African Diaspora Forum

The Migrant News - Inserted in      

Current and Past issues of the magazine

Click here to see the index to the February issue

Click here to see the index to the December issue

The Migrant News Uncut

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Introduction

ADF and the Independent Media are starting a monthly magazine, 'The Migrant' (inserted in the Star and in Pretoria News. It is the result of an offer made by Moegsien Williams (Star's Editor) and Zingisa Mkhuma (Pretoria News Editor) to the African Diaspora Forum, as a continuation of their campaign 'Never Again', started after the May 2008 xenophobic attacks. ADF sees it as a huge step in South Africa for raising African migrants' voices in South Africa, and wishes to thank and congratulate the Independent Media for their broad and progressive vision.

Objectives of the magazine

The broad objectives of the magazine as agreed by the Media Task Team are

1. To provide a platform for African migrants voices, cultures, experiences (good and bad ones); AND
2. To change the way African migrants are perceived and depicted in most of South African society (migrants are not only victims, but also agents; they are not 'a curse' but growing the economy, bringing cultural diversity, creativity and dynamism).

This means that the magazine will be trying to find a balance between the harsh realities of migrant experiences and constructive/ positive stories showing these other aspects of African migration to South Africa.

Structure of the magazine

The proposed structure for the magazine (depending on the availability of papers, and obviously flexible):

1. a news page (or two),
2. a focus on one specific migrant community in JHB (activities, cultures, possibly: portrait of a restaurant);
3. a special feature (several perspectives on a specific migrant issue: loitering, street trading, home affairs, Lindela, etc.);
4. a portrait of a migrant's trajectory emphasizing his/her contribution to SA (e.g. migrant businesspeople creating jobs for SA; migrant married to a SA; etc.)
5. useful contacts and information; letters to the editor (react on the magazine!)
6. a page on African cultural events
7. a page on sport

Want to contribute to the magazine?

Each ADF member is free to send a paper, an essay, a letter, a reaction to the first issue of the magazine, a picture, etc. to . Other migrants and South Africans are also encouraged to do so - as long as they engage with the objectives of the magazine. Professional journalists, especially in migrant communities, are encouraged to get in touch with us

Three remarks that you should take into account before sending a paper to be published in the magazine:

1. Not all papers are publishable. We are not publishing adverts for an organisation or a company or a business, we are publishing stories (that can involve an organisation, a company, a business, etc). If you want your paper to be published it must therefore not only be a profile but a story (the personal story of the leader/ businessmen; an example of activities organised by such organisations; etc.). It is better if accompanied by pictures, documents, interviews.
2. A paper sent might not necessarily be published in the next issue of the magazine, but can be kept for the following one. Sometimes it requires editing - The Media Task Team is happy to help when possible (also sometimes can help with translation from non-english languages).
3. ADF is promoting integration and non-discrimination along racial, ethnic, gender, religious... lines. It aims at building unity, harmony, and mutual respect amongst the people of South Africa, and Africa in general. It will not publish the papers which do not abide to these principles.