Mondli Makhanya
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Mondli Makhanya | |
|---|---|
 Makhanya in 2017 | |
| Citizenship | South Africa |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Employer | City Press |
| Mother | Thoko Remigia Makhanya |
Mondli Makhanya is a South African journalist who has been editor-in-chief of City Press since 2016. He was formerly the editor of the Mail & Guardian from 2002 to 2003, the editor of the Sunday Times from 2004 to 2010, and the editor-in-chief at the Times Media Group from 2010 to 2013. He is also a former chairperson of the South African National Editors' Forum. He is well known for his political commentary, currently published in City Press columns.
Makhanya is the son of South African activist and poet Thoko Remigia Makhanya.[1]
Career
Makhanya began his career as a journalist at the Weekly Mail in 1990.[2] He interned at Newsweek in New York and then returned to the Weekly Mail, where he was head of the Cape Town bureau from 1994.[3] In 1995, he moved to the Star, where he spent four years as a political reporter and deputy news editor before he was appointed associate editor of the Sunday World, a newly launched publication under Fred Khumalo's editorship, in 1999.[2][4] As the Sunday World quickly became a tabloid, Makhanya left in 2000 to join the Sunday Times as a political editor;[5] he later became the paper's deputy managing editor for politics and policy.[6]
Mail & Guardian: 2002–2003
On 1 October 2002, Makhanya began a new position as editor of the Mail & Guardian, succeeding Howard Barrell.[2][3][7] However, a little over a year into his tenure, the newspaper announced that he had resigned in order to return to the Sunday Times as editor, a position from which Mathatha Tsedu had recently been fired.[5] After he had resigned from the paper, the Mail & Guardian named him as one of three journalists who were expected to "emerge as key figures in our public life over the next decade", saying, "Few South African editors enjoy as much respect from their peers and political movers and shakers".[8] He was succeeded at the Mail & Guardian by Ferial Haffajee.[9]
Times Media: 2004–2013
Makhanya's appointment at the Sunday Times was effective from 1 February 2004.[5] He remained in the position for six years, during which time the paper's readership grew from 3.2 million to almost four million.[10] During this period, in 2006, he was named as one of the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders.[11] As editor, he printed a notorious satirical cartoon by Zapiro, the Rape of Lady Justice, in 2008; he and Zapiro were both named in the resulting defamation lawsuit lodged by former Deputy President Jacob Zuma, the subject of cartoon.[12][13] He also printed a highly controversial column by David Bullard and then invited further controversy by firing Bullard.[14][15]
In March 2010, it was announced that Ray Hartley would replace Makhanya as Sunday Times editor and that he in turn would become editor-in-chief of all Avusa Media newspapers.[10] Although this was presented as a promotion,[10] Tawana Kupe observed that Makhanya's new role appeared relatively narrow and speculated that Makhanya, "at a young age and in his prime as an editor, has been retired by being kicked upstairs".[16] Makhanya remained in the position after Avusa changed ownership and became the Times Media Group, but he resigned in early 2013 to write a book about South African politics.[17] During his time at Avusa, he also served a term as chairperson of the South African National Editors' Forum.[18]
City Press: 2016–present
Makhanya became editor-in-chief of City Press with effect from 1 August 2016.