BY SPACE FOR GIANTS
Nokuthaba Dlamini, an environmental freelance journalist and founder of VicFallsLive, a community media house with a focus on Matabeleland North Province earlier this year enrolled for African Journalism Conservation Program being championed by Space For Giants, an international conservation organization called Space for Giants.
The organization caught up with Dlamini, who shared about her interesting journey as an environmental journalist.
Below are the extracts of the interview.
Please tell us your name and the country where you come from.
My name is Nokuthaba Dlamini, and I’m from Victoria Falls, a popular tourist destination in Zimbabwe.
What motivated you to become a journalist?
I chose journalism because as a child, when my father would visit us in our rural house from the city, I would read some of the old newspapers and I always saw myself as a reporter.
In University, I chose the African Languages, Culture and Media program because I wanted to understand how diverse cultures and ethics influence the narration and interpretation of stories.
Privately owned newspapers like Newsday and The Standard, as well as other local and regional periodicals like the Sunday Times from South Africa, helped me hone my reporting skills. This inspired me to launch my own non-profit internet channel called VicFallsLive last year with the aim of amplifying the voices of Matabeleland North communities.
What made you decide to specialise in environmental reporting?
I come from Matabeleland North Province, which is home to one of the world’s largest wildlife such as elephants. As a result, it has become the main source of conservation and leisure travel, which is what drives the GDP of Zimbabwe.
With rising poaching cases in the country and the province, I saw it fit to report on illegal wildlife crimes in order to make the communities aware of the long-term impact on biodiversity.
Additionally, investigations reveal that communities are often lured into wildlife crimes by the cartels who offer them peanuts in exchange.
With rising climate change and the souring economic situation in Zimbabwe, I ventured into highlighting the effects of wildlife crimes and how it affects conservation and the communities.
What role do you think the media can play in reducing wildlife crime, biodiversity loss and mitigating climate change?
By educating the public and increasing awareness campaigns on wildlife crimes.
Journalists should write about the value of natural resources, sustainable community conservation and mitigation of climate change in order to make communities well-informed.
What is the most interesting part of being an environmental reporter?
I enjoy being able to organize everyone, including community voices and those who hold the government responsible. Profiling people and organizations is quite interesting as well.
What’s the most pressing environmental problem in your region?
Human-wildlife conflict. According to Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association, human-wildlife conflict has risen up to 283 per cent since 2016.
What are some of the challenges you encountered as a conservation journalist?
Limited press freedom where government officials go after reporters who highlight environmental issues in Zimbabwe.
What kind of support have you received from the program?
Mentorship and reporting stipend has been a motivator. Additionally, I appreciate learning best practices of how to conduct myself after facing victimization.
Which is your favourite story that you’ve worked on? Why?
‘Poaching syndicates trap vulnerable villagers,’ the story reveals how foreigners coerce locals, particularly men, into engaging in poaching in exchange for peanuts, and that frequently the villagers bear the brunt of the punishment when they are caught. As a result, the article sought to raise awareness of such engagements among locals by using a case study, while also seeking to investigate ways that communities can profit from biodiversity.
What advice would you give to an aspiring environmental journalist?
Being the keepers of the wild and the hub of human-wildlife conflict, they should do it with passion, perform extensive research on the subject, and have the courage to include community voices.
Are you hopeful for the future? Why?
As we continue uncovering environmental issues, I hope policies will be changed to suit the communities and the wildlife as it will promote biodiversity and sustainability. Space For Giants