Jacques Pauw
Jacques Pauw
Biography of a Renowned Investigative Journalist
Full Name and Common Aliases
Jacques Pauw is a South African investigative journalist known for his fearless reporting and unrelenting pursuit of truth. His full name is Jacques Johannes Petrus Pauw.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on June 2, 1960, in Potchefstroom, Transvaal Province (now North West Province), South Africa, Jacques Pauw's life has been marked by a commitment to uncovering the truth, even when it means challenging those in power. His exact date of death is not publicly known.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Jacques Pauu is a South African journalist, author, and investigative reporter. He has worked for various publications, including _Beeld_ newspaper and the Sunday paper _Rapport_.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in a small town in the Free State Province of South Africa, Jacques Pauw developed an early interest in journalism. His passion for storytelling and investigation led him to pursue a career in media. He studied at the University of Pretoria before embarking on his professional journey as a journalist.
Major Accomplishments
Jacques Pauw's most significant contributions to journalism include exposing government corruption, malfeasance, and state capture. His investigative reporting has been instrumental in uncovering scandals that have shaped South African politics. Some of his notable works include:
The President's Keepers: Those Keeping Zuma in Power and Out of Prison: This book exposed the corrupt network surrounding former President Jacob Zuma.
The Silent Killers: State Capture, Corruption, and the Downfall of a Nation: In this book, Pauw delves into the intricate web of corruption that has plagued South Africa for decades.
Notable Works or Actions
Pauw's reporting has been recognized internationally. He is a recipient of several awards, including:
The 2018 Hannan-Kalb Prize for best investigative journalism
The Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship in 2003-2004
* The Olivia Schieffelin Trust award in 1997
Impact and Legacy
Jacques Pauw's tireless efforts to expose corruption have left an indelible mark on South African journalism. His work has inspired a new generation of investigative reporters, who continue his legacy by fighting for transparency and accountability.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Pauw is widely quoted for his insightful analysis of the complex web of corruption that has captured South Africa's politics. His quotes are often cited in discussions about state capture, governance, and the role of media in holding those in power accountable.
Quotes by Jacques Pauw
In his first five years, Zuma had ripped like a tornado through the state's institutions and wreaked havoc across the land. But the worst was yet to come. In his second term, which has two years left as I write this, the windstorm has been upgraded to tsunami status and Zuma is ravaging the Republic.
To prevail and to enrich himself, Zuma has been prepared to defy the Constitution, risk the economy, jeopardise social grants, allow his cronies to plunder and capture the state, and look on while the law enforcement agencies implode.
Poor JZ is the perpetual victim. In the case of Nkandla, he was the victim of a 'supply-chain' fiasco; something he knew nothing about.
Zuma may have the appearance of a scuzzy ghost, but the war against his wretched, calamitous, inept and divisive rule is far from over. Those who thought that Zuma was down and out have underestimated him. Beware: his middle name is not for nothing Gedleyihlekisa. It means 'the one who laughs while grinding his enemies'.
Zuma is one of the most lampooned and jeered heads of state in the world and can easily be brushed aside as an uneducated peasant – yet he is in fact a brilliant strategist.
It is often said that Zuma is proof that anyone, even from the humblest beginnings, can rise to the top. A son of a domestic worker mother and policeman father who died when he was a young boy, Zuma was chiselled from the land north of the Tugela River in KwaZulu-Natal. Called the land of hills, honey and cobras, it is an area tormented by poverty and stands in stark contrast to the rolling sugar estates and “white monopoly capital” on the other side of the Tugela.
Zuma vowed at his inauguration: “This is a moment of renewal. I will devote myself to the well-being of the Republic and all of its people.
We have become world leaders in income inequality, racial tension, rape and illicit financial outflows.
Can you imagine charging one of the most powerful people in the country with treason and those around him with fraud and corruption?
A pattern of appointing cronies and loyalists in key positions emerged at the outset of Zuma's presidency. He was mindful that he could still be brought to book for corruption in the future, and set in motion a shadow security state that would undermine the independence of the police and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).