Afro-humanism and the challenges for journalism education

Abstract

The anniversary also dawns as the media in this country are reporting on two historical stories: the ousting of President Thabo Mbeki and its aftermath as well as that of the worst crisis in our lifetime in financial markets.I’ve read, heard and seen stories on the road to Polokwane, where Mbeki was rejected by the ANC. I have read, heard and seen stories on the aftermath – his recall, the election of a new president to hold office for a few months, the no-holds-barred battle for the soul of the party. I am still to understand what all this means for me, for my 89-year-old mother, or for the millions who went to the polls in 2004. Are the poor and the weak just pawns in a war they can never understand?The media were quick to repeat the reassurances from the new leadership of the country, that there will be no changes to the country’s economic policies. The questions of the elite were top of the agenda for the ANC and journalists.The journalists are not asking the hard questions. They are mere stenographers recording events as they happen.