by Thinus Ferreira
If there's truly someone who can say she's been there, done that and got the autograph it's SABC journalist Karin D'Orville who has exited the public broadcaster after 33 years where she's been in front of the camera as a reporter and behind-the-scenes as a producer on SABC2's weekly actuality show Fokus, and its predecessor Agenda on TV1, for decades.
The veteran Karin D'Orville who joined the SABC in 1989 in its TV news archive division and worked her way, over decades, through SABC News ranks, decided to take early retirement and appeared on-screen at the end of June the final time.
After having done the autocue for everybody from Riaan Cruywagen and Mariëtta Kruger to Dorianne Berry, travelling the world and Africa to report on stories, and crisscrossing South Africa to demand answers from municipal managers over the lack of service delivery, at 55 the highly-experienced Karin is off on a new chapter.
The award-winning journalist is however willing to return - with her unrivalled contact list - to wherever her help might be needed in the media world of news and actuality if it's a new job and something that interests her.
Part of the trend of The Great Resignation globally, Karin D'Orville's exit is another massive loss in institutional history at South Africa's public broadcaster where she was the last remaining founding staffer of the original group which started Fokus.
TVwithThinus sat down with Karin D'Orville to reminisce about some of the stories she covered, the importance of the SABC archives, what made her cry, how doing South African TV actuality programming has changed, and her advice for new journalists.
What are you going to do next?
I decided to take early retirement. It's very early retirement. Normal retirement age at the SABC is 63.
But I definitely can't go and sit and do nothing. I plan on doing freelance work and to, for the first time in more than 33 years, give more attention to myself.
I've given so much of my own free time, which was supposed to me my personal time, to the SABC, that I've neglected myself, my health, my friends, and my hobbies and personal interests.
I want to give renewed attention to all those. I love photography, so I want to experiment with photography, I want to learn to play Bridge, I want to learn to play other card games, I want to paint; I want to take walks much longer than what I'm doing now. I want to get involved with non-profit organisations and offer my time there.
If places like eNuus or MultiChoice's kykNET actuality division or kykNET Verslag or other radio stations come calling -you have so much experience and must have South Africa's biggest rolodex contact list of names and numbers. Would you be open to help out?
I would definitely be open to that.
The big thing is that it is for me early retirement, so I do want to remain busy and since I so loved what I did - telling people's stories on television, it's what I'm good at as well - I would certainly give favourable thought to things like that but it shouldn't be on a permanent basis - otherwise it's not early retirement.
How did it come to be that you started at the SABC's TV news archive division in 1989 and how did you find your way to where you're now exiting as Fokus editor?
Yes, I started in 1989. Before that, I completed an honours degree in communication at Potchefstroom University.
I knew I was very curious. I applied at several places and knew I wanted to work in media and to relay information. What really lured me was to work in television, or to work in the ad industry. In December 1988 the manager of the SABC's TV news archives called me to tell me I got the job and in early 1989 I relocated from the Free State to Johannesburg.
There I worked until 1994, then the creator of M-Net's Carte Blanche, George Mazarakis - who then was still involved with the SABC's actuality show Agenda - approached me and asked me if I don't want to become a production assistant. I did that but it quickly bored me.
I knew that what Agenda is and does - telling actuality and news stories - is what I really want to do. It's also what I studied. In early 1995 I applied for a position as editor, I was successful and I immediately loved it.
In 2000 I took a yearlong sabbatical and then I joined SABC TV news again.. I was thrown in at the deep end and had to do SABC Radio news as well. What bothered me about news was that in a story of a minute and a half you touch one or two things in a superficial way.
I approached Freek Robinson and said, "You don't perhaps have a position available?" So in 2001, I went back to Fokus where I've been the whole time, doing deeper and longer stories with more perspective.
'Something I can't handle,
especially as a journalist,
is when I witness unfair treatment'
Where do you get the tenacity to keep doing investigative and actuality stories week after week for years, and these stories you did like the Transnet pensioners class action that you kept covering for years and years?
In the first place my own curiosity.
