/ 30 March 2009

M&G editor-in-chief Ferial Haffajee to move to City Press

<em>M&G</em>'s editor-in-chief Ferial Haffajee will be leaving the paper to take up the position of editor-in-chief of <em>City Press</em>.

Mail & Guardian‘s editor-in-chief Ferial Haffajee will be leaving the newspaper at the end of June to take up the position of editor-in-chief of City Press.

Haffajee has spent five years at the M&G and was part of the award-winning team that helped the newspaper achieve its highest circulation to date of 58 258 a week and a record 500 000 readership.

“I have been very proud to be editor of the Mail & Guardian,” said Haffajee. “It holds a special place in my heart and soul and I thank the company for all it’s done for me.”

Proprietor and CEO Trevor Ncube said that while he was sad to lose Haffajee, he was proud that the company had again proven itself a hot-house for editing talent.

“Ferial is the third editor the newspaper has grown for the industry over the past five years. Mondli Makhanya is now editor-in-chief of the Sunday Times, while Fikile Moya is editor of the Sowetan,” said Ncube.

“This is testimony to the formidable learning curve we provide at M&G Media.”

Ncube said he would announce a successor within a fortnight and was confident that a strong team was in place to secure ongoing growth for both the newspaper and M&G Online.

“Naturally I am disappointed by Ferial’s departure, but she leaves with my full blessing. She has been an asset and a strong ambassador for M&G Media.

“Ferial is a talented journalist and manager with a very bright future. The ethos, discipline and systems that she has put in place will serve this company well into the future,” said Ncube.