By Khaya Thonjeni
Seasoned journalist Marlan Padayachee, was spotted reading a copy of Grocott’s Mail early on Monday 2 March in the Africa Matrix Media building. He revisited Grahamstown to discuss a part time study proposal for a Master’s degree at the JMS in 2010 with Professors Larry Strelitz and Guy Berger.
He shared his story of how apartheid prevented him from studying journalism at Rhodes in the 1970s, in terms of the Separate University Act and the Group Areas Act. However Padayachee said: “It’s time to bring closure on this chapter and work towards attaining an academic qualification from one of the world’s leading journalism schools”.
Padayachee was awarded a British Council Scholarship to study international journalism at London’s City University in the 1980s. He currently owns a broad-based media consultancy company, GreenGold Africa Communications, where he writes speeches for mayors and government ministers and co-ordinates social responsibility projects for corporate firms.
The Master’s degree is a coursework and mini-thesis qualification that is offered on a full-time or part-time basis. Padayachee says: “I don’t mind coming down for that odd ten days of intense research and academic work” which is a requirement to complete the degree.
For more information on how to enrol for a master’s degree click here.