A family affair. Three generations of  ‘Witness’ employees

 

For the Ambrose family, The Witness is more than just a workplace, it is part of a three-generation family legacy.

From the early days of the newspaper’s printing operations to today’s digital newsroom, three generations of the Ambrose family have played a role in the production of the publication for decades.

Witness production co-ordinator Ronelle Ambrose represents the third generation of her family to work at the newspaper. Her family’s connection to the publication began with her father’s uncles, Vincent and Claude Ambrose, who were the first in the family to join the company.

Vincent worked in the binding department as a guillotine operator, while Claude worked in the printing department.

Years later, Ronelle’s father, David Ambrose, followed in their footsteps and had the opportunity to work alongside them .

David began his apprenticeship at The Natal Witness in 1988 at the Longmarket Street building, under Stuart Craib. He qualified as an artisan in bookbinding in 1991, earning a distinction.

At the time, The Natal Witness had both a publishing and educational books division as well as a newspaper commercial division. David worked in the bookbinding and publishing division, where he was involved in printing and binding books for publishers such as Shuter & Shooter and Macmillan.

During that period, operations were split between two sites — Mkondeni, where the publishing and bookbinding divisions were based, and Willowton, where the newspaper printing operations took place.

In 1996, David was also part of the company’s 150th anniversary celebrations, receiving a commemorative umbrella that he still keeps today. He left The Witness in 2000.

He said securing an apprenticeship in the industry at the time was not easy, and achieving a distinction opened many doors for him.

“Driving down Longmarket Street still brings back memories. I remember the Witness Lane and the activity around the building,” he said.

Today, the Ambrose family’s connection to the publication continues through Ronelle.

Ronelle said growing up she often heard stories about the work her father did in bookbinding and managing departments in the printing division.

“I always wanted to follow in their footsteps and work at The Witness. It was one of my goals, and it is an honour to work here and be part of moving the publication forward in the digital era,” she said.