Amos Mananyetso

26 December 2022
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) mourns the death of Daily Sun’s multi-media journalist, Chris Matome Moagi.
Chris (31) was not only a talented writer but also competent in taking photographs and videos. Earlier this month, Chris was diagnosed with cancer of the liver, which unfortunately spread rapidly to other organs.
Amos Mananyetso, Daily Sun’s editor, said: “I started admiring Matome’s work long before I even joined Daily Sun. I could tell from the way he covered his stories that he was one of his generation’s few young and gifted photojournalists.
“When I started working with him in December 2019, I was amazed by his energy and work ethic. There was no kind of story that didn’t excite Matome. He could easily move from a shack fire tragedy to court reporting and community protest. The quality of his photographs and videos was on a different level.
“He started feeling sickly in October 2022, but doctors didn’t see anything serious at the time. By November, he started struggling and was booked off sick twice. He forced himself to work at the end of November. When asked if he was mad for coming to work while he was still under medication and doctor’s observation? he simply said: “I miss being on the ground.”
Amos said among some of Chris’ final stories was his coverage of the robbery of congregants at the Seventh Day Adventist church in the Johannesburg CBD, and the murder trial of Prince Lethukuthula Zulu, consistently covering the story though other media lost interest.
Amos concluded: “It’s not easy to lose such a young talent. At 31, we were still looking forward to three more decades of journalism excellence from Matome.”
Nahima Ahmed, a former Daily Sun news editor who worked closely with Chris, said: “He was a bright and highly moral photojournalist. I worked with him for a decade. At the time he joined Daily Sun, he was very young and yet had a keen sense of the news. There was never a frown on Matome’s face, he was always energetic, an all-rounder, and ready for the next assignment at any hour of the day and night. He was one of the few journalists I worked with who brought enthusiasm and commitment to the People’s Paper.
“The last few weeks have not been easy for him, his wife, and his family, but he has persevered by keeping his head high, remaining hopeful, and shared a smile when he could. Matome defined the true meaning of what it means to be a journalist. It is with great sadness that I bid farewell to a shining star who had a lot to offer to the media industry. Gone too soon indeed,” said Nahima.
Chris leaves behind his wife, Kgomotso, and daughters Lethabo (7) and Tshiamo (10 months). He will be buried on Friday, 30 December, with the service held at the Fleurhof Community Centre at 7am.

Note to Editors:
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is a non-profit organisation whose members are editors, senior journalists, and journalism trainers from all areas of South African media. We are committed to championing South Africa’s hard-won freedom of expression and promoting quality, ethics, and diversity in the South African media. We promote excellence in journalism through fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research, and education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.

For more information please contact:

• Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Chairperson (073) 404-1415
• Nwabisa Makunga – SANEF Deputy Chairperson (082) 555-1972
• Mary Papayya – SANEF Secretary-General (082) 379 4957
• Tshamano Makhadi – Treasurer-General (082) 223 0621
• Makhudu Sefara – SANEF Media Freedom Chair (079) 177-2134
• Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334
• Dr. Glenda Daniels – SANEF Gauteng Convenor (083) 229-9708
• Rochelle De Kock – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (072) 969-8028
• Reggy Moalusi – SANEF Executive Director (071) 682-3695