Hamba kahle Harry Mashabela

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Danette Breitenbach

The South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) has expressed condolences following the death of veteran journalist, writer and researcher Harry Mashabela. He passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Harry Mashabela.

“Mashabela will be remembered as one of the journalists who was a thorn in the flesh of the then Apartheid government,” said Sanef in a statement. While working as a reporter, he was arrested – together with many seasoned journalists in the country – under Section six of the Terrorism Act on Thursday, 29 July 1976 up to 1977.

In March 1963, he was sent by Drum Magazine to Europe to do a story titled: "Exodus of African Students from European universities". He was awarded the Parvin Fellowship by the Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs and spent his academic years studying at Princeton University in New Jersey, USA.

Found this at the Stellenbosch Hospice for R5. I did not know about Harry Mashabela but after reading this book, I am not surprised to learn that he comes from the Drum cohort. pic.twitter.com/KsH2fHYWkI
— Zipho Tshangana (@ziphozyra) February 17, 2019

Mashabela worked for, among several newspapers, The Star, Golden City Post, Rand Daily Mail and the Financial Mail. He was the author of several books including the Townships of the PWV, a People on the Boil (1988) and Mekhukhu: Urban African Cities of the Future (1990) and he penned numerous articles.

Mashabela was the SA director of a scholarship fund that was founded in the early 1970s by three prominent African-Americans, namely educationist Dr Robert Green, civil rights leader Andrew Young and tennis star Arthur Ashe.

A memorial service for Mashabela will be held at the CedarWoods Conference/Hotel in Sandton on 29 August 2019.