#AIJC2024 Day 1: 20th African Investigative Journalism Conference kicks off in Johannesburg

by | Oct 30, 2024

By Stuart Dickinson

The milestone 20th African Investigative Journalism Conference got off to a roaring start at Wits University on 30 October, attracting more than 400 journalists from over 55 countries worldwide to network and share excellent examples of their craft.

“The conference has grown in stature over the years, born mostly from the people who are willing to share their stories, and in so doing tell us the stories of Africans whose everyday lived realities are transformed and improved by the work of the very people in this room,” said Director of the Wits Centre for Journalism Dr Dinesh Balliah at the conference opening.

“We’ve also grown in the diversity of people and the number of countries we attract to the conference, and certainly in the investigative tools and techniques we hear about and share with one another.”

Balliah said that as the conference has grown, it has also outgrown its current format in being held over three days once a year in one location, announcing the Centre’s long-established aim to create the African Investigative Journalism Network (AIJN), which will be aligned with the core mandates of the AIJC in strengthening investigative journalism in Africa.

“The body will also allow the Centre to replicate the critical activities of this conference all over the continent at different times of the year, so we look forward to coming to you.”

Addressing a packed hall at the conference opening, Beauregard Tromp, who takes the helm of the AIJC for the first time in 2024, said a focus of the AIJC this year was to develop grassroots investigative journalism on the continent through the 2024 under-30 fellowship programme. Over 25 young journalists who display strong potential were fully sponsored to attend the conference through generous support of partners like the Open Society Foundations, the WCJ’s Africa China Reporting Project, and the Gates Foundation.

“We’ve also spoken at length about the need to strengthen Global South cooperation within the journalism community. We have established networks with our colleagues in the US and Europe, but we don’t have the same collaboration with colleagues in Latin America, Asia and other areas.

“We’ve worked hard over the years with organisations like the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) to build and foster these relationships, attending events like the 2024 COLPIN conference in Madrid to learn more about how we can better engage with these communities.”

Another major theme of this year’s conference again looks at the long-standing issue of journalist safety and persecution from governments, police and other bodies who abuse their authority to silence journalists.

Tromp spoke of colleague and friend Boniface Mwangi, journalist turned activist who was recently plucked from his home and detained by police with no charges laid after he led an anti-government protest in Kenya.

“Our activism is journalism. Boni’s situation is indicative of so many of our colleagues in Mozambique, Kenya, Sudan and indeed all over the world. We never seem to need an occasion for authorities to try oppress us in doing our work.”

On 2 November, the journalism community recognises the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. Tromp called on conference delegates to submit their ideas and thoughts on this matter to formulate a statement which will be delivered to the African Union headquarters in Ethiopia during the official event recognising this initiative from 6 to 7 November.

The first day of the conference saw colleagues from around the world engage with a packed programme, reacquaint with old friends and forge new connections, and share the best examples of their work with one another. If day one was anything to go by, this year is going to be a fantastic edition.