BRA WINDSOR A HIGH-FLYER WITH VISION
Date of birth: April 10 1935 Died: February 9 2017 Funeral: Yesterday at the Bryanston Methodist Church, Johannesburg Burial: Private Cremation
FORMER corporate executive highflyer and presidential adviser Windsor Shuenyane defined and articulated the role of the media, especially young black journalists, in an unprecedented manner.
He succumbed to a stroke on February 9.
Shuenyane was born in Soweto in 1935 and his parents were Maggie and Rev Simon Shuenyane.
He attended primary school in Mashishing, Mpumalanga, and at Thembalihle in Orlando East, Soweto. He went to Orlando High.
He had a long illustrious life which spans decades of achievements.
Among those was a directorship of the US and SA Leadership Exchange Programme that identified and offered opportunities to promising young professionals who were destined for a leadership role in society.
His unusual style of corporate social responsibility bespoke a boiling urgency and bold decisions to throw the media into the front row of capturing history and defining the soul of the nation.
Bra Windsor, as he was fondly known, was unhesitating in making bold decisions to facilitate critical ideas exchange between a new government and young media professionals to realise the urgent need to work together to improve society.
The substance of his positive and constructive role was highlighted by his unwavering support for the launch of the controversial Forum for Black Journalists (FBJ) that he adopted and gave a home at the SAB in downtown Johannesburg where he was corporate relations manager.
Shuenyane was for more than 20 years with the SAB involved in community affairs.
It was his primary responsibility to facilitate meaningful engagement and relations between white monopoly capital like the SAB and relevant stakeholders in the black African community, especially the media.
Shuenyane was unwilling to condone the corporate indifference to black suffering and its reluctance to acknowledge the central role of young black professional voices in the media who were entrusted with the responsibility to be a mirror of society.
Thus he found himself regarded as the stepfather of black journalism because of his unconditional support for young black journalists and the so-called Black Press who were eager to redefine their role.
As much as Shuenyane was a well-known corporate high flyer, he seemed not to love the limelight.
He was more interested in providing opportunities and cultural platforms for others to shine.
He understood that as a corporate strategist and visionary leader, he had to lead from the back to allow the young and talented – professionals, academics and media workers – to unleash their power to realise their potential.
This is how he adopted the Forum for Black Journalists that he provided with a home at the SABC World of Beer Centre in Newtown in the early 1990s – with all expenses paid!
Shuenyane knew that the media, especially young black journalists, needed to be goaded to adopt critical thinking roles to create opportunities and platforms for robust debate with those entrusted with leadership of a nation in transition.
He flung open his heart and the doors to the centre to provide a location for robust intellectual exchange between young black journalists and the political and business leadership of the country.
Thus he made sure the FBJ hosted trailblazers like Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Prof Malekgapuru Makgoba, Nkosazana DlaminiZuma, Lindiwe Sisulu and Black Panther activist Stokely Carmichael, among others, in relatively secured and comfortable surroundings.
His offer also created a platform for the acknowledgement and recognition of legendary journalists like Thami Mazwai, photographer Mike Mzileni, poet John Mattera and many others.
Shuenyane single-handedly convinced the SAB board and its leadership about the virtues of freedom of expression and the responsibility of the media to entrench democracy.
Thus the FBJ had a home and participated in deepening democracies to change the views of former exiles who practised top-down decision-making known as “democratic centralised”.
When first approached with the proposal for a sponsorship and venue, Shuenyane made a commitment on the spot. Unlike most token black executives, he did not need to listen to or “consult” white corporate leadership. He was a decision-maker. This lifted his stature in the eyes of many who watched black corporate tokens with hawk’s eyes.
In fact, Shuenyane did not look or sound like a token black who put his own interests before those of the country and the urgent need to prepare for the future.
He knew that the country had to move in a certain direction.
He understood that black journalists had a pivotal role to play to put the universal truth above political partisanship disguised as patriotism.
As a strategist, he stood back with a remote control and got the organisers and leading activists of the FBJ to the front to move in a direction that would see them set the national agenda.
This is how Shuenyane was seen as the invisible, behind-the-scenes powerhouse in the struggle to rehabilitate the battered image of so-called black journalism. His idea was to be a strategic leader who made things happen without attracting the limelight to himself.
Bra Windsor – who left behind his wife Esline and children Itumeleng, Tshepo, Khumo and Wanda – was buried yesterday.
His service was held at the Bryanston Methodist Church in Johannesburg.
His spirit lives and will continue to guide us.