Zwelakhe Sisulu
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Zwelakhe Sisulu (17 December 1950 – 4 October 2012) was a South African black journalist, editor, and newspaper founder. He was president of the Writers' Association of South Africa, which later became the Black Media Workers Association of South Africa (or Mwasa), and he led a year-long strike in 1980 for fair wages for black journalists. He was a victim of the Apartheid-era government in South Africa and was imprisoned at least three times for his journalism. After Apartheid ended, he became the chief executive officer of the South African Broadcast Corporation.


Personal history

Zwelakhe Sisulu's family is well known for its struggle against Apartheid in South Africa. He was the son of anti-Apartheid activists and
African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a Social democracy, social-democratic political party in Republic of South Africa, South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when ...
members
Walter Sisulu Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu (18 May 1912 – 5 May 2003) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC). Between terms as ANC Secretary-General (1949–1954) and ANC Deputy President (1991–1994), h ...
and
Albertina Sisulu Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu ( Thethiwe; 21 October 1918 – 2 June 2011) was a South African anti-apartheid activist, and the wife of fellow activist Walter Sisulu (1912–2003). She was affectionately known as "Ma Sisulu" throughout her li ...
. He was the brother of
Max Sisulu Max Vuyisile Sisulu (born 23 August 1945) is a South African politician who was Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa from 2009 to 2014. He was elected to the position on 6 May 2009, succeeding Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde and becoming th ...
, Speaker of the National Assembly, and
Lindiwe Sisulu Lindiwe Nonceba Sisulu (born 10 May 1954) is a South African politician, member of parliament since 1994, and member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress currently serving as Minister of Tourism since August 20 ...
, Minister of Public Service and Administration. His father was sentenced to life in prison in 1964 when Zwelakhe Sisulu was 13 years old. Sisulu and his wife Zodwa had 2 sons and 1 daughter.


Career

Zwelakhe Sisulu began his career in journalism in 1975 when he worked as an intern for South African Associated Newspapers. He then became a journalist for ''
The Rand Daily Mail ''The Rand Daily Mail'' was a South African newspaper published from 1902 until it was controversially closed in 1985 after adopting an outspoken anti-apartheid stance in the midst of a massive clampdown on activists by the security forces. The ...
'' where he covered the Soweto uprising in 1976 and remained there until 1978. He was news editor of the ''Sunday Post'' (South Africa) until his ban in 1980. While at the ''Sunday Post'', he was sentenced to prison for his refusal to reveal information about sources of one of his reporters and he led a 1980 strike which resulted in his ban from journalism for several years. After his house arrest, he was a
Nieman Fellow The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University awards multiple types of fellowships. Nieman Fellowships for journalists A Nieman Fellowship is an award given to journalists by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University ...
. After his fellowship was complete in 1985, he worked for '' Sowetan''. In 1986, he founded the ''New Nation'' (defunct since 30 May 1997), before he was arrested by police and held without a trial as part of the emergency and mass arrests in South Africa at the time. The newspaper was editorially aligned with the African National Congress, which stated on its masthead: "The media of the powerless." At the time it was South Africa's largest black newspaper. After his release from a 2-year detention and after the ban was lifted on the ANC, Sisulu served as Nelson Mandela's press secretary and also the director of information of the African National Congress. In post-Apartheid South Africa, Sisulu became the head of the South African Broadcast Corporation in 1994. After his stint at SABC, Sisulu founded
New African Investments Limited Primedia is a South African media group, headquartered in Sandton, Johannesburg. History Primedia was established in 1994 and its listing on the JSE Securities Exchange was completed in April 1995. Primedia remained listed on the JSE until 1 O ...
, which is known as the first black-owned business on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and black empowerment. Holdings of the company include the publishing house David Philip, Soweto TV and
Primedia Broadcasting Primedia is a South African media group, headquartered in Sandton, Johannesburg. History Primedia was established in 1994 and its listing on the JSE Securities Exchange was completed in April 1995. Primedia remained listed on the JSE until 1 ...
.


