Moses Moyo Award disputed by community media

NICOLA MILTZ

The late community journalist, Moses Moyo, 39, was a dear friend of the Jewish community. He died suddenly in October last year after a short illness, sending shock waves through communal leadership who considered him like an adoptive son.

The Zimbabwean-born Moyo, who wore tzitzit (prayer tassels) and a kippa (yarmulke), and practiced many Jewish traditions, was the founder of the popular Inner City Gazette, and was a longstanding Sanef council member. Moyo was also a member of the inner city Impact for Christ Ministries Church, and was passionate about Israel, supporting many pro-Israel causes.

At the time of his passing, Sanef said of Moyo that he was “deeply passionate and committed to strengthening media freedom, promoting ethical journalism, and defending the public’s right to know. With his charming smile and quiet demeanour, Moses had an unparalleled passion for covering community news and putting issues that directly affect communities at the forefront.”

In his memory, Sanef introduced the Moses Moyo Award for courageous journalism specifically for community media, and announced that nominations were open. This award would be given at the annual Nat Nakasa Award gala dinner in late June, along with the highly regarded Nat Nakasa Award for courageous and brave journalism.

Nakasa was a giant of a journalist who died in exile in 1965. He worked for Drum Magazine, the Rand Daily Mail and Ilanga newspapers among others, and was forced to leave South Africa on an exit visa when the apartheid government refused to grant him a passport after he was awarded a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The honouring of Moyo, however, has raised the ire of the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) which represents more than 150 community newspapers of which 60% are black owned and 18% women owned.

The AIP expressed its “dissatisfaction” at the decision taken by Sanef to name the award without consultation. It distanced itself from the awards, saying none of its members would participate.

In a statement, it said, “AIP feels this decision was unfairly reached. Our members were supposed to be given an opportunity to nominate people who they think should have been a proper representation of community media in naming this award.”

This week, Kate Skinner, the executive director of Sanef, and Chris Louw, the organisation’s community media chairperson, held talks with AIP to resolve the dispute.

Skinner told the SA Jewish Report that the naming of the award was still under discussion, and that the meeting went well.

“There was an issue around consultation in the naming of the award. AIP felt there were a number of other powerful community media journalists, and it wanted to discuss the names and put names forward. We are in the midst of discussions. We want to go ahead with a community media award, and we haven’t finalised what we will be calling it. We need further consultation.”

Carol Mohlala, the executive director of AIP, told the SA Jewish Report that while Moyo was considered a fine community journalist, the organisation felt that there were other well-known and respected community journalists who might have been overlooked in the process, and that there had been no consultation with community media players.

It remains to be seen whether Moyo will be honoured with an award in his name.