
Just the other day I was chatting to an old mate, Bob, who has been involved with the training of young journalists for a few years now and he made a very encouraging statement that he was training aspirant journalists of a much higher calibre now than when he started. This was put down to the current crop having benefited from 12 years of schooling in a normal environment. Jump forward to one of the most joyous occasions in my jaded year - the annual Umzi Wethu Student Graduation ceremony and my dormant optimistic streak takes a leap out of the old crusty exterior that is my normal …