TUT intern recalls his experience as a newshound at the City Times

“My name is Kabelo Emanuel Maluleka and I joined the City Times newsroom alongside my classmate, Simphiwe Nkosi, following successful interviews which were done through the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), which works hand-in-hand with Caxton media houses across South Africa in an intern programme.

“The six-month internship started on February 2 and concluded on August 6.

“This is part of the TUT’s academic practical, which is required to complete our qualification in journalism.

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“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the City Times staff and the Benoni community for making my experience very rewarding. A special thanks goes to editor and mentor Lana O’Neill and my colleagues in the newsroom.

“The experience taught me a lot about the journalism profession. I understand that it is a diverse industry with many opportunities and spaces to explore. The local newspaper is a platform where we can learn more about our community, share stories, share experiences and unite through assisting each other to move forward as a country.

“I acquired experience and developed my writing ability, editing skills, new photography techniques, news gathering skills, caption writing, team work, as well as understanding the diverse society we live in.

“During my internship I met some prominent community leaders, ward councillors, local celebrities, church leaders and vast members of the community in the quest of finding means to better our society to achieve a democratic and equal economy in all aspects of living.

“The story I am most proud of was difficult to select because there are a lot of great people I have worked with and learnt from.

“However, the one which stands out was when I met Samuel Johan Nkosi who needed the community’s assistance with a brand new wheelchair.

“There was no hope because of the coronavirus pandemic and travel regulations. It was difficult for donors to reach out to Samuel when they wanted to donate the wheelchair he needed, but with perseverance and determination, it was possible to make arrangements for him to meet the Benoni Lakes Lions Club, which managed to help him better his life.

“It shows how diverse the community of Benoni is and how much potential it has to develop to one of the major sources of development in the country.”

O’Neill said that although Kabelo’s internship was tainted by the national lockdown, a mere month and a half into the internship, he remained positive to make sure he got the most out of the opportunity.

“It was always a pleasure to see him excited about the stories he was working on, and the big smile it brought to his face. A highlight for him was the story of Samuel Nkosi, a double amputee from Daveyton.

“After Kabelo wrote the story about Samuel’s struggles in lockdown due to no income from begging, a local Lions club came forward with the offer of a new wheelchair and groceries for Samuel. It took weeks – perhaps even months – to get all the parties together, especially Samuel, so the handover could take place.

“Kabelo was absolutely instrumental in making this happen – he spent weeks tracking Samuel down all over the show to relay messages to him and eventually got into a taxi with Samuel and his wheelchair and Samuel’s son to accompany them to a local mall for the handover.

“He is a well presented, pleasant, diligent young man who will be an asset in any newsroom. We wish him all the best for his future adventures in journalism.”

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