Today I’m leaving the Mail & Guardian Online. I’m moving to London, for the adventure and the work experience. Don’t worry — I’m by no means a disillusioned South African. I love it here and I will be back.
For the last Between the Pages podcast, Tony Lankester asked me to sum up my 10 most memorable moments in my almost 10 years at the M&G.
Here goes, in no particular order:
1. Zimbabwe
It’s been the most popular subject on the Mail & Guardian Online, especially in the past year (though the ANC’s troubles are now topping the rankings), and the most dispiriting too. To see so little being achieved while a massive humanitarian disaster unfolds has been dreadful, and now it seems as if the few gains made in the past weeks may well come to nought.
2. ANC Polokwane conference
I worked 20-hour days at Polokwane, reporting on Thabo Mbeki being ousted and Jacob Zuma rising to the top. It was energising, thrilling and memorable. It was also the M&G and M&G Online‘s first successful convergence exercise.
3. Jacob Zuma and the ANC
The rise and rise of Zuma has been incredible. He has kept us chained to our desks for many long hours — his rape trial, his corruption trial, his ascendancy to the ANC presidency (and perhaps the country) — and, whether we like him or not, he’s driven our news agenda in recent times more than anyone else in this country.
4. September 11 2001
An unforgettable time to be working for a newspaper. The M&G, coming out three days after the incident, had a cover photo of Osama bin Laden with the words: “Wanted: dead or alive, guilty or not”, which neatly summed up the situation at the time.
5. Beslan school massacre in Russia
For days we reported tirelessly on the fate of the many schoolchildren being held hostage. Russian forces eventually stormed the school, and the news and images emerged of 186 dead children among the 334 hostages who had died. I cried.
6. Interdicts
The SABC and the Thabo Mbeki documentary; Sandi Majali and Oilgate; and many others — the legal action taken on Thursday afternoons against the M&G has often resulted in midnight court appearances, pages being blacked out at 3am and carefully worded online news reports on why the newspaper would be late in the shops. Bad news for the legal bills, but thrilling times to be defending the freedom of the press.
7. Asian tsunami
Spending Boxing Day 2004 with the in-laws was interrupted by breaking news of a natural disaster unfolding. As CNN and the wires sent out increasing numbers of urgent alerts about yet more countries being affected — and I camped out behind the PC, holidays forgotten — I knew we were in for the tragedy of the century.
8. Hansie Cronje
I was proud to work for a newspaper that had the guts to put up a street poster with the headline “Fuck Hansie” — relating to a column by the late and great Robert Kirby that neatly summed up the betrayal much of the nation was feeling about Cronje’s devious acts in cricketing. Also, watching the public reaction to the poster streaming in was highly entertaining.
9. Snow in Johannesburg
I worked the early shift that day in June 2007, and drove to work at 6am with snow covering lawns and rooftops. I put aside other tasks and asked readers to send in their pictures, resulting in an unprecedented flood of emails and photographs, and an online gallery that drew many thousands of hits (a record broken only much later by the Free State students urination video gallery).
10. SA “rentboy” reveals all
It was salacious and sensational, and the celebrity names and saucy details that couldn’t be reported will stay with me forever. True or not, it made for excellent reading!
Bon voyage!….and all the best mate!
Riaan you are one of the greats and I trust that as soon as you have landed in London you will let me have your details.
I have specifically not driven you mad these last few weeks knowing what a dedicated professional you are and how you would be killing yourself to maintain the very highest standards you have set yourself right up until the last day.
If there is anyone who epitomises excellence and integrity it is you.
All the best for the future let me know your address as soon as you are settled.
Hey, Riaan. We will miss you, boet, but you will cherish the experience. It’s a different world out there.
We look forward to dealing with your successor. S/he has huge shoes to fill.
Reis lekker & hamba kahle. LK
Riaan
I worked on the paper in a previous incarnation. The M&G and its people are very close to my heart.
I get to London more often than I do, South Africa. We’ll meet down the pub!
Ismail
“If you’re going to slip in somewhere and save your skin, it has to be when the ship is sinking, a country falling apart, a time when nobody knows who is who and you can just pass off as anybody.”
Don’t forget to call home…
it’s a big loss for Africa, a continent on the rise and a huge gain for Europe, a continent on the decline.
I guess all good things – especially professionals – from Africa must, ultimately, end up in Europe’s capitals for whatever reason or period.
But the spirit of Africa is very strong and when it calls, you will be back.
lots of best wishes, love and respect.
Thank you for making the M&G online so good. Reading your memories was a good anecdote. Don’t stay in England for too long, there is much to be done here!
Riaan
By the way, were you not the one who use(d) to flag my comments? if yes, then what a break for me…
but we’ll still miss you, even though…
he he the EU SAn imported biltong is always old, you’ll miss the fresh home-made one…
Wow, guys, you’ll make me teary-eyed (again). Than.ks for the kind words, and let me know when you’re in London — I’ll buy you a pint.
Good Luck
[Surprised not to see the events of May 2008 in your list]
May you find all the fun in London
Best of British luck Riaan (although I’m not sure the Poms enjoy better fortune than anyone else). See you on Facebook!
Hi Riaan
Thank you for your general excellence, warmth and generosity. It would be very cool if you returned home with a genuine peep peep double-decker bus. Hoping you stay safe, healthy, happy.
Riaan
I thought that I would tip toe in at the end – when you were off the front page.
NOW who do I e-mail when I panic, because my connection to TL is down, or my blog out of action?
I wish you all the best in London. What part of London are you in? My first grandchild will be born in London at the beginning of next year! The ultrasounds show her as having all her fingers – and the same big head as her mother (which is why I had to have a Ceasar)!
I have been wanting to ask for a long time in relation to your post “And then came the Racists”_ did it get better or worse in the last year?
I hope you will at least give us an occasional blog now and then!
Once again – Good luck and keep in touch!