not write what I have achieved in the media because I will be stooping to Senzo Dlamini’s level, for me when I look back I feel like I must support the Journalists Association to groom more journalists because I was supported by other veterans.
We do have veteran journalists in this country who made an impact in our lives and inspired some of us but, you will never hear them blowing their own trumpet, there’s absolutely no room for Senzo Dlamini he did not inspire some of us.
It’s been a long journey and as mentioned, my journey in the media was launched by Chief editor Musa Ndlangamandla and one day he said “I respect you Zwemart you are now an international journalist” and I said “you are my boss, my editor”.
In the media, some of us will never regard ourselves as senior journalists while legends like Bheki Makhubu, Musa Ndlangamandla, Jabu Matsebula, Vuyisile Hlatjwako, Welcome Dlamini, Nimrod Mabuza Mbongeni Mbingo are still alive, these are senior journalists who inspired us even though I disagree with some of them, I respect their contribution in grooming young journalists.
Mbongeni Mbingo ‘founded’ the Sunday Observer and gave me a platform to write a column, Innocent Maphalala gave me a chance to write for the Times Sunday as a Guest Writer.
In my media vocabulary, I remember great journalists who helped me climbed the ladder despite our differences but I don’t remember Senzo Dlamini.
We are in the process of reviving the Eswatini National Association of Journalists (ESNAJ) and we will honor these legends, Senzo Dlamini was known for undermining young journalists, in his own imagination, there’s no journalist on earth, it’s only him.
But in any career, if you think it starts and ends with you, then you have a serious problem in the head.
Even Mbongeni Mbingo, if we can put aside the criticism, his weaknesses and mention all the journalists he mentored, Senzo Dlamini does not come anywhere near him.
Success in any career is not about personal glory but what you have done to help others grow in the profession.
Nation Magazine editor Bheki Makhubu.