Ex-Sowetan journo scoops Basadi Award

Former Sowetan reporter Amanda Maliba has walked away with the Entertainment Journalist of the Year Award at the first Basadi in Music Awards on Saturday night.  

Maliba duked it out with her former Sowetan colleague Patience Bambalele, The Star’s Kedibone Modise, Qhama Dayile from Drum magazine and Daily Sun’s Doreen Molefe. The winner was voted by the public.   

Maliba started her entertainment reporting journey in 2017 at Sunday Independent newspaper. Before that, she reported on current affairs,hard news and education. She has been a journalist for 10 years, with six dedicated to entertainment reporting.

She was honoured for her contribution to the entertainment industry and how she supported women in music through her storytelling.

“When I first started out in the journalism space, I was quite intimidated by my peers. I thought I had to conform to the narrative or image that was there but the more I wrote, the more I realised my work is good. I forgot about wanting to conform because I had grown into my skin,” Maliba said yesterday.

“I’ve always put my work first. I wanted it to speak for me and this award is such a huge pat on the back that my work did that for me. When I started my career, I never knew of awards... it’s never been a thing for me. I never wanted to be the kind of journalist that receives awards. I have always been about writing and telling people’s stories,” she said.

Having interviewed many iconic names, Maliba states that the most memorable interviews she’s ever done were with the late great Zimbabwean musician Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi and soul singer Thandiswa Mazwai.

“My dad used to listen to Oliver’s music, so I never thought I’d ever get to sit down and talk to a man I grew up listening to... so it was such a surreal moment. I remember going ‘oh my god, oh my god. I can’t believe this is happening’.

“We ended up having a father and daughter conversation to a point where to date; his daughter is like a sister to me. When he passed on, I was with his daughter every day because of that interview. He was like a father to me,” Maliba said.