Arthur Maimane
Encyclopedia
John Arthur Mogale Maimane (b. 1932 d. 2005), better known as Arthur Maimane, was a South Africa
n journalist
born in Pretoria
. Originally intending to study medicine, a young priest, Trevor Huddleston
, (who was involved in the Sophiatown forced removals) persuaded him to take a vacation job at Drum magazine. As a result, he choose journalism as his life career. He was a versatile journalist for Drum, covering a wide spectrum of subjects such as sports reports, thriller and interviews with beauty queens and other celebrities.
Under the pseudonym Arthur Mogale, Maimane wrote a regular series for Drum entitled The Chief where he described gangster incidents he had heard about in the shebeen
s. Don Mattera
, a leading Sophiatown gangster
took exception to this. The gangsters were pissed off with him and there was a word out that we should wipe this guy off.
He moved to Golden City Post as the news editor.
In 1958, Maimane moved to Ghana
to work on the West Africa
n edition of Drum. In 1961, he moved to London
. The young editor accepted a position at Reuters
and was posted to Dar es Salaam
in Tanzania
as its East Africa
n correspondent
. He met his second wife and, when he was deported from Tanzania, they both returned to London, England after refusing the founding editorship of Tanu's new daily and for critically reporting political events.
He worked for BBC
's Africa Service at Bush House
for a while and then moved to ITN.
After the elections in South Africa, he returned and was appointed Features editor of the liberal Weekly Mail
. After a brief return to England he was appointed editor of the Star
, South Africa’s biggest daily.
In 2001, Maimane and his wife returned to London
His novel Victims had been banned in South Africa but was republished in 2000 as Hate No More. His post-apartheid play, Hang On In There, Nelson, was performed at the Windybrow Theatre in Johannesburg
and at the State Theatre in Pretoria, in 1996.
He died in 2005 in London.
(Original version: Allison and Busby, 1976, under the title Victims).
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 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...
born in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
. Originally intending to study medicine, a young priest, Trevor Huddleston
Trevor Huddleston
Ernest Urban Trevor Huddleston CR, KCMG was an English Anglican bishop. He was most well known for his anti-apartheid activism and his 'Prayer for Africa'...
, (who was involved in the Sophiatown forced removals) persuaded him to take a vacation job at Drum magazine. As a result, he choose journalism as his life career. He was a versatile journalist for Drum, covering a wide spectrum of subjects such as sports reports, thriller and interviews with beauty queens and other celebrities.
Reporter
The photograph of Maimane in Anthony Sampson's book Drum: a venture into the new Africa (1956) "trilby on back of head, cigarette dangling " is an amusing take-off of the Hollywood 'newshound' image, but conceals his innate seriousness as a reporter and analyst of the world around him.Under the pseudonym Arthur Mogale, Maimane wrote a regular series for Drum entitled The Chief where he described gangster incidents he had heard about in the shebeen
Shebeen
A shebeen was originally an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages were sold without a licence.The term has spread far from its origins in Ireland, to Scotland, Canada, the United States, England,...
s. Don Mattera
Don Mattera
Donato Francisco Mattera , better known as Don Mattera, is a South African poet and author.- Overview :...
, a leading Sophiatown gangster
took exception to this. The gangsters were pissed off with him and there was a word out that we should wipe this guy off.
He moved to Golden City Post as the news editor.
In 1958, Maimane moved to Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
to work on the West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
n edition of Drum. In 1961, he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The young editor accepted a position at Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
and was posted to Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
as its East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
n correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
. He met his second wife and, when he was deported from Tanzania, they both returned to London, England after refusing the founding editorship of Tanu's new daily and for critically reporting political events.
He worked for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Africa Service at Bush House
Bush House
Bush House is a building between Aldwych and The Strand in London at the southern end of Kingsway. The BBC World Service occupies the Centre Block, North East and South East wings. The North West wing was formerly occupied by BBC Online until they relocated to BBC Media Village in 2005, with some...
for a while and then moved to ITN.
After the elections in South Africa, he returned and was appointed Features editor of the liberal Weekly Mail
Mail & Guardian
The Mail & Guardian is a South African weekly newspaper, published by M&G Media in Johannesburg, South Africa, with a strong focus on politics, government, the environment, civil society and business.- The Mail & Guardian newspaper :...
. After a brief return to England he was appointed editor of the Star
The Star (South Africa)
The Star is a daily newspaper based in Gauteng, South Africa. It has a readership of 840 000 and is owned by Independent News & Media. It gained worldwide attention in 2006 when it published survey results according to which about twenty percent of South African men have raped a woman in...
, South Africa’s biggest daily.
In 2001, Maimane and his wife returned to London
His novel Victims had been banned in South Africa but was republished in 2000 as Hate No More. His post-apartheid play, Hang On In There, Nelson, was performed at the Windybrow Theatre 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...
and at the State Theatre in Pretoria, in 1996.
He died in 2005 in London.
Books
- Hate no more, Kwela Books, 2000, ISBN 0-79-570102-0
(Original version: Allison and Busby, 1976, under the title Victims).
- Victims, Allison & Busby, 1976, ISBN 0-85-031162-4 (Winner of the English Academy of South Africa’s Pringle Award for Creative Writing in 1978).
See also
- Good-looking Corpse: World of Drum - Jazz and Gangsters, Hope and Defiance in the Townships of South Africa, Mike Nicol, Secker & Warburg, 1991, ISBN 0-43-630986-6
- Drum, Anthony Sampson, Hodder & Stoughton, 1983, ISBN 0-34-033383-9