Meet Embizweni

Embizweni is run by a team of dedicated Journalism students specialising in Writing and Editing at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. We are under the guidance of specialisation lecturers from the Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies. The blog is edited by three fourth-year students currently completing Bachelor of Journalism Degrees. Four third tear students currently majoring in Journalism contribute multi-media content to the blog.

Our mutual love of animals, Beyonce and all things public life related keep the team running well and working hard.

Writer: Luyanda Mahlinza. Third year Journalism student. Home-town: Johannesburg. / Best at: Profiles (I hope). / Guilty pleasure: Cigarettes. Coffee. Nickelodean Cartoons. Stealing my little brother’s juice boxes. Ordering greasy take out at late hours of the night and regretting it one whole minute later. / Random achievement: I haven’t lost/broken my current cellular device in over a year. Yas. / I would fill a pothole with: My tears… Poor infrastructure in Grahamstown breaks my heart. / Embizweni describes me as: most likely to fall in public. #unluckyLu.

Editor: Thabile Vilakazi. Fourth year Journalism student.Home-town: Pretoria. / Best at: Opinion pieces. / Guilty pleasure: Trashy reality shows and crushing over people I cannot have ☹ / Random achievement: I think I’m very good at impersonating others, it makes people laugh, I think. / I would fill a pothole with: White Privilege. / Embizweni describes me as: reminds them of Megan’s hamster (Sasha Fierce) cute but will bite if provoked.

Writer: Zintle Dolweni. Third-Year Journalism Student. Home-town: Port Elizabeth. / Best at: hard news. / Guilty pleasure: Trashy reality shows like the Bad Girls Club./ Random achievement: I know all the words to every single song from Dreamgirls. / I would fill a pothole with: Marmite, so nobody would have to eat it. / Embizweni describes me as: Wins Embizweni of the week most weeks.

Editor: Megan Whittington. Fourth year Journalism student.Home-town: Durban. / Best at: legal and general ranting. / Guilty pleasure: re-watching old fights from Bad Girls Club & watching Youtuber, Zoella sniff bath bombs. / Random achievement: I haven’t flopped cupcakes since I was a child. #bakingboss. / I would fill a pothole with: Heather. No, not that Heather. The plant (Calluna vulgaris). Although our Heather is also a bit vulgaris. / Embizweni describes me as: Embizweni’s cheerleader and Beyonce’s protégé.

Writer: Shannon Frost. Third-Year Journalism Student. Home-town: George. / Best at: profiles. / Guilty pleasure: listening to Michael Buble in the mornings. / Random achievement: knowing lyrics for every Drake/Usher song ever. / I would fill a pothole with: Gold glitter. / Embizweni describes me as: All Shannon has to do is exist and she’ll win tickets to another concert.

Writer: Thandi Bombi. Third-Year Journalism Student. Home-town: Midrand. / Best at: Opinion pieces. / Guilty pleasure: Chocolates and ice-cream. / Random achievement: Can sing Bohemian Rhapsody off by heart under any circumstance ever! / I would fill a pothole with: Stones. / Embizweni describes me as: Scarily good at cards against humanity. Has a dark side…

Editor: Heather Cameron. Fourth year Journalism student. Home-town: Durban. / Best at: Profiles. / Guilty pleasure: Once Upon a Time seasons 1 through 4. / Random achievement: Knowing the rap verse to Wannabe off by heart. I also won a Mr Price satchel for coming exactly in the middle of a cross country race in grade 3. I was rewarded for being bang average. / I would fill a pothole with: Megan’s Beyonce collection. / Embizweni describes me as: Ride or die Harry Potter fan.

The Team:

Guest writer:

Rosemarie Bergsma, third year student on exchange from The Netherlands. Worked with Embizweni from February- June 2015.

Executive Editor:

Rod Amner, lecturer at Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies.