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Francois Aucamp (74) died on Saturday night.

Stalwart in journalism community passes away

 

One of the most experienced community journalists in South Africa and one of the founder members of the Association of Independent Publishers, Francois Aucamp (74), died on Saturday night. He was the owner and editor of the Bulletin newspaper in Tzaneen.

The Bulletin newspaper is also a member of the LiN Media group, along with titles such as the Zoutpansberger, Limpopo Mirror, Die Pos (Bela-Bela) and Northern News (Mokopane/Lephalale). LiN Media was formed in 2009 to assist the independent publishers in the province and co-ordinate projects such as training. Francois Aucamp served as chairperson of this group for many years.

Francois Aucamp had a long and illustrious history in the media world, more specifically the printed media. He was born in Humansdorp and, after finishing school, went to study theology at the University of Stellenbosch. After finishing his studies, he opted to exchange the pulpit for a pen and typewriter and in 1966 he started working at Die Oosterlig newspaper in the Cape.

His journalism career then took a slightly more commercial route when he started working for the motor manufacturer, Volkswagen. The knowledge he acquired there helped him later when he started working for Die Motor magazine. Throughout his life he was a keen motor enthusiast.

Francois Aucamp also left his mark in Namibia, and in the late 1970s he was the editor of Die Suidwester. When he returned to South Africa in the early 80s, he started his own newspaper in Malmesbury, the Swartland Monitor. Under his guidance this paper won the Nissan/Capro award for best newspaper in 1985 and 1986.

As an investigative journalist Francois Aucamp was almost in a league of his own. His writing skills were first acknowledged when he won the KWV award for Best Features Writer in 1985. He won the Journalist of the Year trophy in 1986. The KWV awards later became the Sanlam Awards for Community Journalism. He also managed to win the Sanlam Journalist of the Year trophy in 1991 and 1992, becoming the only person to win this award on three occasions.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he joined the team of Vista newspaper in Welkom. He then had a short stint at the Noord-Transvaler/Metro in Pretoria, before being sent to the then Pietersburg (Polokwane) as editor of the Monitor newspaper.

Around 2002 he moved to Tzaneen and not long after that the Lowveld Bulletin was born. This newspaper, with its fierce independent character and hard-hitting style of investigative journalism, became a well-known brand name in the region.

Mr Aucamp will be remembered for the many changes his weekly exposés brought about within local government.

He battled with bronchitis for the past year and a few weeks ago he was admitted to the MediClinic hospital in Tzaneen. He died on Saturday night.

A funeral service will be held at the Tzaneen Hervormde Kerk on Thursday afternoon at 14:00.

News - Date: 24 September 2016

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Anton van Zyl

Anton van Zyl has been with the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror since 1990. He graduated from the Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg) and obtained a BA Communications degree. He is a founder member of the Association of Independent Publishers.

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