The pen is mightier than the sword...

Sunday Times columnist Dave Bullard (image courtesy of Sunday Times)

Bullard was shot by armed robbers in his Parkview, Johannesburg, home on Wednesday night, 7 March 2007. He is recovering in the Milpark Hospital with the bullet still lodged in his abdomen. He is in good spirits, joking with the media about the attack and dispensing ‘fashion advice’ about what to do in the plush northern suburbs of Joburg if you are shot: “wear casual clothes” (after his favourite designer jeans were cut off him by medics), but has expressed his anger at becoming yet another crime statistic.

When someone we know is hurt or attacked it affects us deeply, the media industry is no different and an attack on a colleague gets to us all. Senior media at a luncheon hosted by Sky News at the Saxon in Johannesburg on Thursday were still deeply upset at the news of the attack on Bullard.

Carte Blanche executive producer, George Mazarakis, described Bullard as “a profoundly valuable man who writes the most insightful comment” which was standard reading for every thinking South African.

“He is an institution in our media community… he’s the conscience of our country.”

Mazarakis said it was ironic and tragic that Bullard, who was outspoken about crime in South Africa, should fall victim to crime. “We pray he recovers, we need people of his calibre.”

Another shocked journalist asked how we, as media writers and commentators, were supposed to remain positive about our beautiful country and fledgling democracy when criminals were terrorising the general populace daily, exempting no one. “It’s the randomness that gets to me, it could have been anyone of us on Wednesday night who took that bullet. Crime discriminates against no one.”

Heartbreaking

Speaking to Bizcommunity.com reporter Issa Sikiti da Silva in the aftermath of the incident yesterday, Sunday Times Business Times editor Paul Stober said: “I am shocked and shaken by this incident. All of us are very upset about what has happened.

“David is a good colleague, a good writer and an accomplished professional full of a great sense of humour. To see him go through this pain is heartbreaking for all of us at Sunday Times.

“But we are pleased that he is recovering well and we wish him well. Of course crime is a worrying trend. We are all concerned about this scourge, which seems well out of control. I think it is time that something was done fast to tackle it with vigorous strategies,” Stober added.

Stronger platform

Speaking from Cape Town, Bizcommunity.com expert columnist Chris Moerdyk said Bullard's contribution to freedom of speech and social tolerance in South Africa has been enormous. “He is outspoken, cheeky, controversial and provocative and is slowly but surely teaching South African society not to take everything so painfully seriously.

“If those who gunned Dave Bullard down were trying to silence him, they should know that they have not succeeded one bit. Knowing him as well as I do, having survived this attempt on his life and given that he will make a full recovery, Bullard will look at leveraging every possible positive aspect he can out of this incident.”

Moerdyk added that Bullard would now continue his tirade against the lack of action by the authorities against “a crime wave that is killing this nation”, from a far stronger platform.

Industry commentator, the irascible Chris Brewer, who was supposed to have drinks with Bullard yesterday, said he was thrilled to hear he was on the road to recovery. “We desperately need people like him who are not afraid to say what they think.”

But, Brewer quipped, “if I know him, Dave probably got himself shot just to get out of buying me a drink!”

Bizcommunity.com sends its best wishes to Dave Bullard and his family for a speedy recovery and his even speedier return to writing his column, ‘Out to lunch’. If you’d like to send get well messages to Bullard and his family, email them to The Sunday Times on .