Press club mourns loss of chairperson, veteran journalist Val Boje
Val Boje, who was currently the chairperson of the National Press Club, passed away following a short hospitalisation and undergoing a minor heart procedure.
The National Press Club (NPC) and the media fraternity was plunged into mourning following the passing of its chairperson Val Boje on Monday morning.
Boje, who passed away following a short hospitalisation and undergoing a minor heart procedure, was also the former editor of the Pretoria News.
“The NPC would like to offer condolences to her husband Roy Devenish, son John, daughter-in-law Carli, daughter Christine – both of whom are overseas – her doting parents, her grandchildren and to the members of the NPC,” NPC general manager Jos Charle said.
At the time of her passing, Boje was part of the team organising the annual Percy Qoboza memorial lecture which would be held on 19 October, Black Wednesday.
It is a lecture that commemorates the events of 1977, when the apartheid government banned newspapers and detained several journalists, including Qoboza, then editor of The World newspaper.
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“This is indeed a profound loss,” Charle said, adding that Boje had brought her experience and wide network of contacts to enhance the activities of the NPC.
“Having been colleagues for more than 25 years, I came to know Val as a passionate, professional person who threw her all being into whatever she was assigned to do,” Charle said.
Charle said he was devastated to get the news about the passing of his colleague of almost 30 years.
“Although she was not feeling well over the past few weeks, she was still upbeat and looking forward to making a full recovery when I spoke to her over a week ago,” he said.
He said the news of her passing came as a shock as she had not been in a critical condition before her hospitalisation.
Speaking about her dedication to journalism, Charle said Boje was professional at all times and always adhered to the ethics of the industry.
“She was passionate about journalism and maintained a positive outlook on the industry despite the current challenges,” he said.
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