Veteran newsman Linington dies

VETERAN journalist Ed Linington, South Africa’s Press Ombudsman for 10 years and editor of the Sapa news agency for two decades before that, died in Joburg on Friday at the age of 88, after a short illness.

Born the son of a circuit magistrate in the then Northern Transvaal, Linington established himself as a top hard news, wire agency journalist, working also for Reuters in various parts of Africa, and as Sapa’s London Editor before being appointed editor of the news agency in Joburg in 1972.

He retired from Sapa in 1992 and in 1997 took up what he joked was a “part-time” job as the South African Press Council’s press ombudsman.

It turned out to be a full-time job and he retired for a second time in 2007 when the press ombudsman’s function was restructured via a revamped press code under the leadership of Joe Thloloe.

His funeral will be held at St Michael’s Anglican church in Bryanston on Friday. – Staff Reporter