Radio journalist wins Burke Scholarship
Twenty-four year old Thabang Malatji from Phomolong in Limpopo has been selected as the winner of the 2020 Burke Scholarship, which aims to advance democracy by developing extraordinary journalists, it was announced in a media statement issued by the Burke Foundation on Tuesday.
No newcomer to journalism, Malatji has worked in a newsroom for the last two years, and before that completed a BA in Communication at North West University (Vanderbijlpark campus).
Malatji has covered news stories about fires, car accidents, murder, kidnapping, rhino horn poaching, allegations of state capture by politicians, Home Affairs and education.
“One of my highlights while working as a radio journalist at Newskoop [a media content agency for radio] was when I got an opportunity to interview the former leader of the Democratic Alliance, Mmusi Maimane, back in 2018.” Malatji explains that he asked Maimane about unemployment in the country.
The Burke scholarship is awarded to a student enrolled to study BA Honours in Journalism and Media Studies at North West University (Potchefstroom campus) and covers full tuition fees, a housing subsidy for on-campus accommodation, a meal allowance for campus dining halls, and a stipend for various living expenses.
In his spare time Malatji watches the news on eNCA, Newsroom Africa and SABC, and follows American politics by watching Fox News and MSNBC and online at CNN.com
From a young age Malatji loved telling stories, writing and reading. This passion, to “give a voice to the voiceless”, is what lead him to choose journalism as a career. “I am excited to learn more about this field, do research and take on the challenging tasks that come with this Honours program,” says Malatji.
After he has completed his studies, Malatji intends to return to the world of radio journalism and pursue his dream of becoming a news anchor.
To find out more about the Burke Scholarship or how to apply, visit www.scholarship.burke.org.za
Malatji is one of the team members of threestreamsmedia.