Johannesburg - South African journalism has lost one of its most priceless members – the vibrant and energetic Solly Maphumulo, who passed away as a result of a Covid-19related illness.
It is unbelievable that Solly succumbed to this pandemic, or to be precise, a natural death. I had expected the worst since her arrival in journalism.
When Solly joined The Star in the early 2000s she appeared naive and it was probably because she came from KwaMaphumulo, a rural village in KwaZulu-Natal.
Unknown to us, a gem had arrived. At the time, black journalists, except for a few, mostly editors, occupied junior positions in the newsroom. She also came at a time when female journalists were leaving in droves, apparently due to a lack of upward movement.
Just a few remained, like Buhle Khumalo and Khanyisile Nkosi, while others were interns trying to secure permanent jobs. Solly became one of the strugglers.
I cannot say the same about the white and Indian interns.
They had the privilege of securing permanent employment after a few months of internship and were also elevated to senior positions, which included a car allowance.
After the exit of black women, fellow black male reporters joined the exodus and enlisted with various rival newspapers.
One, who now holds a senior executive position at one of our national newspapers, was given a car allowance while serving his notice. Despite that lucrative allowance, he took his jacket and left.
Solly had to fill the gap, but unlike others she had to wait for almost two years to secure a permanent job.
“I am on contract, Ndaba,” she would say. After a few months: “My contract was again extended by six months.”
She was living in Zola, Soweto and had to eke out a living on a meagre wage. This did not dissuade her – in fact it made her stronger.
Despite the frustration, the true Solly emerged when our seniors least expected. Our newsroom operated like a Hollywood movie, meaning certain reporters had the privilege of writing front-page stories.
She single-handedly changed the narrative and became a dominant feature on our front pages. The story of the planned demise of the Scorpions was first reported by her prior to the 2007 ANC Polokwane national conference. At that stage, the then-Independent Newspapers titles began fighting over her byline.
I can still visualise former Sunday Independent editor Jovial Rantao coming knocking at The Star’s newsroom door to negotiate a loan deal for Solly.
It was during the post-Polokwane conference when very few journalists knew about the shenanigans of the post Thabo Mbeki era, including factions in the Hawks under Berning Ntlemeza.
This villager uncovered it with aplomb. I thought then that Solly was going to be killed by those she had exposed, not now by Covid-19.
Because of her vigorous reporting, the group had to fork out money to put her in a place of safety when her life was threatened.
At the time, she was due to receive senior journalist status. Solly had imparted her investigative reporting skills to other black female journalists who witnessed her struggles.
Solly Maphumulo imbued self confidence in most of The Star’s female journalists. They developed their own stories – no wonder rival newspapers recruited from our pool and continue to do so.
The few that remain in Independent Media – I bet – are saying: “I want to continue where Solly left off.”
She would say: “My name is Solly. Before I was born, my father expected a boy, but it turned out the opposite for him. Despite my gender, he insisted that I should use the name he had chosen – Solomon.”
Death be not proud!
The Star