Tributes continue to pour in following the death of seasoned and award-winning journalist, Paddy Harper, who died in his Durban home yesterday.

At the time of his death, Harper was the political editor at the Mail and Guardian.

Former colleague at M&G and City Press, Ferial Haffajee shared some of her fondest memories of Harper’s character in the newsroom and through his writing.

She says, “I always found him an irrepressibly joyous spirit to have in any newsroom. The depth of his contacts and his knowledge about his country was such that you could put him onto any story and he would make it his own. I really loved when we worked together on big stories. He was such a funny writer, that you could turn into a piece of satire and he would just make it absolutely readable and also a must read. ”

Haffajee believes Harper, who has been credited for mentoring young journalists, would want them to learn from his work.

“You know what I learnt from Paddy in all the newsrooms that I worked at was that we are not of power, we are of the people and he always seemed to know that. He was not much of rubbing shoulders, but he had great contacts and he understood journalism as an act of revolution, and for me I hope that’s what we remember him for.”

Fiercely independent

Former Sunday Times Editor, S’thembiso Msomi has described Harper as being fiercely independent.

Msomi says politicians from all ends of the political spectrum trusted Harper to get it right.

He says, “It didn’t matter whether a politician was his friend or not, he will write about them; f there was a reason to write, he would write that story. Never personal, it was always professional. He was always doing his job. ”

Msomi adds, “If you are a writer, be good at what you do, like Paddy was a writer. Paddy wasn’t just putting words together, he thought about what he was saying and secondly, professionalism and being fiercely independent.”

#RIP #Paddy Harper, we learnt a lot from you. The heavens are richer. pic.twitter.com/kcbWCDeaIQ

— mzwandile mbeje (@mzwaimbeje) January 26, 2025

🌍❤️ Today, we bid farewell to Paddy Harper, a remarkable South African journalist whose fearless reporting and commitment to truth have left an indelible mark on the media landscape. Paddy’s dedication to uncovering the stories that matter and giving a voice to the voiceless…

— Kumi Naidoo (@kuminaidoo) January 26, 2025

This is sad news, significant loss to our democracy. Paddy was a formidable journalist, wielding his pen with purpose & wit, carrying an invaluable wealth of institutional memory. M&G mourns the passing of political editor Paddy Harper https://t.co/htjquaaeEN

— Mahlatse Mahlase (@hlatseentle) January 25, 2025