Community Journalists

The CMT Community Journalists supply intimate, youthful insight into both social and medical aspects of HIV/AIDS transmission. Their inclusion into Siyayinqoba Beat It! makes it possible to spend time seeking out stories, finding people who are happy to share often very personal insights and experiences with the hundreds of thousands of Siyayinqoba Beat It! viewers. The strength of the show has always been in using personal experience to take us to solid, scientifically informed conclusions about how to beat the challenges of the epidemic.

Nokubonga – Gerard - Kelebohile - Mary-Anne - Ntobeko - Shakes - Siviwe -Thembakazi - Zintle - Wendy

Nokubonga Yawa

“Embrace what life has given you today as you never know what tomorrow might bring. Use the power that you’ve got to make a change.”

At the age of 15, Nokubonga “Bonga” Yawa’s life changed dramatically. She fell pregnant and her subsequent HIV test came back positive. She joined a PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission) support group, which gave her support and strength and when she was eight months pregnant she was able to take AZT and give birth to an HIV negative baby girl, Sinaye, now seven years old. Bonga decided to join a support group and learn more about HIV & AIDS. She wanted to empower herself and prevent others from getting HIV.

In order to break down widespread stigma, she has been open about her status. “I joined TAC (the Treatment Action Campaign) in 2004 and started attending Saturday workshops. I also joined a group for teenage mothers where we were taught a range of skills.” Nokubonga was a full-time volunteer before taking up paid positions for her work.

When CMT approached her to feature in a Siyayinqoba Beat It! show on teenage pregnancy in 2007, the charismatic young woman with a ready smile, agreed to share her story to reach young people beyond the Western Cape. CMT subsequently asked her to become the host for Siyayinqoba Beat It! in 2009. “I’m not a trained journalist but I do my work whole-heartedly!” Nokubonga receives lots of letters from viewers, comments on Facebook as well as phone calls in response to every Siyayinqoba Beat It! show. “Some have told me that I am the only reason they take their treatment, the only one doing something for them. But there are many people who fought for access to ARVs, this is my way of contributing,” she explains. “And I must make sure that those who are HIV negative stay like that!”

Some of the topics Nokubonga feels strongest about are gender violence, abuse and education: “Children and teenagers really need someone to talk to about sex,” Nokubonga argues. “It doesn’t help to be shouted at and avoid the issues. If parents were more involved it would make a difference.” At present, she is working full time as a youth group leader at Equal Education (EE), an NGO, which is working for quality and equality in South African education. A lot of children at confide in her; some have told her they are gay and fear coming out to their families or communities. As a young person who has received counselling, accepted her status and is openly living with HIV, she is a role model to the community. Nokubonga has been on ARV treatment since 2005 and by sharing her story she encourages, inspires and motivates people around her: “I want to show people our humanity. That we are equal, we can work and are valuable members of this society.”

Gerard Feris

Gerard Feris is 23 years old and lives in Cape Town. He holds a Journalism degree and an honours degree in Media and Cultural studies from the University of Pretoria. During his years at varsity, he resided in Sonop Men’s Residence and also served on the house committee. Gerard thoroughly enjoyed his student years and wouldn’t trade them in for anything in the world!

Over the years he has lived in many different towns as his family moved around a lot. He believes that his nomadic childhood must’ve contributed to his great love for travel. Gerard considers himself privileged to have picked up quite a few friends along the way and values all his friendships.

He enjoys working out and keeping fit. Other hobbies include watching series, movies and sport. He also likes staying informed and constantly stays in touch with the world around him, be it through social networking, watching documentaries, and reading magazines and newspapers. He believes that an informed society will be able to make better decisions about how to make the world a better place.

As he is a fun-loving individual, dreamer and optimist, the cheesiest way to describe him would be a “South Afri-CAN”.

Kelebohile Faith Sedieane

Kelebohile Faith Sedieane was born and raised in Bloemfontein in the Free State. She is the third sibling in a family of 4. Reading is Kele’s biggest passion. Two of her favourite writers are Iyanla Vanzant renowned for “One Day My Soul Just Opened Up” as well as “Yesterday I Cried” and Kim McMillan author of “I Loved Myself Enough”.

