Well-known former Sunday World journalist Mduduzi Dlamini has been laid to rest.
The 55-year-old died last Friday November 15 in his KZN hometown of Pietermaritzburg.
Dlamini was known as a go-getter who reported about South African celebrities.
Sunday World understands that early this year, Dlamini was attacked by thugs in Johannesburg while on his way to catch a bus to Soweto.
Left for dead
According to the information received, his attackers beat him into a pulp before they stole his shoes. He was later admitted to a Gauteng hospital.
After being discharged, he went to Pietermaritzburg to recuperate but his condition worsened and he would spend time in and out of hospital in Durban.
He later died in Pietermaritzburg.
Sunday World acting editor Ngwako Malatji said: “Former Sunday World journalist Charles Molele was the inventor and architect of ShwaShwi but Mduduzi Dlamini took it to another level. We are saddened by his sudden departure. Our industry is poorer without him. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”
Gifted writer
City Press managing editor Mapula Nkosi said it was awe-inspiring to watch Dlamini work.
“Not only was he a gifted writer, but he was also highly resourceful and well-read. A giant really when it came to encyclopedic knowledge… he read about literature and all arts and culture genres, especially music. What I remember about him at work was his doggedness. He did not leave a story until he fitted all the pieces together. His untiring work ethic and how brave he was,” said Nkosi.
She said winning a debate against Dlamini was almost impossible.
“I will always remember his brilliant mind. Working with him was a breeze. He was one of the most reliable writers in the newsroom and had an incredible work ethic. We had a great working relationship, though his fault was that he highly temperamental and would upset fellow colleagues when he pointed out the truths no one else wanted to. He was highly blunt with the truth,” said Nkosi.
A trail-blazer with a passion for journalism
Former Sunday World journalist and now a PR guru Sonia Motaung said that Dlamini was a trail blazer with a passion for his work and high work ethic that he would not leave a story he had started until all the pieces were together.
“Mduduzi didn’t mind using big words and if you didn’t get it, he would make you understand. We had our misunderstandings but at the end of the day I always understood where he was coming from. I am really saddened by his passing, and I feel he still had a lot to offer even though I hadn’t seen him in a while. We really have lost a soldier in this industry. Someone who had no fear about tackling what made many shudder yet he still came up tops. May his soul rest in peace,” said Motaung.
Dlamini’s former colleague, Maseipati Tsotsotso said: “I interacted a lot with him while I was a sub-editor and he a tabloid writer. This was at Sunday World in Rosebank back then. He came across as blunt, spoke his mind, and never minced his words. Mdu was a man of his words, and was fearless, stepped on a number of toes in his quest for the truth. He was feared by many celebrities for daring to tell their stories.
“Many loved to hate him and Mdu simply did not care. I used to find that quite intriguing about him. He dared to go after the untouchables. Such a loss to the craft.”
Gave everything to journalism
Former editor and Global South Communications Architect for Strat Planet, Japhet Ncube said that Dlamini was one of the finest tabloid journalists of his era.
“Together with Charles Molele and Sonia Motaung, they made the Charles Mogale-edited Sunday World the best tabloid not only in South Africa, but also in neighbouring countries. He had a knack for finding the best celebrity stories every weekend. I like to think of him as the equaliser, because he had no favourites — he wrote about every celebrity. They loved to hate him, but he was unbothered,” said Ncube.
He added: “I witnessed the incident in 2003 when Kwaito King Arthur Mafokate physically attacked him for a story he had written. But he continued to do his work. I hate that journalism was unkind to him in his final years. One early morning I arrived at work at The Sunday Independent newsroom and found him there. I thought he was visiting one of the reporters. It was clear to me that he was struggling. Bra Wally Mbhele then whispered to me that Mduduzi badly needed a job. We didn’t have any vacancy, but Bra Wally said we could allow him to freelance from our newsroom.
“I later heard from the security guards that some nights Mdu slept in the newsroom because he didn’t have taxi fare to Soweto, where he lived. And now I hear he was attacked by thugs in town while walking to catch a bus to Soweto. He had nothing on him, so they took his shoes and left him for dead. He never recovered from his injuries. It’s a sad especially for a man who gave everything to journalism.”
Led the way
Reggy Moalusi, former colleague of Dlamini: “I worked with Mdu at Sunday World where his passion for entertainment reporting came alive. He really led the way when it comes to reporting about celebrities, both positive and negative stories.”
Former colleague Bongani Madondo said: “He was a rock star and a thorn in the side of celebrities, flakey ones and the real McCoys. Mduduzi was totally self-taught, which helped him in his free wheelin’ kind of journalism. But he was also erudite. A weird combo: intellectual as a celebrity stalker. Think of New York Post’s Page 6 gossip journalist as Ron Gallela as Peter Breslin. That’s Mdu. His legacy stays on.”
Themba Mathe said: “Our paths first crossed in 1997 at the Joburg City Library, a cultural and intellectual epicentre at the time, buzzing with energy, rainbow promise, and the spirit of a cultural revolution. It was here that Mdu introduced himself not as a journalist, but as a writer — a distinction he upheld fiercely throughout his career. He viewed writing as an art form, a sacred calling to translate thought, emotion, and knowledge into something profound. In his own words: “It was a war.”
He held his own among his peers
“Mdu held his own among heavyweights like Bongani Madondo, whose sharp prose mirrored his ambition, and Mapula Nkosi, another formidable talent, a dear friend of Mduduzi. There was also a new crop of writers like Welcome Skosana, Sonia Motaung and Tankiso Komane competing for the same newspaper space. In this vibrant and competitive environment, Mdu stood out for his discipline, intellect, and unwavering principles. Deadlines, to him, were sacrosanct. He demanded nothing less than excellence, not just from himself but from everyone around him. On a few occasions, we shared a byline. Mdu’s story is one of brilliance and struggle — owing to his uncompromising pursuit of excellence in a world that often demands compromise. His legacy lives on in the pages he filled with his intense sweat, blood and the lives he touched, inspiring all who knew him to approach life with the same passion, honesty, and dedication.
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) said it was deeply saddened by the passing of Dlamini.
“Dlamini was a trailblazer in arts, culture, and fashion reporting, earning widespread respect for his passion and relentless pursuit of the truth. His colleagues fondly remember him as a dedicated journalist who embodied the ethos of the “3 AM school of journalism,” a nod to British reporters who worked tirelessly to secure exclusive stories before the day broke,” said Sanef.
Sanef extended its heartfelt condolences to Dlamini’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.
“His unwavering dedication to journalism leaves an enduring legacy that will continue to inspire generations of reporters,” said Sanef.
Dlamini was laid to rest on Saturday in Pietermaritzburg.
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