abeli joins btm as french reporter

By Mashilo Mnisi (BTM Editor)

November 2, 2007: On 1 October this year Abeli Zahabu joined Behind The Mask as a French reporter and translator.

Zahabu was appointed to the position after BTM terminated contract of the previous French Reporter.

Not only that he was appointed to the job mainly because of his multilingualism that includes French, but Zahabu has some scintillating nifty skills in both translation and reporting in French and English.

“I have been employed as a bulletin writer and editor for the French and English services at the SABC [South African Broadcasting Corporation] since 2004”, Zahabu asserted.

He asserts also that he was employed as part-time lecturer for the French language at the Alliance Francaise of Johannesburg.

BTM needed to fill the position with a gay person but at the same time it needed the incumbent to be a skilled journalist with wide range of knowledge in translation and reporting.

Although Zahabu doesn't reveal his sexuality he is much more than determined to work in this environment as he believes that this would be the opportunity to equip himself with knowledge to participate in human and gay rights issues and affairs.

“I would want to participate more in the LGBTI [lesbian, gay, transgender and intersex] events so to increase my knowledge in the sector. Since working, in only one month, my knowledge is broadening now”, he vaunts.

About the difference between the SABC and BTM, Zahabu emphasises on the content. “There’s a huge difference in terms of content – where the SABC is mainly mainstream, and here I’m being an activist promoting gay issues. BTM’s objective is straightforward than the SABC’, he added.

His main intention is develop the French section on BTM’s news site by creating more contacts and disseminate information and news to francophone countries than before.

“I’m making the section alive again by developing contacts, while I let the francophone audience know more about the latest news”, concluded Zahabu.