Then I also believe people can make empowered decisions if they're given factually accurate information. This has always been very important to me right throughout my entire career.
Something I can't handle, especially as a journalist, is when I witness unfair treatment. That was for instance the issue of the Transnet pensioners. A story that was close to my heart - and which I kept returning to for follow-ups for over a decade - was how people were treated wrongly by the Compensation Fund and commissioner.
As journalists we are supposed to be these people who keep it together, you don't cry, you don't show emotion while doing a story.
But once, during one of the many stories I did over the Compensation Fund, this man who had worked at Transnet, sat in front of me and eventually I just sat there crying with him. It was a case of, let's just try in some way - in yet another way - to help these people get the money they deserve.
I can't handle unfairness and tried to utilise the media and reporting to expose where people are being treated unfairly.
'let's just try in some way -
in yet another way -
to help these people'
Who of all the myriad of people you've interacted with over the years surprised you, pleasantly?
I always did my homework very thoroughly so I knew what to expect of the people I wanted to interview. There were never really big surprises.
There were one or two exceptional interviews. Whitey Basson (former Shoprite CEO) for instance.
I think I was one of the last journalists to interview Ian Player (conservationist) and then also the late Dawid Kruiper (Hhomani San traditional healer). His very last media interview was with me.
It was special to be within the "aura" of these people, and that these people have the patience to talk to you as a journalist.
Who were nasty, rude and evasive? People who'd say yes and then disappear? You don't have to mention names.
Unfortunately, there I can identify a specific group of people. I can't mention them by name but there are quite a few of them. They were all officials of municipalities - whether local municipalities or district municipalities.
Ahead of time they promise or agree to an interview, then never get back to you and don't respond. You don't get the interview done, they're suddenly no longer "available", they duck and dive during the actual interview, or during the interview, they themselves suddenly start to remove the mic and say "I must go now".
Unfortunately, it's always been municipal officials - once or twice provincial government officials, but the majority municipal officials.
It is easier or more difficult to do and to produce TV actually programming in South Africa like Fokus in 2022 than a decade ago in 2012?
At the SABC a lot of the equipment we had to use was falling apart. We also had to use dated equipment. So in a sense, it's a bit more difficult than what it used to be.
On the other hand, the advances in digital have made it possible that I can sit and home on the computer and watch video visuals and write text and don't have to go in to a physical workspace where previously I had to watch video on videotape - so things are also easier.
Lots have been made and talked about the SABC archives over the years - did the SABC sell its archives to MultiChoice or not, how digitalisation of the archives finally started, then the Guptas came and essentially stole archive content to set up ANN7. What does South Africa have in the SABC archives, how precious a resource is it, why should it be protected, and is it protected well enough?
Myself, since I started working in the archives, so fully recognises the value of archive material.
It should be protected and kept within the right environment - like humidity levels, but that there is a proper borrowing system of archive material in place.
I often notice it - and a few times I've brought it under managers' attention - saying "listen, for months now there's been tapes left laying on some colleagues' desks and I just want to let you know". Nobody's supposed to have visual material from the archives for months on end.
Whether it's at the SABC or the bigger national picture - whether radio or television - the value of archive material isn't nearly appreciated as it should.
You've literally been almost everywhere, all through Africa from Sudan to Botswana. What places would you like to visit not to do stories but just for yourself?
For the SABC I've gone to and worked in 15 African countries.
In my personal life, I've visited Europe. I'd like to - and I've been there in my personal life before - go visit Buenos Aires again. I'd like to go and see and visit the more rural and far-flung parts of South America, as well as the more northern parts of the African continent, for instance Morocco, and then Turkey as well - very definitely.
What message do you have for the young journalist student or the young professional journalist in South Africa?
If you're considering a career in this industry, you're not making a mistake.
It's the most unbelievable field to work in. Secondly, learn from those with experience. If they have wisdom, knowledge and experience to share, become a part of it. So absorb.
And then, very important, ask yourself when you've told a story: Who, what, where, when, why? Have you answered those questions?
