Monday 10 September was one of those nervous days for one as editor of the ever popular The BEAT.
For reasons related to downright work ethic or otherwise, I happen to be the first to arrive at the office, before the likes of Lizzy Bapela, Mzamane Ringane and TK Mashaba enter the space.
The very first thing we editors have to attend to, is to check out as many of the national and even foreign press to familiarize one’s mind with what is happening around us.
The relevant story for us that particular week was that DA leader Mmusi Maimane was expected to unveil premier candidates for, among others, the Limpopo Province.
By Monday 17 September Jacques Smalle had emerged as the main man for the official opposition, ready to slug it out with ANC heavyweight Stan Mathabatha, ahead of the all-important 2019
general elections.
Back to Monday 10 September.
On this day we convened for our weekly pre-publication conference to thrash out, among other stories, the shock and awe picture and story for the front page.
At the end of the deliberations I was not satisfied at all with what was on offer from the reporters.
But as our Afrikaans-speaking compatriots are want to say: ’n boer maak ‘n plan. And I am not about to translate this unless you offer me a huge mug of beer!
Looking at the pictures, my eye was caught by one picture brought along by Mzamane Ringane, from a performance by a cultural ensemble at a lodge outside Modimolle.
Armed only with this lonesome but striking picture, without a hard-news back-up story, my hair grew grey at the temples.
But then TK came up with a plan, that the festival circuit was about to change into higher gear, with the most popular King Monada and Lindokuhle “Mlindo” Magedezi, lined up for one heck of a
gig at Modmolle’s Ephraim Mogale Stadium.
Great stories are not plucked from the trees, are they? I doff my hat to TK for saving the front page lead situation for all of us.
At the time of writing this piece, I was once again awaiting the reporters’ arrival to discuss this week’s diary.
But then already going through my mind were stories such as the latest developments with regards to Limpopo Copa Coca-Cola champions, the under-15 squad from the Bela-Bela Soccer Academy
(Bela-Bela High School).
And hey, I proudly parted with a R20 note when the boys lined up the entrance into the Waterfront raising funds for the memorable journey to the Eastern Cape for the national finals. Hope you
also consider dropping the boys a dime, too.
Call head coach Sam Modise at 072 025 0469 to contribute.
It was a bag of mixed fortunes for Limpopo’s soccer teams at the highest level of the nation’s football, with some winning, others losing and the odd draw.
My foot! Here comes another holiday, Heritage Day, meaning we are losing a full working day on Monday.
I know for you it is time to relax, but for the likes of TK Mashaba, Mzamane Ringane and Lizzy Bapela, we have to dedicate a full day this week to make up for the lost working day.
— The BEAT
