This week, learn about the latest wave of COVID-19 in South Africa through the eyes of our former Southern African Hub Leader, Ray Joseph. You can also read Joseph’s latest investigation on a bungled corruption probe in South Africa. Next, make sure to attend our next training session on August 5 and our metaverse launch party on August 25! Finally, the Wits Centre for Journalism is seeking a new director!
Ray Joseph Reflects on South Africa’s COVID-19 Crisis
In a recent opinion piece with CNN, CCIJ’s former Southern Africa Hub Leader Ray Joseph detailed his thoughts on Covid’s latest surge in South Africa. In the article, titled “Covid has South Africa by the throat. How I dodged its scary grip,” Joseph explained the numerous factors behind the latest wave, including the highly infectious and now dominant Delta variant, a lack of governmental preparation and a laggard vaccine rollout, and recounted his own personal experience with the virus after testing positive in June. “Without a doubt, the key to saving more South Africans — and other Africans — from dying from this deadly virus is getting vaccines to the people at a faster rate,” Joseph writes. Read the piece in its entirety here.
Lottery Corruption Probe Bungled in South Africa
As part of his ongoing, data-driven investigation into global lottery corruption, Ray Joseph published another groundbreaking report on lottery fraud in South Africa. The article, published in GroundUp with Anton van Zyl, showed how forensic reports contracted by the National Lotteries Commission were exposed for containing forged documents. The reports were compiled by Ndola Lamola Inc., a high-profile legal firm formerly directed by Minister of Justice Ronald Lomola. Learn more about the failed investigation here.
CCIJ August Training: Story Proposals
On Thursday, August 5, the CCIJ will continue its ongoing training series! The upcoming workshop will feature award-winning independent journalist Sonja Smith and CCIJ’s Series Editor Yaffa Fredrick as they explain how to write a winning grant proposal. This free session is open to anyone, and you can register for the event here.
Please contact Willa Sippel at w.sippel@ccij.io with any questions.
Metaverse Launch Party
The CCIJ is excited to announce our Metaverse Launch Party will be held on August 25! Created in May, the metaverse is a collective virtual shared space developed by CCIJ’s Innovation Director Jon Lowenstein and designers Karen Eng and Lenara Verle. CCIJ became the first journalism organization to create a space to publish members’ work when it shared Lamin Jahateh and Jason Florio’s story about water access in The Gambia. We hope to see you there!
Wits Centre for Journalism Seeks a New Director
The Wits Centre for Journalism is seeking skilled applicants to appoint a new director. Located in Johannesburg, the Wits Centre for Journalism is a program within the University of the Witwatersrand for aspiring and working journalists. The new director will oversee the program and administrative work, develop the long-term vision of the Centre and lead a diverse and active team. If interested, submit a letter of motivation, a CV and three references to Professor Dan Ojwang at Dan.Ojwang@wits.ac.za. Applications are due August 13, 2021.