The Star shines a light on children
Providing children with access to sports and other activities is crucial for their development. Moreover, exposure to a variety of activities allows children to explore their interests and talents, potentially discovering passions that could shape their future. Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) awards a GLAD[1] to The Star for accessing children in their reporting.
In an article titled, “Golf legends help youth take a swing at success” (14/07/2024) written by Anita Nkonki, the story is about South African golfing icon Nico van Rensburg who has teamed up with the rising stars of Limpopo via Vuma Golf Clinics to teach youngsters the game and to encourage participation. The clinics support young golfers who cannot afford professional training and provide 24/7 access to support via the Golf Coach app, enabling golfers to build relationships with coaches and friends and cope with pressure. The journalist made it a point to access Zinan Maimane, a 15-year-old golfer who recently won the Gauteng North Golf Union Closed A-Division by five shots, is aspiring to become an international pro.
Zinan expressed his aspirations, saying, “I hope to become a professional golfer on the PGA Tour one day and win at least one PGA Tour event along with any of the majors.” It is imperative that children are involved and consulted in issues or stories that affect them. According to MMA’s 2023 children report, only 7% of children were accessed[2]. This is concerning, considering that children make up 34% of the population. By accessing Zinan, Anita Nkonki adhered to The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) in article 7[3] which states that, “Every child who is capable of communicating his or her own views shall be assured the rights to express his opinions freely in all matters and to disseminate his opinions subject to such restrictions as are prescribed by law,” South Africa ratified the ACRWC in 2000.
The article was accompanied by a beautiful picture of children playing golf at a golf course, inclusion of children is crucial when reporting on issues that affect them. MMA would like to commend The Star and reporter Anita Nkonki for their inclusion of children’s voices and emphasis on celebrating them and their achievements. We hope to read more of these articles empowering children and creating a platform for their voices to be heard in the future.
Written by Nthabiseng Mahlangu and Ntombifuthi Kubeka
[1] A GLAD is awarded to media for reporting on children in a positive way
[2] https://www.mediamonitoringafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-Childrens-Report.pdf
[3] https://www.un.org/en/africa/osaa/pdf/au/afr_charter_rights_welfare_child_africa_1990.pdf