In focus: A historical narrative of the life and work of pioneer news photographer Yunus Mohamed

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dc.contributor.advisorRabe, Lizetteen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSmit, Paula-Annen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2023-03-06T10:37:34Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-18T07:13:44Z
dc.date.available2023-03-06T10:37:34Z
dc.date.available2023-05-18T07:13:44Z
dc.date.issued2023-03
dc.descriptionThesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: The significance of this historical narrative study lies in its examination of the life and work of Yunus Mohamed, a South African news photographer whose photographic contributions were integral to the documentation of the anti-apartheid struggle and the portrayal of the everyday lives of marginalised communities. This study highlights Mohamed’s role as a pioneering figure in the South African news photography landscape and emphasises his substantial contributions to the field of South African news photography. Born of Cape Malay heritage in 1955 and, under apartheid regulations, classified as “Coloured”, Mohamed persisted in completing high school – despite having to drop out for a period to support his family financially – and training as a photographer. Realising photography’s impact in raising awareness against apartheid, Mohamed joined the Struggle as a photographer of political events and protests for the South African Islamic anti-apartheid organisation Call of Islam. As of 1987, he continued this work as a news photographer at the anti-apartheid newspaper South. Here, he played an essential role in capturing events opposing apartheid and the everyday stories of marginalised communities. Mohamed worked at South until the end of apartheid and the newspaper’s subsequent closure in 1995. Thereafter, he continued to contribute to the South African news photography landscape at the Afrikaans newspaper Die Burger. In a career at the publication that spanned 21 years, Mohamed climbed the ranks to become chief photographer of both Die Burger and the Western Cape office of Rapport. From capturing impactful images of unrest during the height of apartheid to photographing Nelson Mandela’s first speech after his release on 11 February 1990, Mohamed has provided South Africa with a powerful visual record that encapsulates a country’s past. In using historical narrative as theoretical foundation and a case study as method of investigation, this study concludes that, due to his dedication and contribution to the South African news photography landscape, Mohamed can be considered a pioneer news photographer.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die belangrikheid van hierdie historiese narratiewe studie lê daarin om die lewe en werk van Yunus Mohamed te ondersoek, ’n Suid-Afrikaanse nuusfotograaf wie se fotografiese bydraes integraal was tot die dokumentasie van die anti-apartheidstryd en die uitbeelding van die alledaagse lewens van gemarginaliseerde gemeenskappe. Hierdie studie beklemtoon Mohamed se rol as ’n baanbrekerfiguur in die Suid-Afrikaanse nuusfotografie-omgewing en beklemtoon sy toewyding en beduidende bydraes tot die veld van Suid-Afrikaanse nuusfotografie. Mohamed is in 1955 gebore en is van Kaaps-Maleise agtergrond. Onder die juk van apartheidswetgewing is hy as “Kleurling” geklassifiseer. Ten spyte van sosio-ekonomiese uitdagings het Mohamed hoërskool voltooi, ondanks die feit dat hy skool tydelik moes verlaat om sy familie finansieel te ondersteun. Nadat hy die impak van fotografie as ’n middel van bewusmaking teen apartheid besef, het Mohamed as ’n fotograaf begin werk: eers by die Suid-Afrikaanse Islamitiese antiapartheidsorganisasie Call of Islam en vanaf 1987 by die anti-apartheidskoerant South. By albei organisasies het hy ’n noodsaaklike rol gespeel om anti-apartheidsgebeure, sowel as alledaagse verhale van gemarginaliseerde gemeenskappe, vas te vang. Mohamed het as fotograaf by South gewerk tot die einde van apartheid en die koerant se gevolglike sluiting in 1995. Hy het voortgegaan om tot Suid-Afrikaanse nuusfotografie by te dra met ’n pos by die Afrikaanse koerant Die Burger. In ’n loopbaan by dié publikasie wat strek oor 21 jaar het Mohamed hooffotograaf van sowel Die Burger as die Wes-Kaapse kantoor van Rapport geword. In sy loopbaan het hy belangrike Suid-Afrikaanse nuusgebeure vasgevang – van kragtige beelde van onrus tydens apartheid tot Nelson Mandela se eerste toespraak na sy vrylating op 11 Februarie 1990. Mohamed het Suid-Afrika van ’n skatkis kragtige visuele rekords voorsien wat die land se verlede vasvang. Met behulp van ’n historiese narratief as teoretiese vertrekpunt en ’n gevallestudie as metode van ondersoek, kom hierdie studie tot die gevolgtrekking dat, te danke aan sy toewyding en bydrae tot die Suid-Afrikaanse nuusfotografielandskap, Mohamed as ’n pionier-nuusfotograaf beskou kan word.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentix, 77 pages : illustrationsen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127279
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshNarration (Rhetoric)en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshJournalismen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshPhotojournalists -- Personal narrativesen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshYunus Mohamed
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleIn focus: A historical narrative of the life and work of pioneer news photographer Yunus Mohameden_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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