In 2003 Kelebohile sadly lost her father to a long battle with cancer, though it feels like yesterday Kele cherishes every memory of him and can still feel his presence. “Losing my father has taught me to love myself the way he would have loved me. I appreciate the smaller things in life, I am a very optimistic person even when things are hard I know that he will always be by my side and I can never be alone” With Christianity playing a vital role in Kele’s life, it’s no wonder she has a very strong and positive nature about her.

“When life throws its punches at me I will always turn towards them” – Kelebohile Sedieane

Mary-Anne Gontsana

Mary-Anne Gontsana is 23 years old, and resides in Montevideo, a suburb outside Gugulethu, where she was born and raised.  She lives with her mother and an older sister. About a year ago she discovered that she is terrified of big birds, whilst walking alone in a park. Four big birds (knee high) were standing on the grass, not even paying attention to her, yet she froze.  She had never panicked like that in her entire life.

Besides discovering her fear of birds, Mary-Anne studied a three year diploma course in journalism at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and is graduating this year.  She is also currently working as a community journalist for Siyayinqoba eat It and is striving to make a difference to inform people, especially her peers, about the broader aspects of HIV/AIDS.

Ntobeko Dlamini

Ntobeko Dlamini was born in Durban, KwaZulu Natal. He went to primary school in a small town called Highflats and afterwards returned to attend high school in Durban. Ntobeko is the third child of Bafo and Queen Dlamini and has four siblings; three brothers and a sister.

He studied for a National Diploma in Video Technology at the Durban University of Technology and also holds a National Certificate in Advertising from Imagination Lab, Vega’s Café initiative. He is passionate about audio visuals, research for television, social and nature documentaries, current affairs and outside broadcasting. Meeting and communicating with new people and exploring new things is what Ntobeko enjoys. He too, likes all genres of music and movies, cherishes a good laugh and has fun with friends.

At present, Ntobeko is working for Community Media Trust as a Community Journalist, based in Durban.

Nsovo “Shakes” Mashaba

Born and raised in the rural parts of Pretoria, Soshanguve, Nsovo ‘Shakes’ Mashaba was diagnosed with  a not so common cancer called Neuroblastoma in his early childhood years. His parents, Nicolette Mashaba and Bernard Mashaba , agreed to the required surgery and it was successful.

A few years on, he then attended primary school in the capital city.  The school was called, Oost-Eind, and he later completed the rest of his primary education at Jeppe Preparatory High School, in the ‘city of gold’, Johannesburg.  In 2004, ‘Shakes’ started what’s considered the toughest year, grade 8.  He completed his high school education at Potchefstroom High School for Boys, in the North West, in 2008.

After completing his matric in 2008, he developed a craving for literature.  It was this that became his engine to wanting to become a journalist.  The past was inspiring but the future seemed motivating, as he wanted to bridge the gap of hope to those who had lost it, through writing and information.  He says that “we all want to save the world, save the earth, save the planet, with all our hearts we do, but starting with a community will allow all this to happen.  Only greater things start small.”

Siviwe Siretshe

Siviwe Siretshe, born on the 30th of March 1986, was brought up in a Christian family in a small village called Mimosa Park, in King William’s Town, one of the areas where people from the Farm Field near Graham’s town were moved to during the Apartheid era. He is the oldest child of two children with very supportive mother.

Primary school was at Mimosa and he went on to pass his Matric at Welcomewood High school (2005). After studying Versatile Broadcasting and Journalism at Walter Sisulu University for Science and Technology, he went to work as a Trainee Reporter for the Destiny Media Productions newspaper (Eastern Cape Voice News) in King William’s Town. His mission was to inform, educate, entertain and inspire the general public.

His career as a broadcast journalist began on the 3rd of April 2011, with the appointment as an intern community journalist at Community Media Trust. On arrival at the CMT offices, he didn’t know much about HIV and other STIs. Needless to say Siviwe was always creeping and crawling around the office like an infant. Thanks to the supportive CMT Trainers and the rest of the team for not giving up on him and making it easier to adjust.

Siviwe is a very private, shy, quite an open-minded fellow, who always does things to his level best and finds it hard to live without his family. “I am nothing without my family”.

