Northsider journalist bows out
It allowed me to change lives, put smiles on people's faces and also unintentionally anger some whom the articles disfavoured.
Five years ago I made a difficult choice to leave my comfort zone and travelled almost 600km to start a new life for myself in Johannesburg.
The move wasn’t smooth but it was thanks to an understanding management and GPS that made my life and job less stressful as I figured out how to get from one story to the next.
In my years at Caxton Local Media working under the Roodepoort Northsider title, I’ve tried to push boundaries to make sure that the community had their say in the paper every week. That “thank you Siso for the wonderful article, or finally, Council is doing something about our problem” are messages and positive reviews that kept me going and appreciating this medium.
It allowed me to change lives, put smiles on people’s faces and also unintentionally anger some whom the articles disfavoured.
As I leave in pursuit of greener pastures as well as growth, don’t be saddened; instead rejoice that I am opening up for fresh and new blood – for someone hungrier and even more energetic than I have been in the few months. I’ve learnt a lot during my tenure which paid off as an accolade in 2018 after winning the Most Promising Journalist Award at the 2017 Caxton Excellence Awards.
Lastly, with a few days left to bow out, I’d like to thank the community of Roodepoort for allowing me in your homes, offices and streets to conduct interviews and take photographs of you, and trusting me with your information to craft and place it in the press. Your belief in me made my career worthwhile.
Wish you all a great year!
