Sowetan journalists remember Pearl Sebolao with love and affection

Sowetan journalists remember Pearl Sebolao, executive editor of Sowetan, with love and affection. 

Bongani Magasela

Just when I was getting to know her as a person, because we had spent some time finding each other as colleagues since she had been the editor in an acting capacity, she’s gone. Hard working, introverted, sensing, thinking and perceiving are the attributes that made her special. Thanks for the memories. Rest well, Pearl.

Tumo Mokone

I appreciated Pearl for her affinity for social justice, a subject that is also close to my heart. Her premature death is a big blow to freedom of expression, public knowledge and democracy itself. Her experience as a senior journalist doubles the loss to both journalism and social justice. Her passing is not only a tragedy for her family and close friends, but also for us as colleagues and society at large. 

Botho Molosankwe

I can’t believe that I am writing about Pearl in the past tense. It’s unreal. We were supposed to work together over the weekend and she sent me a story idea on Thursday afternoon. And I later sent her a message confirming that she would be on duty the following day. She said she was supposed to be, but was unwell. Imagine my shock at getting a message on Saturday morning that she was no more? Just like that? Pearl was the type of person who really paid attention to even the smallest detail and would break down – in the simplest way – how a story should be approached, uncomplicating it. She always had her notepad with her and whenever you debriefed her, she would be jotting down everything you’re saying with incredible speed and then summarise everything back to you. I will miss Pearl and how, whenever I made a mistake, she would call me to her office or invite me to the balcony where she would reprimand me gently and constructively. Journalism has really lost one of the great ones. May her lovely soul rest in eternal peace.

Veli Nhlapo

I’m still saddened by Pearl Sebolao’s passing. I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing her well, but from a distance I could tell that she was friendly and dedicated to her work. She will be greatly missed.

Herman Moloi

Pearl was a leader, always willing to listen to everyone’s opinion, digest it, and make a valuable contribution. She always wanted the reporter to have a voice in their story. After editing, she would say, ‘Please go through your story, see how I changed it and if there’s anything wrong, come to my office’.

Nandi Ntini

I’d known Pearl for only a short time, but in that time, she made a lasting impact on me. She had this gentle way of making you feel seen, welcomed and safe just as you are. I’ll never forget how she would reassure me that it’s OK to be shy, quiet and to have a soft voice. She’d often say, ‘You remind me of myself when I first started in journalism. I was quiet and shy, but look at me now. I’m loud, I’m confident, and I’m not afraid anymore’. That always stuck with me. It gave me hope that I, too, would grow just like she did. That I didn’t have to rush or compare myself to others, because becoming confident takes time, and that’s OK. Pearl cared deeply about how we saw ourselves in the work we did. She celebrated the little things we often overlook in ourselves. I remember once she told a colleague, ‘One thing about her, she’s a great investigator. She always gets what she needs and she gets it on time’. I hadn’t even realised that about myself until she said it. That’s the type of a person she was: someone who noticed you, who affirmed you, who built you up in quiet but powerful ways.

Michelle Banda

Still finding the words … but for now, just: thank you, Pearl. When I joined Arena, I didn’t know what to expect, but I never anticipated finding a safe space in you, someone who heard me even in my silence and saw potential before knowing my name. We connected beyond the work, bound by shared empathy and a deep sense of ubuntu that made every encounter with you warm and grounding. You reminded people they were deserving of their seat in the newsroom and I’ll never forget that first call nearly six months ago when you invited me for an interview – the best call yet. You believed in me when I barely believed in myself and your honest surprise after I delivered the Ditsobotla package was both affirming and humbling. In those moments, you gave me free therapy, motivation and the courage to keep going, even as I’m still finding my feet at Sowetan. It breaks my heart that you won’t get to see my next byline, but I know your light lives on in the energy of the newsroom and in all of us who carry it forward.

Darryl Hammond

The tragic news about the sudden passing of our colleague Pearl was hard to comprehend. It was sudden and unexpected. We never thought that when she left the office last week that that would be the last time we would see her. Pearl was a great editor and journalist. Calm, quiet and collected, with a brilliant and analytical mind. But Pearl was more than that. She was humble and had the biggest heart. Pearl had compassion and she cared, both about her colleagues and the community. Her big, friendly smile will be sorely missed.

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