Tribute to Fallen Journalists

A double blow for journalism – a tribute to Deon du Plessis and Patrick Leeman
By Marlan Padayachee
KANTHAN Pillay provided an insightful portrait and anecdotes of the newspapering life of Deon du Plessis. This is how I recall a fallen colleague, who ensured that I covered President Nelson Mandela's historic visit to India, once the ANC's strongest ally, for Independent Newspapers and Post, in 1995.
More so, journalism was dealt a double blow: the paragon of publishing, founder of the Daily Sun and stalwart of the mainstream media, has passed on, leaving behind a legacy of an old-fashioned newspaperman, with his sleeves folded and booming voice, that provided excellent editorial leadership and humanity.
Diametrically opposed and a quieter personality was Patrick Leeman, who passed away a day after Du Plessis’s demise on 9/11.
Within the context of the newsroom environment at Natal Newspapers (Independent Newspapers), both wordsmiths touched the lives of peers, colleagues, workers and the public through their unique brand of journalism, human touch and their ability to engage people across the colour lines during the apartheid-democracy era.
Leeman was no Sunday Christian. He brought his Catholicism into his profession, often expressing favourable or dissenting views within the challenges of the industry, championing society’s underclass, while remaining committed to journalism and Paddy Kearney’s Diakonia Council of Churches that assisted striking black media workers in the 1980s.
Du Plessis also showed his hand and craftsmanship during the Media Workers Association of South Africa’s 13-week industrial action in a national protest against newsroom inequalities, racism and lack of career opportunities for disadvantaged reporters and poor pay and working conditions for workers.
As Deputy Editor of the Sunday Tribune, one of the Argus/SAAN publications hit by the strike, Du Plessis tackled the pros and the cons of the strike issue in his column about the ‘three empty desks’ – a reference to the absence of journalists, Ticks Chetty, Shami Harichunder and I from our work stations. The strike separated white and black colleagues on industry politics and ideological grounds.
The union remained unswerving to bring about the changes that presently prevail in the print and electronic media. MWASA won the day. Workers were reinstated and not even a big-hearted and boorish giant like Du Plessis bore any resentment to those who reoccupied the ‘three empty desks’.
He understood the growing militancy and the political terrain of the time. He also stopped short of sanctioning unionised journalists who raised their clenched fists, black-power style, at the launch of an ethnic political party headed by a controversial House of Delegates’ politician. Despite fielding the complaint, Du Plessis argued cogently about the objectivity of journalists, whether we enjoyed political rights, but still respected our action.
Heading back to Johannesburg, straight-talking Du Plessis left an indelible mark in the business of news gathering. Despite his ideological chasm, Afrikaner culture and fiercely independent mind, many of us looked up to this towering practitioner with admiration and respect.
This firm and fair, and yet colourful persona, is journalism’s loss .
The success of his top-circulation tabloid for blue-collar and working-class readers bears testimony to his integrity, honesty, management style, professional passion and inimitable common touch.
His legacy and contribution serves to inspire editors and journalists to continue reporting and publishing without fear or favour, and be damned, particularly at a time when the media landscape is at the crossroads of our young constitutional democracy.
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· Marlan Padayachee, Journalist, Researcher and Media and Communications Strategist, GreenGold House, 1 Hillside Road, Dawncliffe, Westville, South Africa: marlan.padayachee@greengoldmedia.com/ (031) 266 2134/ 266 4293/ Cell: 073 625 8247.