Robert Mukombozi
Robert Mukombozi is a Rwandan investigative journalist; he is also one of the bravest and most inspirational people I've been privileged enough to be in the presence of. He is currently in Australia after being exiled here due to his relentless quests for truth and passion for social justice. Robert Mukombozi embodies the essential spirit of determination, even in the face of jail terms, violent attacks and even death. He is dedicated to exposing the evils of bad governance around the world, and creating press freedom and positive change.
Mukombozi managed to escape Rwanda despite being sentenced to death. The hardship he has endured in the watchdog pursuit of creating a better world is truly awe-inspiring. Mukombozi received an award for being one of the 100 most influential Africans at the Australian 'Celebrate Africans' event in August this year. He is also one of the 14 members of the first ever Ministerial Consultative Committee for African Communities in Australia. He is currently completing a Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication at Griffith University. He writes for the African Executive, and was formerly a journalist with the Daily Monitor.
As does everyone, Mukombozi has his critics. One influential blogger has described him as an arrogant self-crusader and fraud. The blogger states -
'Of course, what Mukombozi is doing is not reporting at all; it is partisan political activism dressed up as journalism to give it credibility it isn’t even close to deserving on its own merits. That’s fine as far as it goes — political activism is all well and good — but let’s at least see the con for what it is.' (Full article available here.)
In my opinion, political activism and journalism are often one and the same. Mukombozi is a journalist, whose focus is generally on politics - but that does not make him any less a journalist/reporter. In fact, the world of journalism probably could do with a few more Mukombozi types.
I give my utmost respect and Mukombozi and his quests to make the world a better place. Check out some of his articles here.
No comments:
Post a Comment