Early activism

Zwelakhe Sisulu walked a fine line between journalism and activism already while at ''The Rand Daily Mail''. In 1977, he became president of the Writers' Association of South Africa. As president, he led a march with his fellow black journalists and then was briefly jailed. Sisulu's editor admonished him for his explanation that he was making use of his freedom of assembly. His editor told him, "You don't march, you write." Sisulu first came to international attention in a case involving the surveillance of black journalists. While an editor at the ''Sunday Post'' in 1979, Sisulu was questioned by authorities about his knowledge of a source used by journalist Thamsanqa Gerald Mkhwanazi. Sisulu was sentenced for nine months in prison for refusing to co-operate. For the first time, police acknowledged in his case the practice of using wiretaps on journalists' telephones, which had been widely suspected.


Strike and arrest

Zwelakhe Sisulu was the leader of the union during Mwasa's strike for fair wages for black journalists in 1980. It was the first strike by black journalists. After the strike was over, he lost his job, was banned from journalism, and ordered under house arrest for three years until 1983. Zwelakhe Sisulu's arrest on 30 June 1981 was attributed to the Internal Security Act. Other leaders who shared the same fate were Phil Mtimkhulu, Mathatha Tsedu, Subri Govende and Joe Thloloe. He was a Nieman Fellow from 1984–1985.


New Nation and 1986 arrests

Zwelakhe Sisulu was arrested twice in 1986. Police swept him away from his home for the first time on 27 June 1986. Sisulu later called them "armed bandits." The government announced his detention one week later. There were calls from abroad to release him, such as one from the
American Society of Newspaper Editors The American Society of News Editors (ASNE) was a membership organization for editors, producers or directors in charge of journalistic organizations or departments, deans or faculty at university journalism schools, and leaders and faculty of ...
(ASNE). He was released on 18 July 1986. Zwelakhe Sisulu had already been appointed director of the Board for a new organisation ARTICLE 19 at the time of his second arrest 12 December 1986. He was detained at
John Vorster Square The Johannesburg Central Police Station is a South African Police Service police station in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. From its unveiling in 1968 until September 1997, it was called John Vorster Square, after Prime Minister B.J. Vorste ...
where other activists were also imprisoned. The organization made his case its first campaign. He was released after two years but not allowed to continue his work as a journalist. Years later, he stated his belief that the publicity of organisations like ARTICLE 19 during the time of his imprisonment saved his life.


South African Broadcasting Corporation

He was the CEO of the South African Broadcasting Corporation from September 1994 to 1997. Under Sisulu's leadership in a democratic South Africa, the SABC was reorganized and relaunched 4 February 1996. A controversy was created over the redistribution of resources for other languages besides Afrikaans, which had received special privileges under the Apartheid system. Later, Sisulu was appointed as a commissioner to investigate censorship at the SABC that had been alleged by whistleblower John Perlman.


Awards

Sisulu was awarded an
Order of Mapungubwe The Order of Mapungubwe is South Africa's highest honour. It was instituted on 6 December 2002, and is granted by the President of South Africa, for achievements in the international arena which have served South Africa's interests. The order orig ...
- Gold, posthumously for "his exceptional contribution to quality journalism; and as a reporter exposing the cruelties of apartheid and encouraging unity among the people of different political persuasions to fight for liberation.")


See also

*
History of the African National Congress : The African National Congress (ANC) has been the governing party of the Republic of South Africa since 1994. The ANC was founded on 8 January 1912 in Bloemfontein and is the oldest liberation movement in Africa. Called the South African Nativ ...
*
Media of South Africa The mass media in South Africa has a large mass media sector and is one of Africa's major media centres. While South Africa's many broadcasters and publications reflect the diversity of the population as a whole, the most commonly used language i ...


References


External links


In Memory of Zwelakhe Sisulu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sisulu, Zwelakhe 1950 births 2012 deaths Anti-apartheid activists Free speech activists Nieman Fellows People from Johannesburg Public relations people South African activists South African businesspeople South African journalists South African prisoners and detainees Xhosa people