DUT Journalism and Sunday Times collaborate to mark July 2021 Civil Unrest anniversary

NDUT Journalism and Sunday Times collaborate to mark July 2021 Civil Unrest anniversary ANDILE DUBE The Durban University of Technology’s (DUT) Journalism Programme collaborated with the Sunday Times on a project to mark the one-year anniversary of the July 2021 unrest. Titled, ‘July Riots One Year On’, the project aimed W at reflecting on the civil unrest that gripped parts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Gauteng last year. Around 70 second- and third-year Bachelor of Journalism students submitted articles that captured how the unrest affected their communities in KZN. The students worked under the supervision of journalism lecturers, Bibi Ayesha Mall and Siphumelele Zondi and Sunday Times’s News and Investigations Assistant Editor, Nicki Gules. Mall said DUT Journalism was approached by the Sunday Times to collaborate on the project that culminated in 50 stories written by the students being published in the Sunday Times. “Students were asked to submit articles about experiences of civil unrest in their communities across KwaZulu-Natal. The Sunday Times is a national institution and it was a wonderful opportunity for the Bachelor of Journalism students to work under the tutelage of key industry staffers. Ms Gules, who had spearheaded this project, met several times online with the Print Journalism 2 and 3 classes. In the first meeting, the brief was discussed. Then a diary meeting was held for students to pitch their story ideas. Gules also held an online news writing master class for the

students,” she explained. Mall said the process of compiling the articles began in February, soon after the Sunday Times approached DUT Journalism to collaborate on the project. The deadline for submission of articles was in April and the process of revisions continued until mid-June. Prior to the project, students had written articles on the topic for an assessment in the second semester of 2021 for the Print Journalism module. “To prepare students for the Sunday Times Project, an assessment was set on the project theme of reflections of the civil unrest. Subsequent to the assessment process and marks finalised, students revised their articles based on the feedback given to them and resubmitted the revised articles, which were sent to Ms Gules. Ms Gules, then worked with the students on their articles. She worked also with some students directly based on the stories they pitched at the diary meeting. She paired them with Sunday Times reporters and they worked on stories together,” said Mall. According to Mall, the stories written by the students captured the experiences of those affected by the unrest which took place on 9- 18 July last year – claiming around 354 lives. “The work produced by the students captured the goals of the project, which was to include a wide range of angles from across KZN – villages, suburbs, towns and cities. This ensured that the colossal personal and material losses and the array of emotions that people experienced were captured. Students wrote about the trauma, fear and sadness that people experienced, about loss of loved ones, property destroyed, theft, looting, assault and killings,” she said. Third year Journalism student, Leah Ganasen, from Phoenix wrote an article titled, ‘They were just going to see black and shoot’. 12 | SOFTCOPY

W E S to a near-irreparable point,” she explained. Nikitha Nkunzi, also a Journalism student described the opportunity as an amazing experience which she found educational and enlightening. Her article was about a young mother who looted her place of employment and as a result was sentenced to six months in jail. “Not only was the process of getting my piece published a memorable one, but it also prompted introspection in me. I am sure that each of the things I have learnt will stand me in good stead for future opportunities. I also feel that I have built a decent relationship with the editor (Nicki Gules). She was kind and encouraging, and her guidance and comments will be useful in my future writing. I am honestly so grateful that I was awarded this opportunity,” she said. Journalism third year students, Lungelo Sibiya and Leah Ganasen. Photo by Khumbuzile Mbuqe. Journalism’s Nikitha Nkunzi. Photo by Khumbuzile Mbuqe. “The article details the experience during the July unrest of the black and Indian race groups living in Phoenix during that time. They both describe their feelings on race relations before, during and after the unrest noting that the relationship between black and Indian people has seemingly deteriorated ISSUE THREE 2022 | 13