‘Witness’ reporting shows South Africa’s ubuntu is alive

Last week, The Witness asked a difficult question: is South Africa losing its sense of ubuntu?

The question arose from the increasingly hardened responses we see to stories about people facing hardship.

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Alongside compassion and concern, there are also comments filled with anger, bitterness and, at times, a troubling lack of empathy.

This was particularly evident in our reporting on the devastating fire at the Jika Joe informal settlement in Pietermaritzburg, which destroyed hundreds of homes and left families exposed to freezing mid-winter conditions.

Many readers responded with compassion.

Others sought to link the victims to the July 2021 unrest, when the neighbouring Brookside Mall was burnt down.

The Witness questioned the logic and morality of blaming an entire community for events that happened five years ago.

Our reporting focused on the people behind the tragedy — families who had lost their homes, possessions and security overnight — and on those who stepped forward to help them.

Among them was Zodwa Ngcobo, whose community kitchen provided meals to affected families.

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By telling these stories, The Witness helped ensure the disaster was not reduced to numbers alone, while also highlighting the humanity of those who responded.

Similar questions about our sense of humanity emerged in our coverage of foreign nationals leaving South Africa.

The country has every right to enforce its immigration laws, but whether someone is documented or undocumented does not erase their humanity.

They still deserve dignity, compassion and protection from harm.

Our Mandela Day weekend coverage provided an important answer to the question we had raised.

Across KwaZulu-Natal, The Witness reported on an outpouring of compassion.

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Food for Love, the KZN SPCA, Royal Hospital, Lifeline, Gift of the Givers, Community Chest and Love to Live were among the organisations reaching out to people in need.

Ordinary South Africans also played their part. Despite economic hardship, many still found something to give — food, clothing, time, skills or simply a helping hand.

By highlighting these efforts, The Witness helped tell a broader story about who we are as a society: that the loudest voices of anger and division do not necessarily represent the majority.

Elsewhere, our reporting continued to keep community concerns visible and to follow stories through to their outcomes.

In Richmond, The Witness reported on growing frustration over deteriorating roads and potholes. The municipality has since begun carrying out repairs, providing residents with some relief.

In Smero, we followed a disruptive water outage caused by a burst pipe that also affected access when the roadway had to be excavated.

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The water supply has since been restored and the road reinstated.

At the New England Road Landfill Site, The Witness kept residents informed as firefighters battled a blaze that raised concern about smoke and the impact on surrounding communities.

We later reported that the fire had been brought under control, with monitoring continuing.

The impact of journalism is not always that a story directly causes an outcome. Often, it is about making sure people are heard, problems remain visible, developments are followed.

South Africans have not lost their ubuntu.

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Our reporting this week helped tell the stories that prove it.