Having propelled the weekly M&G to greater heights, Haffajee is heading off to Auckland Park, where she will preside at the helm of City Press editorial management in the view of consolidating the newspaper's Distinctly African brand.
Asked why she left M&G at the time when the newspaper has regained its place in the sun of glory, Haffajee said: “Precisely that. The newspaper has reached its highest-ever circulation and I am very excited to have been part of that achievement.”
But, she said, when a lovely opportunity came along, she decided to seize it. Circulation of the M&G grew by 12% in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the latest figures released by the Audit Bureau of Circulation.
It is still unclear who will take over her post. However, she told Bizcommunity.com that an announcement is due to be made as soon as possible. “We will announce an appointment in a fortnight's time or even in this Friday's edition,” Haffajee, a former Media Woman of the Year (2008) and former SANEF chairperson and current member of World Editors' Forum, said.
Even though the M&G and City Press - a weekly and a weekend newspaper respectively - come out once a week, there is no doubt that the working environment is different from one another; so, too, are the challenges that lie ahead. Asked how she will tackle them, she replied: “Well, I'll have to assess once I get there in July - but first I have a lot to complete here at the Mail & Guardian. I am lucky to be inheriting an extremely solid foundation set by editor Khathu Mamaila, with whom I will work, and with the immediate past editor Mathatha Tsedu.”
Many observers have hailed the M&G's outstanding and fearless investigative journalism work under the reign of Haffajee, but are now wondering if things will be the same there now that she is gone. And they also wonder whether she will be able to carry it over to Auckland Park, where people and resources are not the same, and, to put it, simply it is going to be a completely different world.
All she was prepared to say was: “I hope so - one of my briefs is to build on City Press's existing investigative work.”
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