SANEF IS SADDENED BY THE PASSING OF TWO RESPECTED JOURNALISTS ALDRIN NAIDU (48) AND YADHNA JADOO (34)
The South Africa National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) is saddened to learn of the deaths of two prominent journalists Aldrin Naidu (48) and Yadhna Jadoo (34), who both passed away on Wednesday, 25 April 2018.
Naidu headed Media Reimagine, a company specialising in digital and communications’ strategy, writing and editing, while Jadoo was the News editor for the publication, The Citizen.
Naidu was a prolific entertainment writer and playwright. He managed to successfully straddle news journalism and entertainment. His play Mandrax Muniamma was one of his most popular works and played to full houses in Durban.
Jadoo died while on a training course for Young African Journalists in Cairo, Egypt. She moved to The Citizen in 2012 after a working at the South African Press Association and The Post newsrooms. She won numerous awards at the newspaper, including the Journalist of the Year in 2017, due to her accurate storytelling.
Former Editor of the Post Newspaper in KwaZulu-Natal, Brijlall Ramguthee worked with both journalists as they started off their respective careers at the publication. He recalls Naidu’s high standard of copy and the significant contribution he made to the publication. Ramguthee adds that Naidu had a great passion for writing especially producing a number of theatre plays. Ramguthee met Jadoo as a cub reporter who desperately wanted the opportunity to make her mark in the industry. He recalls how she found her feet as a bonafide journalist within the newsroom and also made great contribution to the publication.
He fondly notes, “Both Aldrin and Yadhna had the special human touch of getting on with people in the newsroom as well as their contacts alike.”
SANEF Council member Mary Papayya recalls her encounter with Naidu, “Aldrin worked as a media consultant of late in the digital space and was a playwright and good sub-editor. His plays X se! You ain’t seen nothing yet recently featured at the iZulu Theatre at Sibiya Casino in Durban. I remember him as a lovely person, with a kind personality and him going all out to share information. He had the most wonderful smile and was really well liked by colleagues in the industry.”
We convey our deepest condolences to the family and friends of both esteemed journalists.
For more information:
Sanef Chairperson – Mahlatse Mahlase: 083 399 2852
Sanef Executive Director – Kate Skinner: 082 926 6404