“All I’m striving for is a HIV free society, I’m fighting the discrimination against people living with HIV and I want to bring back the value of “Ubuntu”, the value that held us together. But the major question is: “If I am the question, would you be the solution?”

Thembakazi Luvuno

Thembakazi Luvuno is a 20 year old girl from the Eastern Cape. She’s the fourth child to her father and the second born to her mother. Thembakazi grew up at Peddie, Hoyi Location until she finished Primary school. From there she went to Uviwe Senior Secondary School at Scenery Park in East London and fell in love with writing poetry and short stories when she was in grade nine. Her own life’s experiences led her to become more interested and inquisitive about other people’s lives. The only time she would find sanity in all that she heard would be the times when she merged pen and paper to tell her stories and the stories of her neighbourhood.

Thembakazi found herself to be part of a community that was behind the bars of silence and ignorance, saw a family dissolve and the children left to handle life by themselves. She heard whispers, but thought nobody ever told the stories of our time. With nothing much, Thembakazi was determined to let it grow and allow it to be known not only by those close to her, but by the world of which she forms part.

Her journey to journalism started when enrolling for a Journalism Diploma at Walter Sisulu University of Technology. There she was groomed to become a better writer and a better representative of the community in different ways, but life taught her humility, servant hood and purpose during those three years. She now pursues her purpose in life, as she joins the struggle of our time through becoming a bridge of communication towards that brink of dawn, which brings better life and positivity to all.

Zintle Daraza

Zintle Daraza was born in the Eastern Cape and is the fourth of six children. She grew up between Eastern Cape, Gauteng and the Western Cape. At some stage she decided to study journalism at the Durban University of Technology. She had been previously inspired to do so by various people in her surroundings.

Zintle has always believed that she was a child of many people, as she grew up “during times when a child was still raised by the whole community” and that has taught her that if one is good to people they will most likely return the gesture.

Zintle furthermore believes that everyone has a story to tell, a story of victory after many hard ordeals, celebratory stories and survival stories and she considers the media to be one of the most crucial forms of telling people’s stories.

“The point is conveying the stories that unite and build us, that celebrate the people that we are, that inspire people to do better and those that educate people to make informed choices. My hopes are not to change the world through the work that I am doing with CMT, but to make it a little bit better.” – Zintle Daraza

Wendy Kumalo

Wendy “Kumar” Kumalo was born in Khanya Village just outside Pietermaritzburg, known as Cedara, an area known for its agriculture. In 2002, the whole family relocated to Mpophomeni, a township near Howick, where she attended Mpophomeni High School.

Life was not easy for her and her family. Wendy’s mom raised her and her two younger siblings with the money she managed to get from temporary jobs. Through all the difficult times her mom taught her and her family to believe in Jehovah, God and to live with what they had.

Seeing the silence and fear of people around her community to talk about HIV & AIDS and issues concerning gender violence, she decided to do more to break the silence and be the voice of the voiceless. After matriculating in 2006, she studied journalism at Varsity College in Pietermaritzburg from 2007 to 2008. During that time, she worked as a general reporter for Umlilo News a community newspaper. Wendy was excited about writing and breaking the silence with the stories she covered. But things were not easy as she was receiving threats from community members as she was covering stories they didn’t want to talk about. However, that did not get her down.

She worked for the Echo Newspaper then Edendale Eyethu, falling in love with covering news around her community tackling gender violence, HIV & AIDS and municipality issues. She started working as a Community Journalist for CMT in January 2009, excited about being able to fulfill her dream of being a voice for the voiceless in a broader way, covering stories from all over KwaZulu-Natal.

Wendy gets her inspiration from telling stories about ordinary people, who, through courage, overcome their challenges. She believes that as journalists we have “Great power, which comes with great responsibility.” She feels strongly about gender violence and HIV related issues, and sees Siyayinqoba as a platform to break the silence in our communities. “If you and I don’t talk about it, then the person next to you won’t either”. Being with Siyayinqoba for almost two years has taught Wendy a lot regarding HIV & AIDS treatment literacy and camera work, with such experience she wishes to do more.