WeeklySA_AdminINTEGRITY:She has been known for her hidden strength, humility, intellect; all underlined by compassion, focus and drive…
By Suzette Mafuna
In Canada
Having shared some tumultuous times as former colleagues at the former World newspaper, I got to understand and appreciate the hidden power, inner strength and intellect that belies Masipa’s humble and almost docile-like nature. Which I initially mistook for arrogance, indifference or aloofness till I got to know her better through the good and bad times working together The World newspaper’s very hectic newsroom in the 1970s.
Recent news that M’ lady has been appointed to the ICASA board didn’t surprise me at all. I had expected a demand for her services with the dearth in South Africa of men and women of her calibre – professional civil servants with integrity, sheer guts, honesty and with enough independence, resolve and chutzpah to withstand the worst attacks, criticism, insults and abuse from all ends, and, in the end, rise above all the media attention, scrutiny and hypocrisy – she doesn’t suffer fools lightly.
I met Masipa for the first time when we both entered the Argus Cadet School for (trainee) reporters in the early 70’s. At first, I didn’t concern myself with getting to know her because she seemed too stern and serious for my liking, and didn’t act or behave like the rest of the young journalists like myself who loved to party, flirt with boys in the newsroom or the production guys during lunch, attend the decadent annual wetstone party.
She did none of this, and, plus, she was a teetotaller, and too staid and proper. That soon changed when I learned that Thokozile had topped our cadet class, received an excellent pass, that she had a degree from Ongoye (University of Zululand), and that she was a qualified social worker. It’s only then that I took more notice of her, looked at her differently, chatted with her a little and spent more time with her. It helped that our editor, Maggie (Margaret Patterson), treated us all as equals, but recognised our individual skills, interests, and assigned us accordingly.
Masipa was assigned to more formal and serious interviews which required critical analysis and writing, whereas mine seemed frivolous in comparison, though at the time I enjoyed covering fashion/beauty shows, make up trends, bridal contests and corporate cocktail parties.
I envied Masipa’s attitude to work – she was focused, disciplined, always punctual and never messed up any assignment nor had any of her stories spiked (rejection of badly written copy, uninteresting or if copy is submitted past a scheduled deadline leaving no time for editing deadline).
We were all getting along famously in the women’s department when I learned from the grapevine that, outside work hours, Tilly was a skilled karate practitioner. All the more reason the guys who usually screamed lewd cat-calls at women went as silent as the grave yard when she walked through the newsroom probably too scared to mess with a skilled karate practitioner.
By the time our editor, Patterson, resigned from the World, I had really warmed up towards Masipa, and begun to respect and cherish her as a colleague who was better skilled and had the potential to replace Maggie as women’s world editor.
But it was not to be, much to my chagrin, the editor had other ideas of who should become the editor. The long and the short of it is that I walked away from the job in disgust and in solidarity with a woman I would have preferred as my editor.
Unbeknown to us all, in addition to a full-time job at the World, Masipa doubled up with domestic chores and responsibilities as mother to two sons and wife to Willy Masipa, an accountant by profession. In the meantime, Matilda had been privately studying for a law degree which would stand her in good stead when she cut her ties with the World Newspaper. I credit her husband for his unstinting support of his life-partner’s challenging work and study obligations as well as his faith in her ability to surge ahead, no matter what. She concedes how blessed she is to have the support of a doting husband of some 50-odd years, who has seen her through tough times and better moments of her life, and through thick and thin.
Her husband stood up for his wife and supported her during her court appearance after our detention following an illegal media workers’ march to protest the mass detention of several black journalists on October1977…
She had her family and a couple of old friends’ support during the bitter Oscar Pistorius trial and all through the ensuing controversy in 2014.
In 2019, I had the great pleasure of reconnecting with the Judge at a reunion lunch, which was organised and hosted by host with the moistest Maud Motanyane at her exquisite ethnic-themed home.
We watched in awe as a fashionably late Judge Thokozile stepped inside the Motanyane home with sheer elegance and the aid of a vintage walking stick, which she handled gingerly as one would a fashion accessory.
She seemed much younger than the last time I’d seen her. She looked self-assured, happy and content, with her face glowing with good health and the joy of reminiscing with the good company of old friends.
The reunion was a blast – we laughed loud, talked long and chatted animatedly about everything under the sun, including some dicey times at the World, while detained, the state of the nation, our personal lives, goals and accomplishments.
One thing that struck me about Masipa, was how utterly unperturbed she was about the “Blade” matter (The controversy around her finding athlete and murder accused Oscar Pistorius not guilty of murder, but guilty of culpable homicide of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2014). To her, the matter was done as soon as the end of the trial.
The old adage that, when one door closes, another one opens, might be true for some. But that’s not how my former colleague and old friend Masipa rolls. From way back then, and as long as I have known her, Masipa has been known to close her own doors, open new doors or build a whole new house, if she deemed it necessary to.
The news therefore, on 12 February 2021, of her appointment by ICASA as a new member of the Complaints and Compliance Committee was no surprise to people who have worked with her and believe she has the qualities, traits, qualifications, experience and integrity to provide excellent service to ICASA and the committee she is to lead.
Masipa holds an LLB degree, was admitted as advocate in 1991, and appointed Judge of the High Court in 1998).
For those of us who have known and loved Thokozile from the rooky days at the World we will always remember her as Tilly with a heart and cherish her compassion, drive, focus and discipline. She is the mistress of personal re-invention, always landing elegantly on her feet. As elegantly as she goes about her business quietly and delicately, but with purpose and intent, Masipa never sweats the small stuff.
Here’s to M’Lady Thokozile Maclda “Tilly” Masipa.
