The Chronicle of the Ages

By Paul Jenkins

Whilst the sweep of history moves inexorably on, the passing of the imperceptible seconds is chronicled by the daily reporting of events along the continuum of time. The Witness newspaper (formerly the Natal Witness) has fulfilled this function and a lofty calling for generations, and is the undisputed grande dame of the South African media.

It was a milestone of enormous significance when the paper celebrated its 150th year – bookmarked as it was by the dawn of democracy in 1996. The milestone was celebrated by a fine book with the title Bearing Witness when it was published during the epoch of Nelson Mandela as president.

Some 30 years later, The Witness celebrates 180 years with the same hope and enthusiasm for the future and still with the irrepressible insouciance of a teenager. The Witness has also kept alive, the same independent spirit under its new owner, Riquadeu Jacobs, who took the baton from Media 24, the corporate media conglomerate, in 2022.

Throughout the newspaper’s life, it has been largely family controlled, except for the fleeting 12 years under the ownership of Media24, which since closed almost all its remaining newspaper titles in 2025, just three years after selling The Witness. Thus the 180th year is a cause to celebrate the escape from the guillotine of corporate ownership and commercial imperatives that may also have befallen The Witness, were it not for the passion and belief of the current owner.

In 2010, when Jacobs opposed Media24’s initial move to take control of The Witness, he was driven by a clear ambition: to one day own and occupy the editor’s chair, an heirloom piece of furniture that symbolised the legacy of the editors he had admired since joining the paper as a student reporter in 1991.

The chair itself — long prized by previous editors and owners — now holds pride of place in the editorial department, alongside a renewed commitment to the newspaper’s ongoing role as a compass for the communities it serves.

Caxton is proud to be associated with The Witness and Riquadeu Jacobs, as our industry navigates the next twenty years. There are headwinds and dangerous seas ahead, and more than any other time in the past, our industry faces an existential threat that imperils news reporting and places newspaper readership under pressure.

The words of Horace come to mind: “Eheu fugaces labuntur anni” (alas the passing years slip by). Our future may be short-lived and we need to be vigilant and diligent to preserve this 180-year legacy. We pay tribute to the team at The Witness, especially the courageous owners, publishers and editors who have built on their predecessors’ efforts in achieving the current milestone. We need now to single-mindedly strive to ensure that in the 200th year of The Witness’ existence, it is still the chronicle of the daily news from Pietermaritzburg, the heartland of KwaZulu-Natal.

Paul Jenkins, Non-executive Chairman

Caxton and CTP Publishers and Printers