Activist, journalist, writer, editor, friend and mentor, Shaun Johnson was building a democratic nation amid the apartheid rubble, writes Rich Mkhondo
The activist, journalist, writer, editor, friend and mentor was building a democratic nation amid the apartheid rubbleMany of us have experienced that feeling of vicarious dread of paying tribute to a departed friend or family member. The challenge has always been whether such a tribute re-acquaints us with that person or if it merely recounts facts of a life and endearing traits.
Shaun was a disciplined human being without overdoing it. He was ambitious, inspiring, pioneering and enterprising without avarice. He was a gifted writer; a teacher without guile. He taught by example. I followed his journalism techniques. One of the first things I learned from him was that you could have a list of prepared questions for an interview, but you had to be a good listener to be able field follow-up questions. This sounds obvious, but it is not.
Ten years later, while I was working for Reuters, Shaun recruited me back to then Independent Newspapers as a correspondent in Washington. The “boss-friend” relationship continued as I represented the group from North America.
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