Aggrey Klaaste
Encyclopedia
Aggrey Zola Klaaste was a South Africa
n newspaper
journalist
and editor
. He was best known for being editor of the Soweto
-based newspaper, the Sowetan, from 1988 to 2002. He introduced the concept of "nation building" while editor of the Sowetan and spent much of his time and energy promoting the idea.
Klaaste was born in Kimberley as one of eight children. When he was three, his family moved to Sophiatown in Johannesburg
, where his father became a clerk at a gold
mine. In 1955, when Sophiatown was dismantled, the family moved to Meadowlands in Soweto.
He began studying at the University of the Witwatersrand
in 1958 and graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts degree
. Klaaste was one of the last blacks to have completed a degree at the university before it was closed to blacks by apartheid laws.
After graduating he became a journalist, first with Drum
magazine and subsequently with The World
(which was banned by the South African government in 1977) and The Post (which became the Sowetan in 1981). In 1977 he was arrested along with The World editor at the time, Percy Qoboza
, and spent nine months in jail.
Prior to his death, he was an executive with the black empowerment company, New Africa Investment Ltd. (NAIL) as well as the chairperson of the Johannesburg Tourism Company.
He was voted 58th in the Top 100 Great South Africans
in 2004.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
. He was best known for being editor of the Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
-based newspaper, the Sowetan, from 1988 to 2002. He introduced the concept of "nation building" while editor of the Sowetan and spent much of his time and energy promoting the idea.
Klaaste was born in Kimberley as one of eight children. When he was three, his family moved to Sophiatown in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, where his father became a clerk at a gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mine. In 1955, when Sophiatown was dismantled, the family moved to Meadowlands in Soweto.
He began studying at the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
in 1958 and graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
. Klaaste was one of the last blacks to have completed a degree at the university before it was closed to blacks by apartheid laws.
After graduating he became a journalist, first with Drum
Drum (Magazine)
Drum is a South African family magazine mainly aimed at Black readers and contains market news, entertainment and feature articles. It has two sister magazines: Huisgenoot and YOU .In 2005 it was described as "the first black lifestyle magazine in Africa"—but it is...
magazine and subsequently with The World
The World (South African newspaper)
The World, originally named The Bantu World, was the Johannesburg black daily newspaper which published photographer Sam Nzima's iconic image of Hector Pieterson, taken during the Soweto uprisings of June 16, 1976.- History:...
(which was banned by the South African government in 1977) and The Post (which became the Sowetan in 1981). In 1977 he was arrested along with The World editor at the time, Percy Qoboza
Percy Qoboza
Percy Peter Tshidiso Qoboza was an influential black South African journalist, author, and outspoken critic of the apartheid government in South Africa during the early periods of world recognition of the problems evident in the racially divided land...
, and spent nine months in jail.
Prior to his death, he was an executive with the black empowerment company, New Africa Investment Ltd. (NAIL) as well as the chairperson of the Johannesburg Tourism Company.
He was voted 58th in the Top 100 Great South Africans
SABC3's Great South Africans
Great South Africans was a South African television series that aired on SABC3 and hosted by Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu and Denis Beckett. In September 2004, thousands of South Africans took part in an informal nationwide poll to determine the "100 Greatest South Africans" of all time...
in 2004.